Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats for 2020-2021

The request was successful.

Patricia Anderson

Dear Fife Council,

Please accept this email as a Freedom of Information request. I am sending this request to all 32 Scottish local authorities.

Please could the Council provide:

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 (nursery) for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2020 and 31st Dec 2020.

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 and
c) continued funding for split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a council run setting.

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 and
c) split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a council run setting.

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 2019 and the date of your response to this FoI request?

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2020 instead of Aug 2021 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2021)?

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?

9. How many parents/carers are currently financing a further year of nursery for their child's deferral year themselves in a council run nursery after the Council refused to fund their request for this?

10. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their primary one start till 2021?
*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five by the school commencement date in August 2020).

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

Gemma Harrison, Fife Council

Dear Patricia Anderson,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Thank you for your information request dated and received 24^th August
2020, our ref: 32367. This is being dealt with in terms of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

We are presently assessing your request and may be in touch soon to ask
for further clarification or to offer advice and assistance if we are not
able to fulfil your request in its present form.

The legislation allows us up to 20 working days from the date that we
receive a valid request, including any clarification we require, to make a
final response. We will be in touch within 20 working days of receipt of
your initial request to provide our response or to seek clarification
where necessary. We hope to provide you with the information you are
looking for at an earlier date where possible.

Due to the current circumstances, the majority of Fife Council staff are
unable to work in their normal workplace. All requests are being dealt
with as quickly as possible, however in some cases this may cause a delay
in accessing the data you have requested. In circumstances where a delay
is likely to be caused due to problems with access, an update will be
provided to you.

Yours sincerely,

Gemma

Gemma Harrison
Information Management & Requests
Fife Council

 

 

 

 

 

[1]Please remember to wash your hands.

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References

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1. https://www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus
2. http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/privacy

Dear Fife Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Fife Council's handling of my FOI request 'Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats for 2020-2021'. I have not received a response within the statutory 20 working days. Please could this be investigated and sent as soon as possible.

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,

Patricia Anderson

Info Review, Fife Council

Dear Ms Anderson

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 - REQUEST FOR REVIEW
I refer to your e-mail to Information Requests dated and received today
(23 September 2020) which has been taken as a request to review the
Council’s failure to respond to your request.

           
Your e-mail has been passed to the Head of Legal & Democratic Services for
review.

A response will be sent to you within 20 working days of receipt of your
e-mail.  However, please note that due to the public health situation with
Coronavirus we may be unable to respond within the timescale.

If you are dissatisfied with the Councils response to your request for a
review, you have the right to make an application to the Scottish
Information Commissioner in terms of Section 47(1) of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act.  Any such application must be made before the
expiry of the 6 months after the date of receipt of our review letter and
should be sent to the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9D or online at
[1]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal.

Yours sincerely

 

 

Info Review Contact

for Head of Legal & Democratic Services

 

 

[2]FACTS

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1. http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal
2. https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
3. http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/privacy

Info Review, Fife Council

Dear Patricia Anderson

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 (“the Act”)

REQUEST FOR REVIEW – REF Q6.1.1/FCIR: 32367 R099.20

 

I refer to your email dated and received on 23 September 2020 requesting a
review of your information request.  This has been passed to me for
attention.

 

I note that on 24 August 2020, you made an information request in ten
parts as detailed later in this email.

 

In your email dated 23 September 2020 you requested a review as you had
not received a response within the 20-day statutory time limit.

 

I have asked the relevant service to carry out an additional search to
assist my review.

 

I am pleased to provide the responses to your questions below.

 

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 (nursery) for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between
the day after the school start date in August 2020 and 31st Dec 2020.

 

61.

 

2) A breakdown of the total number in 1. above by requests for;

 

a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings

 

1.

 

b) continued funding in council run settings and;

 

60.

 

c) continued funding for split placements where a child attends both a
private/voluntary and a council run setting.

 

0.

 

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

 

0.

 

b) council run settings and;

 

52.

 

c) split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a
council run setting.

 

0.

 

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

 

24.

 

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?

 

0.

 

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

 

N/a.

 

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding
discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2019 and the date of
your response to this FoI request?

 

0.

 

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be
permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2020 instead of
Aug 2021 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2021)?

 

0.

 

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

 

N/a.

 

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 deferral policy will be reviewed in line with any future updated
Scottish Government guidance.

 

9. How many parents/carers are currently financing a further year of
nursery for their child's deferral year themselves in a council run
nursery after the Council refused to fund their request for this?

 

0.

 

10. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their
primary one start till 2021? *(by "older children" I mean those who had
already reached the age of five by the school commencement date in August
2020).

 

13.

 

Please accept my apologies that on this occasion the Council failed to
meet the statutory time scale for its response. This was due to oversight
at the relevant service caused by an unusually high level of workload at
the service during the period of your request.

 

I hope this is of assistance.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the Council’s response to your request for a
review in terms of the Act, you have the right to make an application to
the Scottish Information Commissioner in terms of Section 47 of the Act. 
Any such application must be made before the expiry of six months after
the date of receipt of this letter and should be sent to the Scottish
Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews,
Fife KY16 9DS or you can appeal online at
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal. You also have the right of appeal to
the Court of Session (on a point of law only) if dissatisfied with a
decision issued by the Commissioner.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Ewen Robertson

Solicitor

On behalf of

Head of Legal & Democratic Services

 

 

[1]FACTS

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References

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1. https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
2. http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/privacy