SEND staffing in the LA

The request was successful.

Eleanor Bernardes

Dear North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please send me:
1. The number of full time equivalent members of staff employed centrally by the council with responsibility for Special Educational Needs (SEN/SEND) during each of the years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
2. The numbers of full time equivalent members of staff who are dyslexia and literacy specialists employed by the council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
3. The amount of hours contracted to external specialists (for example but not limited to consultants/educational psychologists etc) employed by the council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
4. The job specification for the person responsible for:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA
5. The qualifications held by the person responsible for the following role in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

I would like the above information to be provided to me electronically.
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.
If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Eleanor Bernardes

FOI Officer, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

2 Attachments

Dear Eleanor Bernardes

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference RFI 1507074. 
Thank you for your request for information. 

 

Your request was received on 21/07/2015  and the Council is dealing with
it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 

 

As required by the legislation, the Council aims to answer your request
promptly, but no later than 20 working days after receipt. As stated in
the Information Commissioner’s guidance, Awareness Guidance 11 Time for
Compliance, the 20 working day clock starts the day after the Council
received the request. The due date has been calculated to be 19/08/2015.

 

If the information you have requested contains reference to a third party,
then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or
not to release the information to you.

 

Very occasionally, fees may be payable for the supply of information under
the Freedom of Information Act.  This will be considered, and if fees are
payable in respect of this request the Council will contact you before
proceeding in order to be sure that you are happy to go ahead.  Any fees
that do apply must be paid before the information is processed and
released.

 

Please note that an anonymised copy of our response to your request may be
published in the Council’s Disclosure Log where appropriate.  This is a
record of responses to completed requests for information that the Council
has received and dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and
Environmental Information Regulations 2004 from 6 July 2009 onwards.

 

The Council’s Disclosure Log is available online at the following address:

 

[1]http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/foi-disc...

 

If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
us.

 

 

Eilidh Cook

Statutory Services

[2]North Tyneside Council.

 

Tel: (0191) 643 5363  Fax: (0191) 643 2451

 

[3]Facebook[4]Twitter email 

 

[5]www.northtyneside.gov.uk 

 

 

From: Eleanor Bernardes
[mailto:[FOI #281360 email]]
Sent: 21 July 2015 14:28
To: FOI Officer
Subject: Freedom of Information request - SEND staffing in the LA
[Scanned]

 

Dear North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to
which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please send me:
1. The number of full time equivalent members of staff employed centrally
by the council with responsibility for Special Educational Needs
(SEN/SEND) during each of the years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in
the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
2. The numbers of full time equivalent members of staff who are dyslexia
and literacy specialists employed by the council in each of the following
years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
3. The amount of hours contracted to external specialists (for example but
not limited to consultants/educational psychologists etc) employed by the
council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
4. The job specification for the person responsible for:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA
5. The qualifications held by the person responsible for the following
role in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

I would like the above information to be provided to me electronically.
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could
contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise
and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public
domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if
necessary.
If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of
breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the
confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be
treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20
working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you
could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Eleanor Bernardes

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #281360 email]

Is [7][North Tyneside Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council? If
so, please contact us using this form:
[8]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

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

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

FOI Officer, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

2 Attachments

Dear Eleanor Bernardes

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference RFI 1507074.

 

We are unable to process your request because clarification is required.

 

Question 1a – c Please clarify which staff would be in scope of this
question: e.g. staff administering the statutory assessment and review
process, staff working with individual children and young people, staff
involved in assessing young people (e.g. education psychologists) and
staff with strategic management responsibility for SEN services?

 

Question 3  - Please clarify what you understand by external specialists
employed by the council, as external contractors would not be directly
employed by the council.

 

Q 4 & Q5 do  they relate to operational management of SEND services, or
the commissioning and/or strategic management of these services.

 

The 20 working day timescale for responding to your request is suspended
until we have received further information.

 

Once you have provided clarification the 20 working day timescale will
resume and your request will then be considered and you will receive the
information requested, subject to the application of any exemptions that
might apply.

