Early Years Cuts

Dear Sir/madam

I acknowledge receipt of your request which is receiving attention.

I shall contact you again when I am in a position to respond more fully to your request.

Yours sincerely

Angelene Kirkpatrick
For Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
North Lanarkshire Council
Civic Centre
Windmillhill Street
Motherwell
ML1 1AB

Working from home
Please contact via email

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I am currently out of the office. Your email is being forwarded to another
member of the FOI Team.

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References

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1. https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your...

Dear Sir / Madam

Request for Information

I refer to your email of 4 March seeking information under the Freedom of
Information legislation.

In the first instance, I should acknowledge that this response falls
outwith the statutory deadline outlined in the Freedom of Information
legislation, and for this I apologise.

Returning to your request and having investigated, please find set out
below the response to your queries numbered 1) to 6).

1)

I can advise no meeting minutes from consultations with staff/unions prior
to the budget being finalized and approved are held and in terms of
Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I must
advise you of this. 

By way of some explanation, while there was a meeting with the Trade
Unions prior to the budget meeting of 23 February no minutes were taken or
required at this meeting. Trade Unions were also afforded an opportunity
to meet with all the Service based Chief Officers to explore the detailed
implications of each of the savings options proposed prior to the budget
setting meeting on 23 ^ February.

2)

No results of any consultation surveys are held and in terms of Section 17
of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I must advise you of
this.  By way of some explanation, a formal consultation commenced on 20
March 2023 which will end on 5 May 2023.  In order to be of some
assistance, please find attached a timeline and FAQ document relative to
this consultation.

3) and 4)

I can advise that the information sought in these parts of your request is
already publicly available and as you may know, Section 25 of the Freedom
of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, provides an absolute exemption for
information which is already accessible. 

For ease of reference the relevant policy is the “workforce change policy”
which is available from the My NL website at the undernoted link.

[1]Policy A to Z – My NL

Minutes of Council committee meetings are available from the Council's
website under the MARS (Minutes, Agendas and Reports System).  The MARS
system is searchable by key word and the relevant Committee to your
request is the “Education, Children and Families Committee” and the
historical committees entitled “Education and Families Committee” and the
“Education Committee”.  The direct link to the MARS system is as follows:
-

[2]Minutes, agendas and reports | North Lanarkshire Council

5)

Equality Impact Assessments will be made publicly available after the
formal consultation has concluded.  Accordingly, I must advise that this
information is exempt from release in terms of Section 27(1) of the
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, as it is information intended
for future publication within 12 weeks.

6)

At the date of your request, a HR1 form had not yet been submitted and in
terms of Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I
must advise that this information is not held.

I can advise that North Lanarkshire Council, having regard to the
provisions of Section 21 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002, has established a procedure whereby any person who has requested
information and is in any way dissatisfied with the decision on that
request, can within forty working days require a review of that decision
by writing to the Chief Officer of Legal and Democratic, Civic Centre,
Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB.  Accordingly, if you are
dissatisfied with this decision and seek such review please write to the
Chief Officer of Legal and Democratic.

I would advise, also, that in terms of Section 47 of the Act a person who
is dissatisfied with a notice given by the local authority under Section
21 of the Act - ie. a notice following a review of a decision by a local
authority, or by the failure of a local authority to give such a notice -
may make application to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a
decision as to whether, in any respect specified in that application, the
request for information to which the requirement relates has been dealt
with in accordance with the Act.  Such an application must be made within
six months of the review decision and be in writing or in another form
which, by reason of it having some permanency is capable of being used for
subsequent reference. The application must state the name of the applicant
and provide an address for correspondence. The application must also
specify the request for information to which the requirement for review
relates, the matter which gave rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction
with the original decision of the local authority and the matter which
gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the decision on review
by the local authority or the failure of the local authority to issue such
a decision.  The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted as
follows:-

Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle

Doubledykes Road

St. Andrews

KY16 9DS

email: [3][email address]

Appeals to the Scottish Information Commissioner can also be made online
via the following link: -

[4]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

I hope this information is sufficient for your purpose.  If, however, you
require further information – or I can assist in any other way – please
let me know.

Yours sincerely

Neil McKay

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator

North Lanarkshire Council

Legal and Democratic

Please contact by email

show quoted sections

Dear Sir/madam

I acknowledge receipt of your request which is receiving attention.

I shall contact you again when I am in a position to respond more fully to your request.

Yours sincerely

Angelene Kirkpatrick
For Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
North Lanarkshire Council
Civic Centre
Windmillhill Street
Motherwell
ML1 1AB

Working from home
Please contact via email

show quoted sections

Dear Sir / Madam

Request for Information

I refer to your email of 22 April 2023 seeking information under the
Freedom of Information legislation.

In the first instance, I should acknowledge that this response falls
outwith the statutory timeframe outlined in the Freedom of Information
legislation, and for this I apologise.

Returning to your request and having investigated, my response to your 3
queries is as follows: -

1)

On 2 February 2023 Chief officers were contacted to advise of the
requirement to arrange meetings with Trade Unions to discuss the Savings
options being outlined in the budget setting process.  Meetings were held
with the Trade Unions on 21 February 2023.

2)

The summary equality impact assessment is now available on the Council’s
website and can be accessed at the following link: -

[1]Realignment of Early Years Practitioner Posts | North Lanarkshire
Council

3)

Please find attached a copy of the HR1 form.  This document has been
adjusted to exclude anything which constitutes personal data in respect of
which disclosure would contravene the Data Protection principles and that
this constitutes a ground of absolute exemption in terms of section
38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The details
edited from the document which is effectively being released into the
public domain for all to access, includes names of non-senior council
employees, contact details and the paper apart which contains information
from which individuals could be identified.

I can advise that North Lanarkshire Council, having regard to the
provisions of Section 21 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002, has established a procedure whereby any person who has requested
information and is in any way dissatisfied with the decision on that
request, can within forty working days require a review of that decision
by writing to the Chief Officer of Legal and Democratic, Civic Centre,
Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB.  Accordingly, if you are
dissatisfied with this decision and seek such review please write to the
Chief Officer of Legal and Democratic.

I would advise, also, that in terms of Section 47 of the Act a person who
is dissatisfied with a notice given by the local authority under Section
21 of the Act - ie. a notice following a review of a decision by a local
authority, or by the failure of a local authority to give such a notice -
may make application to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a
decision as to whether, in any respect specified in that application, the
request for information to which the requirement relates has been dealt
with in accordance with the Act.  Such an application must be made within
six months of the review decision and be in writing or in another form
which, by reason of it having some permanency is capable of being used for
subsequent reference. The application must state the name of the applicant
and provide an address for correspondence. The application must also
specify the request for information to which the requirement for review
relates, the matter which gave rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction
with the original decision of the local authority and the matter which
gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the decision on review
by the local authority or the failure of the local authority to issue such
a decision.  The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted as
follows:-

Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle

Doubledykes Road

St. Andrews

KY16 9DS

email: [2][email address]

Appeals to the Scottish Information Commissioner can also be made online
via the following link: -

[3]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

I hope this information is sufficient for your purpose.  If, however, you
require further information – or I can assist in any other way – please
let me know.

Yours sincerely

Neil McKay

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator

North Lanarkshire Council

Legal and Democratic

Please contact by email

show quoted sections