Publication - FOI/EIR release

Safeguarders appointed under Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011: FOI release

Published: 16 October 2017
Directorate: Children and Families Directorate
Part of: Children and families, Public sector

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

FOI reference: FOI/17/02090
Date received: 19 September 2017
Date responded: 9 October 2017

Information requested

Information relating to safeguarders appointed under the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 relating to the numbers of safeguarders, practice standards, performance support and monitoring, training materials and complaints.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested.
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested (a list of those presently appointed to the safeguarder panel) because an exemption under section 38 (1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption applies are explained below.
Annex offers some data in response to your 1st question around numbers of safeguarders and their locations and also a detailed response to the questions asked in points 2, 3, 5 and 6 of your request. I am also providing documents in response to your 4th question which requested a copy of the current training materials used by Children 1st for newly appointed safeguarders.

Reasons for not providng information

An exemption applies.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to a small amount of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, ie names of individuals and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998. This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses