The Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act) received Royal Assent on 28 May 2002.
The Act gives a general right of access to all types of information
held by Scottish public authorities, sets out exemptions from that
right and places a number of obligations on public authorities,
including the development of an approved Publication Scheme. Social
Inclusion Partnerships are classified by the Act as a Scottish Public
Authority under Schedule 1, Part 7.
Given the broad
similarities of Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) as multi-agency
partnerships the Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC) has indicated
to Communities Scotland that a consistent approach to compliance
with the Act was best suited to the evolving position of the remaining
SIPs. Although not directly responsible for ensuring that SIPs comply
with the Act, Communities Scotland has agreed to assist the Commissioner
by developing a Model Scheme applicable to SIPs as a whole. It will
then be the responsibility of individual SIPs and their respective
‘accountable bodies’ to signify compliance with the
Model Scheme under Section 23 of the Act by 31st August 2004.
Following approval
by the SIC of this Model Scheme on 22 October 2004, the Chair of
North Edinburgh Area Renewal confirms that the North Edinburgh Social
Inclusion Partnership has adopted the SIP Model Scheme.
Signed:
Councillor Lesley Hinds
North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership
Under the public’s
right to access information not contained in the Scheme it is open
to them to contact the SIP for such information. A complaints process
and information request form are included in this document. North
Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership will also take all reasonable
steps to meet requests to provide information in alternative formats,
including Braille, audio tape or in a language other than English.
The contact for further information is provided is admin@near.org.uk.
2. INTRODUCTION
The Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act) received Royal Assent on 28 May 2002.
The Act gives a general right of access to all types of information
held by Scottish public authorities, sets out exemptions from that
right and places a number of obligations on public authorities,
including the development of an approved Publication Scheme.
Section 23(1) of
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act requires every Scottish
public authority to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme, to
publish information in accordance with that Scheme and to periodically
review that Scheme.
Section 23(2) of
the Act states that: A Publication Scheme must specify –
(a) Classes of information
that the authority publishes or intends to publish;
(b) The manner in which information of each class is, or is intended
to be, published; (c) Whether the published information is, or is
intended to be, available to the public free of charge or on payment.
Section 23(3) states
that in adopting or reviewing its Publication Scheme, the authority
must have regard to the public interest in:
(a) Allowing public access to information held by it and in particular,
to information which: i. Relates to the provision of services by
it, the cost to it of providing them or the standards attained by
services so provided; or ii. Consists of facts, or analyses, on
the basis of which decisions of importance to the public have been
made by it;
(b) The Publication of reasons for decisions made by it.
These principles
and purposes have been adopted in the compilation of this Publication
Scheme. North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership has regard
to the public interest in information the North Edinburgh Social
Inclusion Partnership holds. In adopting this Publication Scheme
North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership has been mindful of
the value of openness and transparency.
The Chair of North
Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership commends the publication
of information via this Publication Scheme as a positive opportunity
for the public to gain greater understanding about what a Social
Inclusion Partnership does, how it operates and how it contributes
to public life.
3. WHAT ARE SOCIAL INCLUSION
PARTNERSHIPS
Social Inclusion
Partnerships are multi-agency partnerships typically including local
authorities, local enterprise companies, health boards, voluntary
sector, private sector and will have the local community at its
heart. SIPs were launched in 1999 and aim to target SIP Fund allocations
and other resources to regenerate their communities both people
and place. SIPs target these resources both comprehensively across
a range of lifecycles e.g. older people and activities as well as
thematically on a specific lifecycle group or activity. The total
core SIP Fund allocation in 2004-05 amounts to £61million.
North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership is area-based and has
responsibility for local regeneration activity within the neighbourhoods
of Muirhouse and Drylaw, Pilton and Granton. The partners involved
in North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership are: City of Edinburgh
Council; Lothian & Borders Police; Communities Scotland; North
West Edinburgh LHCC; Job Centre Plus; Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh
& Lothian; Greater Pilton Community Alliance; Pilton Partnership;
Waterfront Edinburgh Ltd; SBC North Edinburgh; Edinburgh’s
Telford College; Lothian Universities Hospital Trust; Scottish Gas.
The Chair of North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership is Cllr
Lesley Hinds.
The SIP Board is
responsible for policy and financial decisions, while the SIP Manager,
Christine Doherty (Acting Manager) is responsible for ensuring daily
business is managed effectively. However, SIPs can nominate a ‘grant
recipient’ and ‘accountable body’ to oversee the
systems SIPs have in place to ensure propriety. In all cases SIPs
have nominated the relevant local authority. The local authority
acting as grant recipient and accountable body for North Edinburgh
Social Inclusion Partnership is City of Edinburgh Council,
This Publication
Scheme is the responsibility of and presented by the North Edinburgh
Area Renewal Board (NEAR Steering Committee).
4. WHAT INFORMATION
IS BEING MADE PUBLIC
The classes of information
that have been identified in our Publication Scheme cover information
that SIPs already make public. However, North Edinburgh Social Inclusion
Partnership is keen to ensure the contents of our Publication Scheme
reflect the needs and expectations of the public. Because of the
time constraints for Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC) approval,
it has not been possible to carry out a public survey of the public
expectations for our Publication Scheme, but public consultation
is an ongoing process for North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership
during 2004 and our Publication Scheme may be amended to incorporate
the results.
