Scottish Government information in relation to child safeguarding concerns: FOI release

Information requested

• all information held by the Scottish Government in relation to the child safeguarding concerns you raised in 2022 and 2023, including all documents held and communications (emails / letters) both internal and with other third parties such as Education Scotland; and
• all information held in relation to the review recently published by Education Scotland into the reporting and monitoring of bullying in Scottish schools, including all documents held and communications (emails / letters) both internal and with other third parties such as Education Scotland.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested, These are provided as separate attachments. These include:

File 1 – Correspondence and documents relating the first part of your request regarding your correspondence on child safeguarding concerns

File 2 – Correspondence and documents relating the Thematic Inspection on approaches to recording and monitoring bullying incidents in schools.

Please note that the information includes documentation in scope up to, and including, 24 April 2023, the day before your request was submitted.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections s.38(1)(b) (personal information), s29(1)(a) (formation of policy), s30(b)(i) (free and frank provision of advice), s30(b)(ii) (free and frank exchange of views), s25(1) (information already reasonably accessible to you) and s29(1)(c) (legal professional privilege) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.

Some of the information you have requested was included in answers to Parliamentary Questions (PQs) which are available on the Scottish Parliament website. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. For ease, I have provided links to the relevant PQs below.

Written question and answer: S6W-15161 | Scottish Parliament Website

Written question and answer: S6O-01855 | Scottish Parliament Website

Written question and answer: S6W-15803 | Scottish Parliament Website

Written question and answer: S6O-02048 | Scottish Parliament Website

Written question and answer: S6W-16080 | Scottish Parliament Website

In addition, some information contained within the documents have been redacted due to being unrelated to your request and therefore not in scope.

Finally, I note you raised a Freedom of Information request (202300344303) and a review (202300348699) with Education Scotland on 20 February 2023 and 24 March 2023 respectively. We have therefore not included the information Education Scotland provided to us as they confirmed this was released to you through these requests.

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.

202300353761_Annex_A

File type

3 page PDF

File size

71.6 kB

202300353761_File_1

File type

43 page PDF

File size

398.6 kB