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Mater HPSS Trust
Guidance Notes for Completion of the Model Publication Scheme
This guidance has been prepared by the regional HPSS Freedom of Information Steering Group to assist your organisation in the completion of the model Publication Scheme (mPS) for Trusts, Agencies and Councils. It is based on the NHS Freedom of Information Project Model and should be read alongside the model Publication Scheme.
Throughout the m PS you will need to insert the name of your organisation where indicated.
The guidance notes are in three parts, matching the three parts of the model Publication Scheme.
Part 1: Introduction
1.1 What a Publication Scheme is
In this paragraph you will need to fill in the name of your organisation and the contact details of the person who is responsible for the protection of individuals’ confidentiality in your organisation.
1.2 Feedback
In this paragraph, you will need to supply the address(es) of the person(s) to whom questions, comments or complaints about your Publication Scheme, or its operation, should be directed.
1.3 Rights of Access to Information
Here you will need to insert the contact details for the person from whom the Code of Practice on Openness in the HPSS 1996 can be obtained, and contact details of the person(s) to whom applications can be made under the Data Protection Act 1998.
Part 2: The classes of Information
The information is grouped into broad categories as follows:
- The HPSS and where we fit in
- Who we are
- Financial and funding information
- Corporate Information
- Aims, Targets and Achievements
- Our Services
- Reports and Independent Enquiries
- Policies and Procedures
- Public Involvement and Consultation
- Communications with the public
- Complaints
- Human Resources
- Environmental Information
- This Publication Scheme
Some information held by the your organisation will have to be exempted from disclosure under the Code of Practice on Openness in the HPSS (1996) or the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This means that sometimes not all of the material can be made available for publication or that the material made available may be edited. The Code of Practice on Openness in the HPSS sets out the types of material including personal, sensitive or confidential information where these considerations apply. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 has 23 clauses of exemptions.
Throughout the model Publication Scheme, you will need to state where the information that you describe can be found and how (contacts as appropriate); and whether or not the information is free or whether there is a charge, in accordance with Class 14 of this model Scheme.
1. The HPSS and where we fit in
Class description: Planning and other documents outlining how we fit into the HPSS structure
This class of information describes your organisation and how it fits within the regional framework. This Class should include:
- Links to key regional documents. Examples may include: Investing for Health Strategy, Agenda for Change, Best Practice:Best Care; Building the Way Forward in Primary Care
- Explanation of the local Health & Personal Social Services (HPSS) structure, showing how the organisation relates to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS & PS) and other HPSS organisations.
- Description of how the HPSS is a very large part of the public sector. There are four Health and Social Services Boards, a number of Local Health and Social Care Groups (LHSCGs) seventeen Trusts, four Councils and Agencies. A full list can be found on www.n-i.nhs.uk. