July 2019 - Discretionary Deferral Funding & Early Entry to School Data

The request was successful.

Patricia Anderson

Dear East Dunbartonshire Council,

Please accept this email as a Freedom of Information request.
Please could the Council provide:

(For Qs 1-3 below this data was already requested in an FoI by Sarah McCluckie via the WDTK website in early May so I am looking for either confirmation that your response to that FoI is still accurate or an update on the data if there have been any subsequent applications and decisions).

1) The total number of requests received to date for the Council to provide discretionary funding for a further year of early learning and childcare for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2019 and 31st Dec 2019.

2) A breakdown of the total number in 1. above by requests for
a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings and
b) continued funding in council run settings.

3) In relation to question 2, please provide the number of places the Council has agreed to provide continued funding for in
a) private/voluntary settings and
b) council run settings.

4. How many of the children applying have a December birthday?

5a. How many appeals (challenges if there is no official appeals process) did the Council receive against the Council’s decision not to grant funding?

5b. How many of these appeals/challenges resulted in the initial decision being overturned?

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2018 and today?

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2019 instead of Aug 2020 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2020)?

7b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?

8. Is the Council’s discretionary deferral funding policy currently under review or are there any plans to update it in the near future?

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

East Dunbartonshire Council

Thank you for you Freedom of Information request.

This is an automated response. Your message has been received by East
Dunbartonshire Council.

Your request will be dealt with promptly and a full response will be issued
within 20 working days.

Should you not receive a response within this period, or you have any other
queries about your request please contact: [East Dunbartonshire Council request email] or 0141
578 8057.

DISCLAIMER:
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. It may contain information of a confidential or privileged nature.

If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message and destroy the e-mail.

East Dunbartonshire Council can not be held responsible for viruses, therefore please scan all attachments.

Any personal data contained in email communications with East Dunbartonshire Council will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 ("GDPR") and all other relevant national data protection laws.

Further information detailing how East Dunbartonshire holds and uses personal information and copies of privacy notices used throughout the Council are available on our website at:
https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/council...

The Council?s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email address] or on Tel: 0300 123 4510.

The views expressed in this message are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect those of East Dunbartonshire Council who will not necessarily be bound by its contents.

East Dunbartonshire Council

Dear Ms Anderson

Thank you for your request for information. In answer to your enquiry I can
provide the following response on behalf of East Dunbartonshire Council:

1) The total number of requests received to date for the Council to
provide discretionary funding for a further year of early learning and
childcare for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day
after the school start date in August 2019 and 31st Dec 2019.

Year | Number of Aug-Dec Birthdate
| deferrals requested.
--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
2019-20 | 20

2) A breakdown of the total number in 1. above by requests for
a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings and
b) continued funding in council run settings.

Private/voluntary setting | Council Funded Setting
--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
7 | 13

3) In relation to question 2, please provide the number of places the
Council has agreed to provide continued funding for in
a) private/voluntary settings and
b) council run settings.

Continued Funding offered
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Continued Funding was offered to 13 pupils in total across both
sectors. I am not able to separate these figures into private and
local authority sector *

* I have not been able to provide exact figures in response to your
request due to the small numbers involved. This is because there is a
risk that individual Pupils / members of staff could be identified.
However, I have tried to provide as much information as possible while
at the same time balancing this with data protection considerations.

4. How many of the children applying have a December birthday?
13

5a. How many appeals (challenges if there is no official appeals process)
did the Council receive against the Council?s decision not to grant
funding?
6

5b. How many of these appeals/challenges resulted in the initial decision
being overturned?
* I have not been able to provide exact figures in response to your
request due to the small numbers involved. This is because there is a
risk that individual Pupils / members of staff could be identified.
However, I have tried to provide as much information as possible while
at the same time balancing this with data protection considerations.

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding
discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2018 and today?
Less than 5 official complaints have been received in the time period
stated.

* I have not been able to provide exact figures in response to your
request due to the small numbers involved. This is because there is a
risk that individual Pupils / members of staff could be identified.
However, I have tried to provide as much information as possible while
at the same time balancing this with data protection considerations.

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be
permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2019 instead of
Aug 2020 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2020)?
None

7b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?
Not Applicable

8. Is the Council?s discretionary deferral funding policy currently under
review or are there any plans to update it in the near future?
The Council?s discretionary deferral funding policy is not currently
under review, but this possibly may change in the future.

Should you have any questions on the content of the response and would like
the Local Authority to clarify or explain, please do feel free to get in
contact, citing the enquiry reference number above.

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which East Dunbartonshire Council
responded to your request, you are entitled to require the Council to
review its decision. The review will be handled by staff who were not
involved in the original decision. Please note that in order for a review
to take place you must:
Lodge a written requirement for a review within 40 working days of
the date of this letter
Include a correspondence address and a description of the original
request and the reason why you are dissatisfied.
Address your request to the Freedom of Information Officer:

Stephen Armstrong
Freedom of Information/Data Protection Officer,
East Dunbartonshire Council,
Telephone No. 0141-578 8057
[East Dunbartonshire Council request email]

The review will be handled by staff who were not involved in the original
decision. You will receive notice of the results of the review within 20
working days of receipt of your request. The notice will state the
findings of the review as well as details of how to appeal to the Scottish
Information Commissioner if you are still dissatisfied with the Council?s
response. You must request an internal review by the Council before a
complaint can be directed to the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Yours sincerely

Jacqui MacDonald
Chief Education Officer

East Dunbartonshire Council
12 Strathkelvin Place
KIRKINTILLOCH
Glasgow
G66 1TJ

Tel: 0141 578 8739
Fax: 0141 578 8934
e-mail: [email address]
http: www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

NB: If this email is marked as OFFICIAL -SENSITIVE it must NOT be
forwarded / resent or copied without the express permission of the sender.
If not marked it should be regarded as OFFICIAL communication / data under
the Government Security Classifications (GSC) guidance.

Saving, deleting, printing / destruction of this email (and any
attachments) should be done securely and in accordance with the GSC
guidance and your own agency data security management policies.

If you believe this email has been sent to you in error you must inform the
sender immediately.

Misuse of any information contained in (or attached to) an OFFICIAL (and/or
SENSITIVE) email may result in criminal prosecution.

show quoted sections

Dear East Dunbartonshire Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of East Dunbartonshire Council's handling of my FOI request 'July 2019 - Discretionary Deferral Funding & Early Entry to School Data'.

Please could the Council reconsider its decision not provide numbers smaller than five to the following questions in my FoI request of 18/7/19: 3a, 3b, 5b and 6. East Renfrewshire has a smaller population than East Dunbartonshire so presumably there is a greater likelihood of individuals being identifiable there from such a disclosure there yet the outcome of a similar internal review request there lead to numbers lower than 5 being disclosed.

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

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

East Dunbartonshire Council

Thank you for you Freedom of Information request.

This is an automated response. Your message has been received by East
Dunbartonshire Council.

Your request will be dealt with promptly and a full response will be issued
within 20 working days.

Should you not receive a response within this period, or you have any other
queries about your request please contact: [East Dunbartonshire Council request email] or 0141
578 8057.

DISCLAIMER:
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. It may contain information of a confidential or privileged nature.

If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message and destroy the e-mail.

East Dunbartonshire Council can not be held responsible for viruses, therefore please scan all attachments.

Any personal data contained in email communications with East Dunbartonshire Council will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 ("GDPR") and all other relevant national data protection laws.

Further information detailing how East Dunbartonshire holds and uses personal information and copies of privacy notices used throughout the Council are available on our website at:
https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/council...

The Council?s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email address] or on Tel: 0300 123 4510.

The views expressed in this message are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect those of East Dunbartonshire Council who will not necessarily be bound by its contents.

East Dunbartonshire Council

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Anderson,

Please find attached a copy of the Council's response to your request for
internal review.

Kind regards,

Stephen Armstrong

East Dunbartonshire Council
[East Dunbartonshire Council request email]

(See attached file: FOI11770 - Discretionary Deferral Requests.doc)

From: Patricia Anderson <[FOI #590345 email]>
To: FOI requests at East Dunbartonshire Council
<[East Dunbartonshire Council request email]>
Date: 20/09/2019 12:17
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - July 2019 -
Discretionary Deferral Funding & Early Entry to School Data

Dear East Dunbartonshire Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of East Dunbartonshire Council's
handling of my FOI request 'July 2019 - Discretionary Deferral Funding &
Early Entry to School Data'.

Please could the Council reconsider its decision not provide numbers
smaller than five to the following questions in my FoI request of 18/7/19:
3a, 3b, 5b and 6. East Renfrewshire has a smaller population than East
Dunbartonshire so presumably there is a greater likelihood of individuals
being identifiable there from such a disclosure there yet the outcome of a
similar internal review request there lead to numbers lower than 5 being
disclosed.

