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Freedom of Information Act 2000 NPS Probation Board Model Scheme 1 Under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Probation Board has undertaken to adopt and maintain a scheme for the publication of probation service information. 2 This publication scheme has been designed to help you find how the Probation Board carries out its aims and objectives. As part of the National Probation Service, the Board's purpose is to be a law enforcement agency that delivers community punishments supervises and works with offenders within the terms set by the court or Parole Board in ways that help offenders to reduce their offending and that better protect the public, and gives support to the victims of serious crimes Its aims are: protecting the public reducing re-offending the proper punishment of offenders in the community ensuring offenders are aware of the effects of crime on victims and the public rehabilitating offenders. . 3 The Dyfed Powys Probation Board Publication Scheme provides a route map so you can find information held by the Probation Board quickly and easily. 4 The purpose of this publication scheme is to make information readily available before you need to ask for it. The scheme specifies: ¥ the classes of information we publish or intend to publish ¥ the manner in which we publish or intend to publish information in each class and ¥ whether the material is or is intended to be available free of charge or on payment. 5 The Dyfed Powys Probation Board seeks to be as open as possible, and to comply with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (the Code). Copies of this are available free of charge from Freedom
of Information and Data Protection Unit 6 We shall continue to meet the requirements of the Code in our dealings with the public until 1 January 2005, when the general right of access under section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act is introduced and the Act replaces the Code. Responsibility for the scheme 7 The Chief Executive within the local probation area has overall responsibility for this publication scheme. The person responsible for maintaining the publication scheme on a daily basis is the Information access manager; Assistant Chief Officer - Support Services, based at Dyfed Powys Probation Trust Headquarters, Llangunnor Road, Llangunnor, Carmarthen, SA31 2PD. Tel Number: 01267 221567. Freedom of Information Act 8 The Freedom of Information Act received Royal assent on 30 November 2000. It creates a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities. The 42 probation boards in England and Wales are public authorities under the Act and are therefore subject to its provisions. 9 The Department for Constitutional Affairs leads on policy related to the Act and the Codes of Practice for public authorities on compliance and records management for which the Act provides. 10 The Information Commissioner has a duty to promote best practice under the Act and to ensure compliance. The address is
The Information Commissioner 12 Subject only to certain prescribed conditions and the exemptions set out in Sections 21 to 44 in Part II of the Act, the public have a statutory right: ¥
to be told whether the Probation Board holds information of the description
specified in the request and, if so, 13 The Probation Board is committed to the principles of openness embodied in the Act and will release information to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the public interest. The Board will also comply with the Codes of Practice issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs under Sections 45 and 46 of the Freedom of Information Act. Copyright 14 The material available through the publication scheme may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading manner. Where, exceptionally, information is included which is subject to copyright or there is a restriction on its use this will be indicated in the scheme and an application for a licence to reproduce the material concerned should be made to the Chief Officer who will consult the copyright holders concerned.
15 The Probation Board will routinely place information on a local probation website when launched. It is all freely available for downloading, if you have Internet access. Otherwise copies will be provided on request. Other information published in accordance with this scheme, but not available electronically, will also be sent on request. 16 You can request published information from the Information Access Officer by telephoning 01267 221567 or by writing to Dyfed Powys Probation Trust Headquarters, Llangunnor Road, Llangunnor, Carmarthen, SA31 2PD.
17 Information will be provided cost-free except when a cover charge is indicated for a printed document (although a copy may be downloaded free of charge) the request is for multiple print-outs from the website, or for archived copies of documents which are no longer available on the web - these may attract a charge for the retrieval, photocopy, postage and so on, and this charge will be payable in advance glossy or other bound paper copies, or in some cases a CD Rom, video or other mediums. 18 No charge will be made for information carried on the web site. For those without Internet access, a single print-out as on the website will be available by post from the request contact point shown above.
19 If you have a complaint about the operation of the publication scheme or how the Probation Board has dealt with a request for information, you should write to the Information Access Manager at Dyfed Powys Probation Trust Headquarters, Llangunnor Road, Llangunnor, Carmarthen, SA31 2PD. If you are unhappy with the outcome, or do not wish to discuss the matter with that manager then you may contact the Chief Executive at the same address.
20 The Probation Board will review the publication scheme annually and will monitor it regularly.
21 This Publication Scheme aims to make large amounts of local probation information readily accessible to the public, on a continuous basis. The Board is committed to releasing more material in the future. 22 The Board will make available information under the following classes: Development and implementation of probation policy Class:
studies, research reports, statistical compilations by internal staff
and external specialists Class: Inspectorate reports and responses, Ombudsman decisions Class: explanatory background to local policy proposals and decisions, Class:
local guidance including hostels regimes/rules, schedules of locally delivered Class: public consultation documents, supporting documents and responses Role, function and management of local probation services Class: annual reports, business plans, board meeting agendas Class: organisation charts (excluding names), lists of services provided, with contact details Class: personnel policies, local recruitment policy or initiatives, leaflets, careers packs
Class: FOI scheme Class: local complaints procedure Class:
explanatory material on the Probation Board's dealings with the public, Class: details of enforcement and compliance actions and rulings in cases that have been the subject of appeals Class: victims support leaflets, local policy/practice statement
Class: procurement and supplier policies Class:
information on specific projects including bidding opportunities, decision
criteria, Class: schedule of contracts awarded Class:
policies on the awarding of grants, loans an the provision of guarantees;
details of grants
Class: speeches and presentations by local senior management
Class area press notices/briefings Class: local media campaign documentation
If you have any Freedom of Information Requests please send to info@dyfedpowysprobation.org
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