Mencap and SEND Team Mental Health Project
Dear Reading Borough Council,
Reading Borough Council, released a public update on the 16th November 2021 that Dr Deborah Hunter , Reading Borough Council Educational Psychologist, Mental Health lead at Brighter Futures for Children, is working with Mencap "...to identify what changes are needed to ensure that children with learning disabilities are able to access the mental health support that they need."
Background:
Following the "Children and Young People's Emotional Well Being and Mental Health Services Review" of Berkshire West CCG, it was highlighted inequalities in the system, for 3 groups of people, one of which was learning disability, which is feeding into a "Children and Young People's Transformation Plan- Inequalities: Learning Disabilities Task and Finish Group".
Question to Reading Borough Council Raised in the Interest of Public Transparency and understanding is:
1) Please can you explain what Dr Deborah Hunter's formal mental health qualifications are as known to be registered HCPC Educational Psychologists in the public domain?
2) What mental health data has Reading Borough Council gathered for SEND children in the community for those with an EHCP and for those children on the SEN register?
3) What funding has been secured and from whom to deliver the outcomes of this project?
4) What are the project timeframes and key phrases of the project?
Yours faithfully,
R Resident
OFFICIAL
Dear R Resident
Thank you for your email. You sent it to Peter Sloman. He is the Chief
Executive and does not deal with FOI requests.
Please submit your request via our online service, you can submit your
request following this link.
[1]Freedom of Information Request - Reading MyAccount
This is the preferred, quickest and most efficient method. This will
enable you to check whether the information you request has been provided
in a previous response.
Please note, if you do not wish to submit your request via our online
service,
Please re-send your request via this mail address,
[2][email address] stating you do not wish to submit your request
through the online service.
If you advise by email that you don’t want to use the online service we
will log it for you.
Please note if you do not submit it online or advise by email that you
don’t want to use the online service your FOI will not be logged.
Yours sincerely
Mr N Bullough
Customer Relations Officer
Customer Relations Team| Directorate of Resources
Civic Office
Bridge Street
Reading Borough Council
RG1 2LU
Team 0118 9372905
Direct 0118 9372726
[3]Website | [4]Facebook | [5]Twitter | [6]YouTube
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In accordance with Government advice regarding COVID-19, many of our staff
continue to work from home. Letters sent to the office may not reach us
straight away, and it will take us longer to reply by post. We ask that
wherever possible you communicate with us by email.
Dear FOI, CRT,
No I will not submitting an online request direct to the Reading. I understand that the Whatdotheyknow website is a legitimate platform for directing FOIs as recognised by ICO. The whatdotheyknow email address is a valid contact address for the purposes of Section 8(1)(b)Please respond to and address the matter on the whatdotheyknow email.
I apologise if the FOI went to the preset contact of Mr Slomons, however, as you now are the correct member of the FOI team, ,you can now deal with the FOI request as per statutory duties.
Yours sincerely,
R Resident
PLEASE NOTE : From 1 March 2021, the process to submit Freedom of
Information Act requests has changed to an online request form via Reading
Borough Council's website. The preferred and most efficient way for your
request to be responded to is by our online
service, you can submit your request following this link.
https://self.reading.gov.uk/Forms/Freedo...
If you do not wish to submit your request via our online service, let us
know via this e-mail address, stating you do not wish to submit your
request through the online service.
If your experiencing issues accessing the system through our website,
please contact us by this e-mail address and we will endeavor to assist
you.
If you are requesting an update regarding a request you have sent in
previously, we will reply to your e-mail shortly.
Kind Regards
Customer Relations Team
Dear Reading Borough Council,
No, I do NOT wish to apply to Reading Borough Councils direct FOI site because the whatdotheyknow FOI request is valid.
An FOI reply has a 20 day statutory timeframe, therefore, it is unclear why Reading Borough Council's position is that an FOI response is more efficient and effective if made direct to them instead of social media. Is it Reading Borough Councils position that social media FOIs are treated less favourably and less efficiently if made on social media in the public domain, I would be grateful if this could be explained .
I look forward to receiving the FOI reply on the whatdotheyknow address in the public interest.
Yours faithfully,
R Resident
Reference: FOI-381461964
Date of request: 26/11/2021
Title of request: Mencap and SEND Team Mental Health Project
Dear R Resident,
Please accept this e-mail as acknowledgement that your recent Freedom of
Information request has been received by Reading Borough Council. You
should expect to receive a response within 20 working days from the date
your request was received.
