SEND & Inclusion Board and Corporate Board

The request was refused by Warwickshire County Council.

SEND Crisis Warwickshire

Dear Warwickshire County Council,

Please supply copies of all Minutes taken at any and all monthly and quarterly Board meetings of the SEND & Inclusion Board and Corporate Board from January 2020 to March 2021 inclusive.

Yours faithfully,

SEND Crisis Warwickshire

Info Rights, Warwickshire County Council

Information Management staff will be unavailable on Friday 2nd and Monday
5th April due to the Easter Bank Holiday.  
This inbox will not be monitored during this period. 
Thank you.
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Warwickshire County Council

 
Information request
Our reference: 6667872

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Dear SEND Crisis Warwickshire
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 5 April
2021. We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000
 
Under our normal statutory requirements we are required to provide you
with a response within 20 working days of the receipt of your request.
Therefore we would aim to send a response by 4 May 2021. However, please
see ** below.
 

In some case, a fee may be payable. If we decide a fee is payable, we will
send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before
proceeding with your request.

 
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your right to request an internal review and to
complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
 
We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
 
** Please note:
 

In line with many organisations, nationally and globally, Warwickshire
County Council is experiencing unprecedented challenges during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst we will endeavour to adhere to our Information
Rights timescales during this period, there may be times when we need
to redirect our resources to assist the council and partner agencies to
respond to the outbreak.  Therefore, you may experience delays in
receiving a response from us in relation to information rights requests
during this time.   

Further guidance can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office
website
at  [1]https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/you...
appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time.  

 

 Kind regards

Bruce Green
Information Rights Officer

Information Management Team
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412211

 

 

 

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

References

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Warwickshire County Council

 
Information request
Our reference: 6667872

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Dear SEND Crisis Warwickshire
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request received on 5th April 2021 concerning  "...
copies of all Minutes taken at any and all monthly and quarterly Board
meetings of the SEND & Inclusion Board and Corporate Board from January
2020 to March 2021 inclusive."
 
Warwickshire County Council are considering your request but we need more
time to process it.  This is because we are considering an exemption under
Section 36 (Prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000; and we require more time to determine
whether or not the balance of the public interest lies in maintaining this
exemption, for the Corporate Board Minutes part of your request only.  We
will now try to respond to this part of your request by 2nd June 2021,
however I expect to be able to provide our response well before this
date.  
 
In addition, I'm writing to advise that there will be a delay in providing
you with our response to the SEND & Inclusion Board part of your request. 
This is because I'm still waiting for officers in the relevant team to
redact the copies of these Minutes.  I apologise for this delay and for
any inconvenience this may cause, and I will write to you as soon as
possible with the Council's response to this part of your request.  
 
If you have any queries or should you wish to make a complaint about the
manner in which your request is being dealt with then please do not
hesitate to contact me at:  [1][Warwickshire County Council request email]  in the
first instance.  Any complaints will be dealt with under the Council's
internal review procedure.
 
Further information about your rights under the Freedom of Information
Act, is available from the Information Commissioner's Office (0303 123
1113) or:  [2]www.ico.org.uk  and on the County Council's website.  
 
 
Kind regards
 
 
Bruce Green
Information Rights Officer

Information Management Team
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412211 
 
 
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

References

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2. http://www.ico.org.uk/

Warwickshire County Council

9 Attachments

 
Information request
Our reference: 6667872

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Dear SEND Crisis Warwickshire
 
Thank you for your request for information received on 5th April 2021.
 
Please find attached our response to your request. 
 
 
Kind regards
 
 
Bruce Green
Information Rights Officer

Information Management Team
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412211 
 
 
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

SEND Crisis Warwickshire

Dear Warwickshire County Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Warwickshire County Council's handling of my FOI request 'SEND & Inclusion Board and Corporate Board' for the following reasons:

1. Where WCC are implementing new strategies, policies and process which directly impact Warwickshire families, specifically those most vulnerable and disadvantaged due to their special educational needs, healthcare needs, social care needs and / or disabilities, it is in the public interest to transparently be able to access and review the discussions had by senior public servants in their name.

