Reference: FOI-409153406
Date of request: 18/03/2022
Title of request: Children's health and wellbeing census 21/22

Dear Ewan Carmichael,

Thank you for submitting your FOI Request. We confirm receipt of your
request and will be in touch in due course.

If we are unable to provide you with a response within 20 working days, we
will advise you of this. Please refer to the attachment which gives a
summary of your request and explains your right to ask for a review if you
are unhappy with how the Council is dealing with your request.

Yours sincerely

Information Governance

This message is strictly confidential. If you have received this in error,
please inform the sender and remove it from your system. If received in
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way. This message is not capable of creating a legal contract or a binding
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may be monitored for security and network management reasons. Messages
containing inappropriate content may be intercepted. Angus Council does
not accept any liability for any harm that may be caused to the recipient
system or data on it by this message or any attachment.

Reference: FOI-409153406
Date of request: 18/03/2022
Title of request: Children's health and wellbeing census 21/22
Information request:

Dear Angus Council,

I am emailing to request the following information about the Scottish
Government's Children's health and wellbeing census for 2021/2022 within
your local authority:
1) Is the local authority participating in the census with its pupils?
2) How many pupils in the authority have completed the census?
3) Did the authority modify any of the questions asked in the census?
4) Have any educational establishments refused to take part in the census?
5) Request for all communication to the authority with concerns about the
census from external or internal sources.
I am happy to make any needed clarifications on request.
Yours faithfully,
Ewan Carmichael

Dear Ewan Carmichael,

Request for Information

Thank you for your request for information dated 18 March 2022 (received
by the Council that same date) which has been passed to me for attention.

You have requested the following information:

Information about the Scottish Government's Children's health and
wellbeing census for 2021/2022 within your local authority:

1) Is the local authority participating in the census with its pupils?

Yes

2) How many pupils in the authority have completed the census?

As at 31 March 2022 there have been a total of 6,570 responses submitted,
however this may be subject to change as the responses have not yet been
cleansed or validated for duplication.

3) Did the authority modify any of the questions asked in the census?

No

4) Have any educational establishments refused to take part in the census?

No

5) Request for all communication to the authority with concerns about the
census from external or internal sources.

Angus Council has received <5 communications regarding concerns about the
census. To release details of the concerns would potentially identify the
individuals concerned and is therefore exempt under s38(1)(b) – personal
data relating to a third party – of the Freedom of Information (Sc) Act
2002. However I can advise that the response provided to all was along the
same lines as the following:

“The Health and Wellbeing Census is for pupils in P5-S6 and asks about a
wide range of themes and topics including school, physical activity,
eating and drinking, social media, emotional and mental wellbeing,
friendships and other health behaviours.  I think that there has been some
misunderstanding in the media regarding the content of the surveys. 
Importantly, there are different surveys for specific age groups which
include different questions, as below;

•          Use of alcohol (S2 pupils upwards)

•          Use of tobacco (S2 pupils upwards)

•          Use of drugs (S4 pupils upwards)

•          Relationships and sexual health* (S4 pupils upwards)

(*Questions about relationships and sexual health are asked only in the
senior phase where such topics will have already been discussed as part of
the health and wellbeing curriculum (i.e. S4 upwards). Pupils are only
asked certain questions where relevant. For example, if a young person
(senior phase) responds that they have not had any sexual experiences,
they will not see any further questions about this.)

Whilst this census is a new collection, the contents of the census surveys
are based on existing tried and tested questions that have been used in
long standing surveys. 

In Angus, we have asked for the surveys to be undertaken by secondary
pupils in the senior phase before Christmas. P5-P7 pupils in primary
schools and S1-S3 pupils in secondary schools will undertake the surveys
between January and end of March 2022.

Parents/carers will receive information in advance of the surveys being
undertaken including links to Angus Council’s website
www.angus.gov.uk/HWBsurvey  (where we will  be publishing each survey) and
the Scottish Government’s website
https://www.gov.scot/publications/health... as well
as details of how they can opt-out before the survey begins.  A child or
young person can also opt-out before the survey starts, can skip any
questions that they don’t want to answer, or stop taking part at any time.
However, it is hoped that all children and young people offered the survey
will take part so that we have a full picture of how local services for
children in Angus can be strengthened.”

I have also attached the information leaflets provided to parents and
pupils regarding the census.

In compiling responses to information requests we invariably use
information which is routinely published on the [1]Council’s
website (opens in a new window) or through its [2]Publication Scheme
(opens in a new window). If you require further information please first
check that the information you want is not routinely published as any such
information is exempt from release in terms of Section 25 of the Freedom
of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 or Regulation 6(1)(b) of the
Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Please note that the information contained in this reply is believed to be
accurate as at today's date (unless otherwise indicated) but no warranty
is given.  Further, Angus Council does not accept liability for any loss,
injury or damage which arises from the use of the information contained in
this reply either by you or by any other party.  Please refer to the
request summary document sent to you as part of your request
acknowledgement which explains your right to ask for a review if you are
unhappy with the Council’s decision on this matter.

If you have any queries, please contact [email address]

Yours sincerely

Jacqueline Dawson

Performance Analyst

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004

INSPIRE (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2009

Your Right to Request a Review by the Council

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which Angus Council has dealt with
your request for information under any of the above legislation, you have
a right to ask the council to review its actions and/or decisions
regarding your request. If you wish to do this, you should make your
request to the Service Leader - Legal, Angus Council, Angus House, Sylvie
Way, Orchardbank Business Park, Forfar DD8 1AN or
email [3][Angus Council request email] within 40 working days.

Your request must:

• be in writing (or recordable format),
• give your name and address for correspondence,
• give details of the information which you originally requested from
the council, and
• give the reasons why you are dissatisfied with the way in which your
application for information has been dealt with.

Your application for review will then be considered by the council's
review panel. The review panel will write to inform you of its decision
not later than 20 working days after receipt of your request for review.
The review panel will also provide you with a statement of its reasons for
arriving at the decision it has made.

Your Right to Appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner

If you are dissatisfied with a decision of the council's review panel (or
where the review panel has not provided you with a response), you have the
right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision as
to whether your request for information has been dealt with by the council
in accordance with the above statutory instruments.

Your application to the Scottish Information Commissioner must:

• be in a recordable format (letter, e-mail, audio tape etc),
• give your name and address for correspondence,
• give details of the request for information which you originally
requested from the council,
• give details of why you were dissatisfied with the council’s response
to your original request,
• give details of why you were dissatisfied with the decision of the
council's review panel.

In the case of an EIR or FOI request your application to the Scottish
Information Commissioner must be made within 6 months of receipt of the
decision of the council’s review panel (or within 6 months of the date
that the review panel should have responded).  No such time limit applies
under the 2009 Regulations. 

Appeals to the Commissioner can be lodged online through the following
hyperlink:

[4]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
by contacting:

Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St
Andrews, Fife, KY16 9BS; Telephone - 01334 464610; Fax - 01334 464611;
Email - [5][email address]

This message is strictly confidential. If you have received this in error,
please inform the sender and remove it from your system. If received in
error you may not copy, print, forward or use it or any attachment in any
way. This message is not capable of creating a legal contract or a binding
representation and does not represent the views of Angus Council. Emails
may be monitored for security and network management reasons. Messages
containing inappropriate content may be intercepted. Angus Council does
not accept any liability for any harm that may be caused to the recipient
system or data on it by this message or any attachment.

References

Visible links
1. Council’s website
https://www.angus.gov.uk/
2. Publication Scheme
https://www.angus.gov.uk/council_and_dem...
3. mailto:[Angus Council request email]
4. http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
5. mailto:[email address]