We will also develop and amend our Publication Scheme in response
to requests for information that may not have been anticipated or
to changing expectations and demands. A feedback form – available
here – is available as part of our Publication Scheme
and we ask that you use this to advise us if you feel that information
should be made available in our Scheme.
Application will
be made to the SIC to develop and amend any classes of information
where necessary.
5. OBTAINING
INFORMATION FROM NORTH EDINBURGH SIP
Information available
under our Publication Scheme
Our Publication
Scheme has been designed to identify information and publications
that are available from North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership
Online* Wherever
possible, information listed in our Publication Scheme will be made
available on our website www.near.org.uk and can be freely downloaded.
Should you not find what you are looking for then please contact
us by e-mail or by telephone.
By e-mail If the
information you request is not available on our website but is listed
in our Publication Scheme, we will send it to you by e-mail wherever
practicable.
By telephone Information
can be requested over the telephone. Please provide full contact
details, including a telephone number, so that we can telephone
to clarify any details, if necessary.
By post Most information
is also available in a paper copy form. Please address your request
to Christine Doherty on admin@near.org.uk.
When requesting information, please include the following details:
your name and address, the information or documents you want to
see and any fee applicable.
In person On some
occasions the information you request may only be made available
by a personal visit. If this is the case you will be advised.
Personal data You
also have the right to access information about yourself under the
Data Protection Act 1998. Please contact us on admin@near.org.uk
– to find out how to make a request or go to the Information
Commissioner’s website for more information (http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk)
Where possible online
access should accommodate alternative software.
6. CONTACT or COMPLAINTS
If you would like
to make any comment or complain about this publication Scheme, please
use our feedback form by clicking here
or contact:
Christine Doherty
NEAR
8 West Pilton Gardens
Edinburgh
EH4 4DP
who is responsible for the upkeep of this Publication Scheme. Every
effort will be made to resolve any difficulties you may have by
following our complaints procedure. If we are unable to resolve
any complaint, you can approach the
Scottish Information Commissioner who oversees the Act whose contact
details are as follows:-
Scottish Information
Commissioner
Kilburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
North Edinburgh
Social Inclusion Partnership is committed to the open and transparent
delivery of regeneration and the making available of as much information
as possible in relation to this. It is North Edinburgh Social Inclusion
Partnership ’s aim to be as open as possible. However, information
may be withheld from any of the classes of information listed in
this Scheme where we consider that disclosure may prejudice legal
proceedings or our statutory obligations, or where disclosure is
otherwise prohibited by law. We may also withhold information that
may seriously prejudice the commercial interests of any person or
organisation.
We will also withhold
information that is personal data under the Data Protection Act
1998. In these circumstances, we will withhold the information and
indicate why it is being withheld. If you wish to make a complaint
about information that is being withheld, please contact us using
one of these methods.
ARCHIVING
North Edinburgh
Social Inclusion Partnership is developing a document retention
policy which will outline the length of time documents are held
for and the action taken when the period expires. This policy will
be added to the scheme by 31st December 2005
COPYRIGHT
Information referred
to in our Publication Scheme can be copied or reproduced without
formal permission provided it is copied or reproduced accurately
and is not used in a misleading context. We would also require that
the source of the material is identified and that the copyright
status is acknowledged. Where copyright belongs to a third party
(another organisation), the consent of that copyright holder must
be obtained before information is reproduced.
CHARGING POLICY
Most of the information
listed in our Publication Scheme will be made available free of
charge. Exceptions to this are identified with the classes of information
shown on Table 1.
If multiple copies
of a single document are requested, we may introduce a charge to
cover the cost of photocopying and postage. Photocopying will be
charged at 5 pence per sheet.
RECEIVING YOUR VIEWS
North Edinburgh
Social Inclusion Partnership is keen to hear your views. If you
have any observations to make regarding our Publication Scheme,
please use the feedback form provided here.
8. CLASSES OF INFORMATION
The Publication
Scheme is arranged into ‘classes’ of information based
on the requirements of the Terms & Conditions of the SIP Fund
grant scheme and its supporting guidance. The following list provides
a summary of the information headings provided under our Scheme:-
(a) Statutory authority
(b) SIP Fund grant Terms & Conditions
(c) SIP Fund allocation
(d) SIP Board
(e) SIP Management
(f) SIP neighbourhoods
(g) SIP Monitoring and Reporting
(h) Communication
(i) Procurement
(j) Human Resources
(k) Archiving Policy
The full details
of our Scheme are set out in Table below.
Class
Description
Format available
Availability / cost
Statutory Authority
Details of the statutory authority for
receipt of SIP Fund grant. In this class we will make the following
document available:
Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, Section
126.
Post
Free
SIP Fund Grant Terms & Conditions
Details of the rules of operation applying
to SIP fund grant. In this class we will make the following
documents available:
From 31st March 2005 the following document
will be available in this class:
SIP Archiving Policy
Post
Free
North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership
9. PUBLICATION SCHEME FEEDBACK FORM
Please use this form to contact
North Edinburgh Social Inclusion Partnership, or click here to send
an email: admin@near.org.uk
if you have any observations or suggestions regarding our Scheme.
You may also use this form to request any Publication from the Publication
Scheme you require in hard copy.
Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Postal address __________________________________________________________________________________________________