Please note, if your request is received on a weekend or bank holiday your
request will be registered as being received on the next working day.
Kind regards,
FOI Team
The information in this e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient to whom it has been addressed and may be covered by legal professional privilege and protected by law. Reading Borough Council does not accept responsibility for any unauthorised amendment made to the contents of this e-mail following its dispatch.
If received in error, you must not retain the message or disclose its contents to anyone. Please notify us immediately quoting the name of the sender and the addressee and then delete the e-mail.
Reading Borough Council has scanned for viruses. However, it is your responsibility to scan the e-mail and attachments (if any) for viruses.
Reading Borough Council also operates to the Protective Document Marking Standard as defined for the Public Sector. Recipients should ensure protectively marked emails and documents are handled in accordance with this standard (Re: Cabinet Office – Government Security Classifications).
Dear The FOI Team,
I duly note that the request has now been logged, its appreciated.
I would expect to receive the FOI reply on the 12th December 2021.
For clarification, the date of the FOI request is 24th November 2021, NOT the 26th November 2021 as you have logged in error on the system, please can this be corrected promptly. Statutory time frames are a key accountability in this process and therefore essential that you are factually accurate in recording the dates.
I note that Reading Borough Council have not responded to explain why FOIs made directly on the Reading Borough Council website or its direct email are deemed to be processed more favourably i.e. quicker and effectively when compared to social media FOI platforms. An explanation for this would be in the public interest and helpful to service users.
Yours sincerely,
R Resident
Reference: FOI-381898685
Date of request: 29/11/2021
Title of request: FOI procedure
Dear R Resident,
Please accept this e-mail as acknowledgement that your recent Freedom of
Information request has been received by Reading Borough Council. You
should expect to receive a response within 20 working days from the date
your request was received.
Please note, if your request is received on a weekend or bank holiday your
request will be registered as being received on the next working day.
Kind regards,
FOI Team
The information in this e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient to whom it has been addressed and may be covered by legal professional privilege and protected by law. Reading Borough Council does not accept responsibility for any unauthorised amendment made to the contents of this e-mail following its dispatch.
If received in error, you must not retain the message or disclose its contents to anyone. Please notify us immediately quoting the name of the sender and the addressee and then delete the e-mail.
Reading Borough Council has scanned for viruses. However, it is your responsibility to scan the e-mail and attachments (if any) for viruses.
Reading Borough Council also operates to the Protective Document Marking Standard as defined for the Public Sector. Recipients should ensure protectively marked emails and documents are handled in accordance with this standard (Re: Cabinet Office – Government Security Classifications).
Dear The FOI Team,
The recent letter now attached dates 29/11/2021 (Reference: FOI-381898685) for the acknowledgement, its still incorrect. However, appreciate your efforts to resolve the administration error.
The request was made on the 24/11/2021. Please can you explain why RBC is unable to log FOI for the correct date that the request came through . Its very usual practice in view of the statutory deadlines.
A polite reminder that a reply as to why FOIs are quicker and effective when logged directly to the LA is outstanding. The explanation by RBC is very much in the public interest because we understand that the statutory period and process should be the same irrespective if FOI made on social media or directly on the RBC portal.
Yours sincerely,
R Resident
Dear R Resident
Thank you for your email.
IT is showing on my system as having a due date of 23 December 2021. That is 20 working days from when you advised you did not want to use the online system and wanted us to log your FOI.
I have asked the team doing the response to try and provide it at least a week before then if possible.
You made a query about the treatment of What do they know FOIs. That has been logged as a new FOI.
I can advise that since 1 March all FOI requestors have been asked to log their request on line. When they have advised that they do not want to do this we have logged it for them.
One of the reasons for asking people to log their requests is because they can check whether someone else had already been provided with that information in a previous FOI response.
Unfortunately the What do they know organisation are causing an additional delay for its users because they are sending all their requests to Peter Sloman rather than the FOI inbox. Peter Sloman has never worked on the FOI Team. There is no reason for what do they know to send requests to him rather than the FOI inbox. Please ask What they know to stop emailing Peter Sloman.