 

If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
me.

 

Please note if no response is received within 90 days the request will be
closed. If clarification is provided after this time we will deal with
this as a new request.

 

 

 

Eilidh Cook

Statutory Services

[1]North Tyneside Council.

 

Tel: (0191) 643 5363  Fax: (0191) 643 2451

 

[2]Facebook[3]Twitter email 

 

[4]www.northtyneside.gov.uk 

 

 

From: Eleanor Bernardes
[mailto:[FOI #281360 email]]
Sent: 21 July 2015 14:28
To: FOI Officer
Subject: Freedom of Information request - SEND staffing in the LA
[Scanned]

 

Dear North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to
which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please send me:
1. The number of full time equivalent members of staff employed centrally
by the council with responsibility for Special Educational Needs
(SEN/SEND) during each of the years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in
the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
2. The numbers of full time equivalent members of staff who are dyslexia
and literacy specialists employed by the council in each of the following
years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
3. The amount of hours contracted to external specialists (for example but
not limited to consultants/educational psychologists etc) employed by the
council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
4. The job specification for the person responsible for:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA
5. The qualifications held by the person responsible for the following
role in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

I would like the above information to be provided to me electronically.
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could
contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise
and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public
domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if
necessary.
If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of
breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the
confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be
treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20
working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you
could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Eleanor Bernardes

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[5][FOI #281360 email]

Is [6][North Tyneside Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council? If
so, please contact us using this form:
[7]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

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

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

Eleanor Bernardes

Dear FOI Officer,

Many thanks for your prompt response.

The research that I am doing seeks to understand changes to the total size of SEN/D departments, and therefore includes any member of staff with a responsibility for SEN/D, whether they are administrative, clinical or case workers etc.

For Q3 I am interested in any hours that the LA has bought in extra resource/expertise to support SEN/D. If this is nil, then please just specify that.

For Q4 and 5 I am interested in all people with that responsibility. This varies from LA to LA so I can't be more specific about job role, but ideally the questions relate to whoever has ultimate responsibility.

I hope this helps, please let me know if you need further clarification.

Yours sincerely,

Eleanor Bernardes

FOI Officer, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

2 Attachments

Eleanor,

 

Please can you also clarify Q1 as requested below :

 

Question 1a – c Please clarify which staff would be in scope of
thisquestion: e.g. staff administering the statutory assessment and review
process, staff working with individual children and young people, staff
involved in assessing young people (e.g. education psychologists) and
staff with strategic management responsibility for SEN services?

 

Thanks

 

Eilidh Cook

Statutory Services

[1]North Tyneside Council.

 

Tel: (0191) 643 5363  Fax: (0191) 643 2451

 

[2]Facebook[3]Twitter email 

 

[4]www.northtyneside.gov.uk 

 

 

From: Eleanor Bernardes
[mailto:[FOI #281360 email]]
Sent: 24 July 2015 16:23
To: FOI Officer
Subject: Re: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RFI
1507074. [Scanned]

 

Dear FOI Officer,

Many thanks for your prompt response.

The research that I am doing seeks to understand changes to the total size
of SEN/D departments, and therefore includes any member of staff with a
responsibility for SEN/D, whether they are administrative, clinical or
case workers etc.

For Q3 I am interested in any hours that the LA has bought in extra
resource/expertise to support SEN/D. If this is nil, then please just
specify that.

For Q4 and 5 I am interested in all people with that responsibility. This
varies from LA to LA so I can't be more specific about job role, but
ideally the questions relate to whoever has ultimate responsibility.

I hope this helps, please let me know if you need further clarification.

Yours sincerely,

Eleanor Bernardes

show quoted sections

Eleanor Bernardes

Dear Eilidh,

For Q1, 'all' staff who have a responsibility for (or work with/in the dept) should be included.

Many thanks, and apologies if the wording is confusing. This was my first FOI and I took a lot of advice in trying to get it right, but I think it may just have become more complicated!

Yours sincerely,

Eleanor Bernardes

FOI Officer, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

4 Attachments

Dear Eleanor Bernardes

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference RFI 1507074.