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

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #590345 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

Patricia Anderson

Dear East Dunbartonshire Council,

Thank you for your response to my internal review request. However, the numbers you provided in response to questions 3a and 3b only add up to a total of 3 whereas the original response stated that a total of 13 funded places had been granted across both sectors. Could this be double-checked?

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

East Dunbartonshire Council

Thank you for you Freedom of Information request.

This is an automated response. Your message has been received by East
Dunbartonshire Council.

Your request will be dealt with promptly and a full response will be issued
within 20 working days.

Should you not receive a response within this period, or you have any other
queries about your request please contact: [East Dunbartonshire Council request email] or 0141
578 8057.

DISCLAIMER:
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. It may contain information of a confidential or privileged nature.

If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message and destroy the e-mail.

East Dunbartonshire Council can not be held responsible for viruses, therefore please scan all attachments.

Any personal data contained in email communications with East Dunbartonshire Council will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 ("GDPR") and all other relevant national data protection laws.

Further information detailing how East Dunbartonshire holds and uses personal information and copies of privacy notices used throughout the Council are available on our website at:
https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/council...

The Council?s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email address] or on Tel: 0300 123 4510.

The views expressed in this message are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect those of East Dunbartonshire Council who will not necessarily be bound by its contents.

Dear East Dunbartonshire Council,

I emailed you on 18th October 2019 (see thread here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/j...) asking for the data provided in your FoI response, also of 18th October 2019, to be double-checked. I have not had a response. Please could you reply asap.

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

East Dunbartonshire Council

Thank you for you Freedom of Information request.

This is an automated response. Your message has been received by East
Dunbartonshire Council.

Your request will be dealt with promptly and a full response will be issued
within 20 working days.

Should you not receive a response within this period, or you have any other
queries about your request please contact: [East Dunbartonshire Council request email] or 0141
578 8057.

DISCLAIMER:
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. It may contain information of a confidential or privileged nature.

If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message and destroy the e-mail.

East Dunbartonshire Council can not be held responsible for viruses, therefore please scan all attachments.

Any personal data contained in email communications with East Dunbartonshire Council will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 ("GDPR") and all other relevant national data protection laws.

Further information detailing how East Dunbartonshire holds and uses personal information and copies of privacy notices used throughout the Council are available on our website at:
https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/council...

The Council?s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email address] or on Tel: 0300 123 4510.

The views expressed in this message are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect those of East Dunbartonshire Council who will not necessarily be bound by its contents.

East Dunbartonshire Council

Dear Ms Anderson,

I refer to your e mail of 18th October 2019 and apologise for the delay in
replying to you.

As you point out an error was made in the last reply when 2 and 1 was
stated. The following figures are accurate for questions 3a and 3b

3a Private / voluntary settings 2
3b Local authority 11

I trust that the above information is of assistance.

Kind regards,

Grant

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grant Mackintosh
Executive Officer - Housing
East Dunbartonshire Council
Tel: 0141 578 8064
Fax: 0141 578 8013

From: Patricia Anderson <[FOI #590345 email]>
To: FOI requests at East Dunbartonshire Council <[East Dunbartonshire Council request email]>
Date: 18/10/2019 09:57
Subject: Re: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - July 2019
- Discretionary Deferral Funding & Early Entry to School Data

Dear East Dunbartonshire Council,

Thank you for your response to my internal review request. However, the
numbers you provided in response to questions 3a and 3b only add up to a
total of 3 whereas the original response stated that a total of 13 funded
places had been granted across both sectors. Could this be double-checked?

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

DISCLAIMER:
This email and any files transmitted with it are intended for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. It may contain information of a confidential or privileged nature.

If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message and destroy the e-mail.

East Dunbartonshire Council can not be held responsible for viruses, therefore please scan all attachments.

Any personal data contained in email communications with East Dunbartonshire Council will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 ("GDPR") and all other relevant national data protection laws.

Further information detailing how East Dunbartonshire holds and uses personal information and copies of privacy notices used throughout the Council are available on our website at:
https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/council...

The Council?s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at [email address] or on Tel: 0300 123 4510.

The views expressed in this message are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect those of East Dunbartonshire Council who will not necessarily be bound by its contents.