Yours sincerely
Mr N Bullough
Customer Relations Officer
Customer Relations Team| Directorate of Resources
Civic Office
Bridge Street
Reading Borough Council
RG1 2LU
Team 0118 9372905
Direct 0118 9372726
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In accordance with Government advice regarding COVID-19, many of our staff continue to work from home. Letters sent to the office may not reach us straight away, and it will take us longer to reply by post. We ask that wherever possible you communicate with us by email.
Dear R Resident
This is showing a due date on my system of 23 December.
It was logged on 29 November but I adjusted it to do the deadline from 25 November because that was the date you advised you did not want to log it on the on line system.
I have asked them to try and provide the information at least a week before then.
Yours sincerely
Mr N Bullough
Customer Relations Officer
Customer Relations Team| Directorate of Resources
Civic Office
Bridge Street
Reading Borough Council
RG1 2LU
Team 0118 9372905
Direct 0118 9372726
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In accordance with Government advice regarding COVID-19, many of our staff continue to work from home. Letters sent to the office may not reach us straight away, and it will take us longer to reply by post. We ask that wherever possible you communicate with us by email.
Reference: FOI-381898685
Date of request: 25/11/2021
Title of request: FOI procedure
Dear R Resident,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
Thank you for your recent request received by the Council on 25 November
2021.
You have requested the following information under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000:
An FOI reply has a 20 day statutory timeframe, therefore, it is unclear
why Reading Borough Council's position is that an FOI response is more
efficient and effective if made direct to them instead of social media. Is
it Reading Borough Councils position that social media FOIs are treated
less favourably and less efficiently if made on social media in the public
domain, I would be grateful if this could be explained
Our response is as follows:
You do not have to submit your FOI via the online form on the RBC
website. FOI's are accepted via any written format as per the legislation,
including via social media.
The Council asks people to submit the request online but we log their
request when people advise they don't want to use the online system.
No FOI's received via social media will not be treated less favorably or
less efficiently.
If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information
under the Freedom of Information Act then you may ask for an internal
review. Please make a request in writing to the Information Governance
Team at [1][email address]. If you request such a review and are not
content with its outcome, then you have a right to apply directly to the
Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can
be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Kind regards,
FOI Team
The information in this e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient to whom it has been addressed and may be covered by legal professional privilege and protected by law. Reading Borough Council does not accept responsibility for any unauthorised amendment made to the contents of this e-mail following its dispatch.
If received in error, you must not retain the message or disclose its contents to anyone. Please notify us immediately quoting the name of the sender and the addressee and then delete the e-mail.
Reading Borough Council has scanned for viruses. However, it is your responsibility to scan the e-mail and attachments (if any) for viruses.
Reading Borough Council also operates to the Protective Document Marking Standard as defined for the Public Sector. Recipients should ensure protectively marked emails and documents are handled in accordance with this standard (Re: Cabinet Office – Government Security Classifications).
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
Reference: FOI-381461964
Date of request: 25/11/2021
Title of request: Mencap and SEND Team Mental Health Project
Dear R Resident,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
Thank you for your recent request received by the Council on 25 November
2021.
You have requested the following information under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000:
Reading Borough Council, released a public update on the 16th November
2021 that Dr Deborah Hunter , Reading Borough Council Educational
Psychologist, Mental Health lead at Brighter Futures for Children, is
working with Mencap "...to identify what changes are needed to ensure that
children with learning disabilities are able to access the mental health
support that they need."
Background:
Following the "Children and Young People's Emotional Well Being and
Mental Health Services Review" of Berkshire West CCG, it was highlighted
inequalities in the system, for 3 groups of people, one of which was
learning disability, which is feeding into a "Children and Young People's
Transformation Plan- Inequalities: Learning Disabilities Task and Finish
Group".
Question to Reading Borough Council Raised in the Interest of Public
Transparency and understanding is:
1) Please can you explain what Dr Deborah Hunter's formal mental health
qualifications are as known to be registered HCPC Educational
Psychologists in the public domain?
2) What mental health data has Reading Borough Council gathered for SEND
children in the community for those with an EHCP and for those children on
the SEN register?
3) What funding has been secured and from whom to deliver the outcomes
of this project?
4) What are the project timeframes and key phrases of the project?
Our response is as follows:
1. Please can you explain what Dr Deborah Hunter's formal mental health
qualifications are as known to be registered HCPC Educational
Psychologists in the public domain?
2. This is personal data and as such exempt under section 40 of the FOI
Act.