 

Your request for information under the above legislation has now been
considered. Please see response attached.

 

Please note that an anonymised copy of this response may be published in
our Disclosure Log where appropriate.

 

This is a record of responses to completed requests for information that
the Council has received and dealt with under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 from 6th July 2009
onwards. The Disclosure Log is available online at the following address:

 

[1]http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/foi-disc...

 

I trust that this information answers your request, but if you have any
further requests please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

If you are unhappy with the way the Council has handled your request, you
may ask for an internal review. Please contact the Information Governance
Team no later than 40 working days after the date of this letter, after
which time we will consider the matter closed.

 

Law and Governance

North Tyneside Council

Quadrant

The Silverlink North

Cobalt Business Park

North Tyneside

NE27 0BY

 

e-mail [2][North Tyneside Council request email]

 

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

[3]www.ico.org.uk

 

 

 

Eilidh Cook

Statutory Services

[4]North Tyneside Council.

 

Tel: (0191) 643 5363  Fax: (0191) 643 2451

 

[5]Facebook[6]Twitter email 

 

[7]www.northtyneside.gov.uk 

 

 

From: Eilidh.Cook
Sent: 24 July 2015 15:27
To: Eleanor Bernardes
Cc: FOI Officer
Subject: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RFI
1507074.

 

Dear Eleanor Bernardes

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

In all further correspondence please quote our reference RFI 1507074.

 

We are unable to process your request because clarification is required.

 

Question 1a – c Please clarify which staff would be in scope of this
question: e.g. staff administering the statutory assessment and review
process, staff working with individual children and young people, staff
involved in assessing young people (e.g. education psychologists) and
staff with strategic management responsibility for SEN services?

 

Question 3  - Please clarify what you understand by external specialists
employed by the council, as external contractors would not be directly
employed by the council.

 

Q 4 & Q5 do  they relate to operational management of SEND services, or
the commissioning and/or strategic management of these services.

 

The 20 working day timescale for responding to your request is suspended
until we have received further information.

 

Once you have provided clarification the 20 working day timescale will
resume and your request will then be considered and you will receive the
information requested, subject to the application of any exemptions that
might apply.

 

If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
me.

 

Please note if no response is received within 90 days the request will be
closed. If clarification is provided after this time we will deal with
this as a new request.

 

 

 

Eilidh Cook

Statutory Services

[8]North Tyneside Council.

 

Tel: (0191) 643 5363  Fax: (0191) 643 2451

 

[9]Facebook[10]Twitter email 

 

[11]www.northtyneside.gov.uk 

 

 

From: Eleanor Bernardes
[[12]mailto:[FOI #281360 email]]
Sent: 21 July 2015 14:28
To: FOI Officer
Subject: Freedom of Information request - SEND staffing in the LA
[Scanned]

 

Dear North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the information to
which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please send me:
1. The number of full time equivalent members of staff employed centrally
by the council with responsibility for Special Educational Needs
(SEN/SEND) during each of the years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in
the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
2. The numbers of full time equivalent members of staff who are dyslexia
and literacy specialists employed by the council in each of the following
years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 in the following:
a. working with more than one LA school and based in a Local Authority
office
b. working with more than one LA school and based elsewhere
c. working in one LA school for that school
3. The amount of hours contracted to external specialists (for example but
not limited to consultants/educational psychologists etc) employed by the
council in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
4. The job specification for the person responsible for:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA
5. The qualifications held by the person responsible for the following
role in each of the following years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015:
a. Managing SEN/D provision for the LA
b. Compiling the Local Offer for the LA

I would like the above information to be provided to me electronically.
If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could
contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are required to advise
and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public
domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if
necessary.
If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of
breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with copies of the
confidentiality agreement and remind you that information should not be
treated as confidential if such an agreement has not been signed.
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20
working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you
could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Eleanor Bernardes

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[13][FOI #281360 email]

Is [14][North Tyneside Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of
Information requests to North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council? If
so, please contact us using this form:
[15]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

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

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