2. Where WCC quote such decision making to Cabinet as being appropriate, considered and transparent, and invites Cabinet to vote to approve any new strategy, policy or process which will directly impact Warwickshire's vulnerable and disadvantaged families, it is in the public interest to transparently access and review the discussions referenced to elected officials / members in Cabinet papers.

3. As stipulated in your reply, we wish to remind you of the arguments against withholding information:
'There is a presumption in favour of making decision making made by public bodies open and transparent, which could extend to include all internal documentation leading to a decision-making point.
There is an argument that due to their seniority, Corporate Board officers would not easily be deterred from expressing their views by the possibility of future public disclosure of minutes. It is also possible that the possibility of future disclosure could actually lead to better quality decision-making.
Some of the matter discussed in Corporate Board minutes may no longer be on-going matters. For those matters, there is an argument that disclosure would no longer hinder the free and frank exchange of views.'

Therefore, in the name of transparency and accountability any such discussion should be accessible to public scrutiny and information, particularly as elected members have voted on a plan and strategy in good faith and in the name of Warwickshire's most vulnerable and disadvantaged families. Senior officers, who are public servants, should not be exempt from such scrutiny of matters in the public interest.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...

Yours faithfully,

SEND Crisis Warwickshire

Warwickshire County Council

 
Information request
Our reference: 6667872

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Dear SEND Crisis Warwickshire
 
Thank you for your request for a review received on 17 May 2021. I am
sorry that you are dissatisfied with our attempts to handle your request
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
I can confirm that we are considering your concerns and we will aim to
provide you with a response as soon as possible. We aim to provide you
with a response within 20 working days (15 June 2021). We may extend this
time period in exceptional circumstances and we will let you know if we
need to do so.
 
Please note, in line with many organisations nationally and
globally, Warwickshire County Council is experiencing unprecedented
challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst we will endeavour to
adhere to our Information Rights timescales during this period, there may
be times when we need to redirect our resources to assist the council and
partner agencies to respond to the outbreak.  Therefore, you may
experience delays in receiving a response from us in relation to
information rights requests during this time.   

Further guidance can be found on the Information Commissioner's Office
website
at  [1]https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/you...
appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time.  

 
 

 Kind regards

Jason Williams
Legal Assistant

Law and Governance - Legal Services
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL

 

 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

References

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Warwickshire County Council

 
Information request
Our reference: 6667872 & 6761889

show quoted sections

Lucy Adams, Warwickshire County Council

2 Attachments

I attach my letter dated 24 June 2021 in response to your request for an
internal review which was received on 17 May 2021.

 

Lucy Adams

Solicitor

Planning and Litigation

Warwickshire Legal Services

Governance and Policy

Resources Directorate - Warwickshire County Council

Telephone: 01926 738813

 

My working days: Monday (9am to 1pm), Tuesday to Thursday (usual office
hours). 

 

 

COVID-19  Working arrangements

 

Warwickshire Legal Services will be working as normal during this period
of self isolation.  A skeleton team of staff will be covering the office
at Shire Hall, with all other staff working from home.

 

We will not be attending face to face meetings, any meetings will be via
Microsoft Teams or telephone conference.

  

If you need to contact us urgently and I am not available please email
[1][email address] or Tel 01926 414901 (9:00 – 17:00
Weekdays).

 

Thank you for your consideration during this time.

 

 

This transmission is intended for the named addressee(s) only and may
contain confidential, sensitive or personal information and should be
handled accordingly. Unless you are the named addressee (or authorised to
receive it for the addressee) you may not copy or use it, or disclose it
to anyone else. If you have received this transmission in error please
notify the sender immediately. All email traffic sent to or from us may be
subject to recording and/or monitoring in accordance with relevant
legislation.

References

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