2) What mental health data has Reading Borough Council gathered for SEND
children in the community for those with an EHCP and for those children on
the SEN register?
This work on inequalities in mental health is one of 9 priorities in our
Local Transformation Plan, and was agreed at a West Berkshire level,
rather than a Reading level, following a Berkshire West Children and Young
People's Mental Health Needs Assessment, undertaken to look at the
Berkshire West system of current provision and pathways and identify any
gaps in service provision particularly for groups of vulnerable children
and young people. Work was also completed at a Berks West level on
looking at crisis services, mental health support teams, eating disorders
and provision for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders or Attention
Deficit Disorders. This was used to support the FIM group’s strategic
priorities of commissioning a comprehensive 0-25 service and ensuring
inclusion, equality and diversity are addressed, and setting priorities.
A further study on Alternatives to Admission was undertaken looking at
children, young people and adults with LD/autism whose behaviour
challenges, including data on the number of children and young people with
LD/A referred to CAMHS Rapid Response, the Crisis Team, numbers in
residential placements. In Berkshire West 17% of SEND children are
identified as having a social, emotional or mental health need.
Nationally, 40% of adults and 36% of children and young people with a
learning disability and/or autism experience mental health problems. This
was an identified area of need in Berkshire West.
Reading Schools are beginning training on the Autism Growth project with a
focus on ensuring all children with autism have a positive experience of
education, enabling schools to identify needs early and put in place
adaptations and interventions to improve a holistic range of outcomes.
Reading SEND figures: 14.6% (3,766) of pupils in Reading state-funded
schools were identified as SEN in January 2019. 2.8% had an EHC and 11.8%
received SEN support. 7% (277) of children with SEN are in special schools
within the Borough. The Oxwell survey of children and young people's
report is due to be published.
3) What funding has been secured and from whom to deliver the outcomes of
this project?
There is no grant funding or additional budget for this work but we are
ensuring it is addressed through people’s core functions around developing
emotional wellbeing and mental health services for our children and young
people, as laid out in our Local Transformation Plan.
4) What are the project timeframes and key phrases of the project?
Addressing gaps in access and service offer due to inequalities (Learning
Disabilities with/without Autism)
Prepare background information for each cohort 15/09/2021
Project approach proposal presented to EDG 15/09/2021
2 x small advisory group meetings to help shape scope of the
project 30/09/2021
Project scope presented to EDG 20/10/2021
Anticipated milestones to be confirmed once scoping in complete
Form Reference group for the project to meet regularly - structure and
frequency to be defined. 15/11/2021
Membership/ToR and Governance established 15/11/2021
Work with VCS and focus groups to understand local needs and reasons for
resistance to seek treatment 30/12/2021
Involve reading uni/schools/colleges students to co-produce the needs
analysis and planning 30/12/2021
Assess training gap in staff across services 30/12/2021
Look elsewhere for examples of best practice 31/01/2022
Link with suicide prevention 28/02/2022
Outline Plan of interventions needed and funding required 31/03/2022
Plan for data and monitoring improvement
Work with MHSTs (Awareness/training/needs of LGBTQ+ pupils)
If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information
under the Freedom of Information Act then you may ask for an internal
review. Please make a request in writing to the Information Governance
Team at [1][email address]. If you request such a review and are not
content with its outcome, then you have a right to apply directly to the
Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can
be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Kind regards,
FOI Team
The information in this e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient to whom it has been addressed and may be covered by legal professional privilege and protected by law. Reading Borough Council does not accept responsibility for any unauthorised amendment made to the contents of this e-mail following its dispatch.
If received in error, you must not retain the message or disclose its contents to anyone. Please notify us immediately quoting the name of the sender and the addressee and then delete the e-mail.
Reading Borough Council has scanned for viruses. However, it is your responsibility to scan the e-mail and attachments (if any) for viruses.
Reading Borough Council also operates to the Protective Document Marking Standard as defined for the Public Sector. Recipients should ensure protectively marked emails and documents are handled in accordance with this standard (Re: Cabinet Office – Government Security Classifications).
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
Dear Reading Borough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Reading Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Mencap and SEND Team Mental Health Project'.
Please undertake an internal review.
