FOI release

FOI22/23-020 - Number of accusations of professional misconduct

Published 18 January 2023

Our ref: FOI22/23-020

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your email of 25 May in which you requested from the Insolvency Service:

  1. How many of your staff have been accused of a) sexual misconduct, or b) other professional misconduct in the workplace since 1st January 2021?

  2. How many of your staff have been disciplined for a) sexual misconduct, or b) other professional misconduct in the workplace since 1st January 2021?

Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

I can confirm the agency holds the information that you have requested and I have provided answers to your questions below:

The agency holds an overall number of accusations of misconduct and associated disciplinary action however they are not separated by type of accusation. As such, I can not provide the number of accusations/disciplinary actions that specifically relate to sexual misconduct.

Six cases of professional misconduct have been referred to HR since 1st January 2021, one was not upheld, and one is ongoing. Of the six cases, four resulted in a sanction.

If you are not satisfied with the response we have provided you and would like us to reconsider our decision by way of an internal review (IR), please contact our Information Rights Team at foi@insolvency.gov.uk or by post at:

Information Rights Team

The Insolvency Service

3rd Floor

Cannon House

18 Priory Queensway

Birmingham

B4 6FD

United Kingdom

You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if you wish for them to investigate any complaint you may have regarding our handling of your request. However, please note that the ICO is likely to expect an IR to have been completed in the first instance.

Kind regards

Information Rights Team

The Insolvency Service