Date: 29 June 2009

My Ref: FOI/2009/0279/CLO

Contact: Emma Hearton

Direct dial: 01934 427390

C McEwan

Sent via email

Dear Sir/Madam,

Freedom of Information Act (2000) - Request for Information

I write following our acknowledgement letter, date 08 June 2009, reference FOI/2009/0279/ACK.

Further to your request, please see our response below:

1. Does your Local Authority presently employ Education Counsellors* (rather than `buying in' such a service from an external provider)?

Yes, some of our schools do employ Education Counsellors (though they are called Student Counsellors and Pupil Support Counsellors)

2. If the answer to Question 1 is `yes', please state for each Education Counsellor employed by the Local Authority:

• Whether they have been deemed to be eligible to join the Teachers

Pension Scheme and

• The date when they joined the Teachers Pension Scheme

• Whether they are employed on Teachers Terms and Conditions of

Employment

According to our records, all the Counsellors we employ in the Local Authority's Schools are on non-teaching/Support staff Terms and Conditions (ie Single Status terms and conditions) and therefore they would not be deemed to be eligible to join the Teachers Pensions Scheme

3. If your Local Authority does not presently employ Education Counsellors have they done so in the past?

N/A

4. If the answer to Question 3 is `yes', please state for each School Counsellor employed by the Local Authority since 31 March

2004:

• Whether they were deemed to be eligible to join the Teachers

Pension Scheme and

• When they joined the Teachers Pension Scheme

* Education Counsellors meaning those employed to support pupils in

Education

N/A

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in line with the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, the Council reserves the right to charge for disbursements, such as photocopying and postage. However, on this occasion no fee will be charged.

Please note that the Freedom of Information Act only provides you with a right of access to recorded information. Any information subject to copyright will continue to be protected by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act (1998). This includes information which is copyright of the council. Disclosure of any information by the council to you does not provide you with any rights to use or distribute the information in breach of any copyright.

North Somerset Council now considers that it has complied with your request. However, you have a right to appeal if you are dissatisfied with our response. In the first instance you should address your appeal for a review of the response or our handling of your request to the Council's Information Governance Manager, in writing at:

Mr Peter Rooney, Information Governance Manager, The Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1UJ.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the Council's internal review, you have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner. You can request a review of the council's decisions by contacting:

The Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

Yours faithfully

Emma Hearton

FOI & DPA Support Officer

North Somerset Council

Philip Hall

Director of Finance and Resources

Information, Communication and Technology Department

North Somerset Council

Town Hall

Weston-super-Mare

Somerset BS23 1UJ

www.n-somerset.gov.uk