Firstly, DR Hunter as an Educational Psychologist, undertaking work and policy creation for anxiety for school children appears to be outside her "area of expertise". Therefore, it is in the public interest considering thousands of children in the Borough Registered on the SEND register within schools with anxiety and this policy development and project would support them remain in school. In addition to the approximate 3500 EHCP children in the Borough, that this policy threshold may impact on. Hence, Dr Hunters qualifications and experience in in the public interest due to her working outside her known expertise. The community have a right to be informed.
Secondly, as a HCPC registrant, there is a duty on the Educational Psychologist to be open and transparent about their qualifications and experience. This is not personal information and pr personal data as its "professional expertise and qualifications". DR Hunter own registration body encourages this transparency, hence is curious why RBC would restrict this data release in view of professional body standards and the public interest. HCPC Standard:
3 Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
Keep within your scope of practice
3.1 You must keep within your scope of practice by only practising in the areas you have appropriate knowledge, skills and experience for.
9. Be honest and trustworthy
Personal and professional behaviour
9.1 You must make sure that your conduct justifies the public’s trust and confidence in you and your profession.
9.2 You must be honest about your experience, qualifications and skills.
9.4 You must declare issues that might create conflicts of interest and make sure that they do not influence your judgement.
ICO Education Test for disclosure of qualifications and experience is met too.
We cannot therefore, understand why RBC would state Dr Hunters qualifications and experience is "personal data" - it clearly is not the case and failure to disclose would be unacceptable by the HCPC.
We therefore, request an internal review as RBC are incorrect in stating that qualifications and experience of a professional is personal data.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m...
Yours faithfully,
Mrs K
Dear R Resident
Thank you for your email.
Your request for an internal review has been passed to our Head of Information Governance.
The FOI Act allows 20 workings days for an internal review t be responded to.
Yours sincerely
Mr N Bullough
Customer Relations Officer
Customer Relations Team| Directorate of Resources
Civic Office
Bridge Street
Reading Borough Council
RG1 2LU
Team 0118 9372905
Direct 0118 9372726
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In accordance with Government advice regarding COVID-19, many of our staff continue to work from home. Letters sent to the office may not reach us straight away, and it will take us longer to reply by post. We ask that wherever possible you communicate with us by email.
Good Morning
Thank you for your received by the Council on 26^th April 2022, requesting
an Internal Review of our original decision on FOI request reference: FOI
381461964. Please find the attached letter of acknowledgement.
Regards
Dear Reading Borough Council,
The statutory 20 days have lapsed since 26th April 2022 for the internal review . Its out of time.
Please advise of the delay.
Dear R Resident.
Thank you for your email.
I apologise for the delay. I have sent your email to the Information Governance Manager.
Yours sincerely
Mr N Bullough
Customer Relations Officer
Customer Relations Team| Directorate of Resources
Civic Office
Bridge Street
Reading Borough Council
RG1 2LU
Team 0118 9372905
Direct 0118 9372726
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In accordance with Government advice regarding COVID-19, many of our staff continue to work from home. Letters sent to the office may not reach us straight away, and it will take us longer to reply by post. We ask that wherever possible you communicate with us by email.
Dear Mrs K
Thank you for your email of 26^th April 2022, in which you seek further
information regarding the qualifications relating to Dr. D Hunter,
Principal Child and Educational Psychologist and Mental Health and
Emotional Wellbeing lead for Brighter Futures for Children.
I am happy to provide you with a link to the information confirming Dr.
Hunter’s registration with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
[1]Check the Register: Details for | (hcpc-uk.org), which requires a
masters or doctoral degree in educational psychology, in order to become
registered with HCPC.
Dr Hunter holds the following qualifications relevant to her position:
EdChPsychD,
MSc(Psych),
PGCE,
BSc(Psych) which are:
Doctorate in Child & Educational Psychology,
Masters of Science in Educational Psychology,
Post Graduate Certificate in Education.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology,
Apologies for the delay in providing this information.
Kind Regards
Joe O’Neill
Information Governance Manager
Directorate of Resources
Reading Borough Council
Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading. RG1 2LU
[2]Website | [3]Facebook | [4]Twitter | [5]YouTube | [6]Instagram |
[7]LinkedIn
References
Visible links
1. https://www.hcpc-uk.org/check-the-regist...
2. http://www.reading.gov.uk/
http://www.reading.gov.uk/
3. http://www.facebook.com/readingcouncil
http://www.facebook.com/readingcouncil
4. http://www.twitter.com/readingcouncil
http://www.twitter.com/readingcouncil
5. http://www.youtube.com/readingbc
https://www.youtube.com/c/ReadingCouncil...
6. http://www.instagram.com/readingcouncil
7. https://www.linkedin.com/company/reading...
Dear IGTeam,
We note the release of DR Hunters Qualifications on 1-6-2022 vs original request on 25-11-2021.
Further clarification requested:
1. RBC were incorrect on The FOI Team, Reading Borough Council 23 December 2021, in saying that Dr Hunters qualification's and training were as follows has caused delay to information sharing :
"This is personal data and as such exempt under section 40 of the FOI Act."
Now (1-06-2022) that it is accepted that as per ICO Education Test, Public Interest Test and HCPC Standards and BPS Guidance, qualifications and training of a public officer is not personal data hence exempt as first stated.
Please can you make the corrections on this point in the employee governance standard operating procedures to prevent such misunderstanding by RBC team and delays of timely data sharing. Please provide a copy of the standard operating procedures corrections making clear that Professional qualifications and Training are not personal data when working in public office or that professional obligations stating transparency of qualifications and training cannot be restricted by RBC governance team and or practice to class as personal data, this is reducing the professional from meeting its duties to the public.
2. In view of the above, RBC corrected and edited internal governance standard operating procedures would extend to social workers, health professionals employed/contracted and education officers to state that professional training and qualifications are not Personal Data of the public officer or person carrying out contracted duties on behalf of the RBC. Please forward a copy of the standard operating procedures explaining to employees in these teams and the governance team that qualifications and training are not personal data.
3. In view of DR Hunters qualifications it is unclear what year they were obtained, please can this be clarified.
4. Please clarify the title of Dr Hunters PHD thesis and explain where it is published?
5. The qualifications released explain that Dr Hunter, is an Educational Psychologist and not a Clinical Psychologist. It appears that DR Hunter may be outside her expertise in designing and leading a Mental Health BFFC/RBC Policy Design of mental health impacts on children. HCPC makes it clear that professionals should only conduct work within their own specialism.
It is therefore, in the ICO public interest criteria that it be explained what training and specific qualifications (course and year of completion) Dr Hunter Educational Psychologist holds to lead a mental health project design policy affecting thousands of children in the Borough now and in the future. Please advise.
6. What posts, what children's age groups and for what duration has Dr Hunter held in Reading Borough region from 2017 (last 5 years) or earlier if applicable, in Mental Health Provision and or Autism Diagnosis Pathway for Children, please advise?
Yours sincerely,
R Resident
Thank you for contacting Reading Borough Council regarding an enquiry. We
will reply to you mail shortly. Kind Regards Information Governance Team.
Good Afternoon
Thank you for your email of 6th June, with respect to points 3.4.5.and 6. These are outside of the scope of the original request and will be treated as a new Freedom of Information Request effective from the date of your last email 6th June 2022. We will provide a response covering all points raised.
Regards
Joe O’Neill
Information Governance Manager
Directorate of Resources
Reading Borough Council
Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading. RG1 2LU
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn
Reference: FOI-428213035
Date of request: 08/06/2022
Title of request: 381461964 Internal Review Request
Dear R Resident,
Please accept this e-mail as acknowledgement that your recent Freedom of
Information request has been received by Reading Borough Council. You
should expect to receive a response within 20 working days from the date
your request was received.
Please note, if your request is received on a weekend or bank holiday your
request will be registered as being received on the next working day.
Kind regards,
FOI Team
Dear The FOI Team,
We disagree that Question 6 is a new request.
Originally we requested Dr Hunters training and qualifications and expertise, hence experience of posts falls into understanding Dr Hunters "expertise" a per HCPC standards. Please reconsider Q 6 being in scope of the original request.
Yours sincerely,
R Resident
PLEASE NOTE : From 1 March 2021, the process to submit Freedom of
Information Act requests has changed to an online request form via Reading
Borough Council's website.
Please note, if you do not wish to submit your request via our online
service,
Please re-send your request via this mail address, [email address]
stating you do not wish to submit your request through the online
service.
If you advise by email that you don’t want to use the online service, we
will log it for you.
The online form will ask you to search the publication scheme where you
may find the response to your request that you need. We recommend you do
this, alternatively let us know you do not wish to submit your request via
our online service and the Council will process the FOI via the online
service on your behalf and respond to you accordingly.
If your experiencing issues accessing the system through our website,
please contact us by this e-mail address and we will endeavour to assist
you.
If you are requesting an update regarding a request you have sent in
previously, we will reply to your e-mail shortly.
Kind Regards
Customer Relations Team
Dear R Resident
Thank you for your email.
This is your FOI request
Customer's Request
3. In view of DR Hunters qualifications it is unclear what year they were obtained, please can this be clarified.
4. Please clarify the title of Dr Hunters PHD thesis and explain where it is published?
5. The qualifications released explain that Dr Hunter, is an Educational Psychologist and not a Clinical Psychologist. It appears that DR Hunter may be outside her expertise in designing and leading a Mental Health BFFC/RBC Policy Design of mental health impacts on children. HCPC makes it clear that professionals should only conduct work within their own specialism.
It is therefore, in the ICO public interest criteria that it be explained what training and specific qualifications (course and year of completion) Dr Hunter Educational Psychologist holds to lead a mental health project design policy affecting thousands of children in the Borough now and in the future. Please advise.
6. What posts, what children's age groups and for what duration has Dr Hunter held in Reading Borough region from 2017 (last 5 years) or earlier if applicable, in Mental Health Provision and or Autism Diagnosis Pathway for Children, please advise?
Some of these questions have not been asked before. We have sent this to Mr O Neill who dealt with your last Internal Review. He will need to check whether this information can be released as you are asking for information about an individual member of staff.
Section 40 of the FOI act exempts personal information.
The FOI act also states that we are not required to release details about staff below Assistant Director level. Dr Hunter is below Assistant Director grade.
For your information, we are only able to provide you with the names of individuals who it is deemed to be against the public interest to withhold. For the purposes of requests for information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, this is deemed to be members of staff at Assistant Director level and above. The provision of the names of any other individual members of these teams would constitute a breach of the First, Second and Sixth Data Protection Principles and is therefore exempt from disclosure by virtue of Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Yours sincerely
Mr N Bullough
Customer Relations Officer
Customer Relations Team| Directorate of Resources
Civic Office
Bridge Street
Reading Borough Council
RG1 2LU
Team 0118 9372905
Direct 0118 9372726
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In accordance with Government advice regarding COVID-19, many of our staff continue to work from home. Letters sent to the office may not reach us straight away, and it will take us longer to reply by post. We ask that wherever possible you communicate with us by email.
Dear FOI, CRT,
I'll await your reply from Mr Neil. No the data was missed hence asked.
Also, we have stated that it is not person data, its professional data we request in view of expertise and experience undertaken. This is with in HCPC registrants standards hence RBC can not restrict this as already stated, it meets the ICO Education Test and hence not personal data and also the ICO public interest test because Dr Hunter is designing and leading a mental health strategy impacting on thousands of children in the Borough and the public need assurance of competence to undertake this work. An Educational Psychologist is not the same as a healthcare practitioner Clinical Psychologist. Hence the IGT blanket exemption of alleging personal data does not apply. Hence this matter is not based on director levels its based on her professional remit duties and ICO Tests.
I appreciate your update.
Yours sincerely,
R Resident
Reference: FOI-428213035
Date of request: 08/06/2022
Title of request: 381461964 Internal Review Request
Dear R Resident,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
Thank you for your recent request received by the Council on 08 June 2022.
You have requested the following information under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000:
3. In view of DR Hunters qualifications it is unclear what year they were
obtained, please can this be clarified.
4. Please clarify the title of Dr Hunters PHD thesis and explain where it
is published?
5. The qualifications released explain that Dr Hunter, is an Educational
Psychologist and not a Clinical Psychologist. It appears that DR Hunter
may be outside her expertise in designing and leading a Mental Health
BFFC/RBC Policy Design of mental health impacts on children. HCPC makes
it clear that professionals should only conduct work within their own
specialism.
It is therefore, in the ICO public interest criteria that it be explained
what training and specific qualifications (course and year of completion)
Dr Hunter Educational Psychologist holds to lead a mental health project
design policy affecting thousands of children in the Borough now and in
the future. Please advise.
6. What posts, what children's age groups and for what duration has Dr
Hunter held in Reading Borough region from 2017 (last 5 years) or earlier
if applicable, in Mental Health Provision and or Autism Diagnosis Pathway
for Children, please advise?
Our response is as follows:
Please find our response in the below link:
[1]https://apps-reading.s3.amazonaws.com/fo...
R Resident FOI 428213035.pdf
If you are unhappy with this response to your request for information
under the Freedom of Information Act then you may ask for an internal
review. Please make a request in writing to the Information Governance
Team at [2][email address]. If you request such a review and are not
content with its outcome, then you have a right to apply directly to the
Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can
be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Kind regards,
FOI Team
References
Visible links
1. https://apps-reading.s3.amazonaws.com/fo... R Resident FOI 428213035.pdf
2. mailto:[email address]
Good Morning
Please find the attached response to the Internal Review Request of the
decision on FOI-381461964.
Regards
N George
Information Governance Manager
Directorate of Resources
Reading Borough Council
Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading. RG1 2LU
[1]Website | [2]Facebook | [3]Twitter | [4]YouTube | [5]Instagram |
[6]LinkedIn
References
Visible links
1. http://www.reading.gov.uk/
http://www.reading.gov.uk/
2. http://www.facebook.com/readingcouncil
http://www.facebook.com/readingcouncil
3. http://www.twitter.com/readingcouncil
http://www.twitter.com/readingcouncil
4. http://www.youtube.com/readingbc
https://www.youtube.com/c/ReadingCouncil...
5. http://www.instagram.com/readingcouncil
6. https://www.linkedin.com/company/reading...
Dear Reading Borough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Reading Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Mencap and SEND Team Mental Health Project'.
It is not accepted that work experience/placement is personal data because HCPC states clearly that registrants need to disclose their experience and qualifications to the public when requested. Hence RBC are creating an unnecessary barrier to timely data.
It is of legitimate interest for the wider community because the Mencap mental health children's and young persons policy will affect more than thousands of children in the borough. It is established that Dr Hunter is an Educational Psychologists and not a CLINICAL Psychologists, HCPC also states professionals work with in their expertise. Hence it is legitimate interest that Dr Hunters expertise and experience in mental health is shared.
To remind RBC that it is restricted standards of HCPC registrants by refusing to disclose work experience unreasonably due to the following HCPC standards that DR Hunters needs to comply with:
"3. Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
Keep within your scope of practice
3.1 You must keep within your scope of practice by only practising in the areas you have appropriate knowledge, skills and experience for."
"9. Be honest and trustworthy
Personal and professional behaviour
9.1 You must make sure that your conduct justifies the public’s trust and confidence in you and your profession.
9.2 You must be honest about your experience, qualifications and skills."
6. Manage risk
Identify and minimise risk
6.1 You must take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of harm to service users, carers and colleagues as far as possible.
6.2 You must not do anything, or allow someone else to do anything, which could put the health or safety of a service user, carer or colleague at unacceptable risk.
Clearly, HCPC does not consider "experience" (including where this experience was undertaken) "personal data" and RBC unreasonably continue to be inaccurate in withholding DR Hunters experience and skills when the legitimate public interest test is met, HCPC standards state the registrant is to be honest about their qualifications, reduce risk of harm to the service user, which all confirm that an education psychologist creating a Mental Health Policy for children is out of her expertise hence it is in the public interest that RBC release this data so the harm reduction of this can be understood and public confidence inspired.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m...
Thank your e-mail/request.
We will log your request into our system and you will receive an
acknowledgement mail with a reference number for your request. Setting out
the response time and date.
For future reference on the Reading Borough Council Website we have a
publication log where you can search responses to previous FOI’s that may
provide you the information that you require and allow you access to log
any future requests should you prefer. Freedom of Information Request -
Reading MyAccount
If your experiencing issues accessing the system through our website,
please contact us by this e-mail address and we will endeavour to assist
you.
If you are requesting an update regarding a request you have sent in
previously, we will reply to your e-mail shortly.
Kind Regards
Customer Relations Team
Dear Reading Borough Council,
Please provide a link to where RBC publishes FOIs, is this accessible via a login only or freely in the public domain, please clarify.
Thank you.
Dear Reading Borough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Reading Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Mencap and SEND Team Mental Health Project'.
Yet to receive a reply since 3rd August 2022 as RBC appear to be restricting HCPC registrants from complying with their standards of practice under an incorrect position. It is in the wider public interest that this is responded to. Unless
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/m...
Yours faithfully,
R Resident
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now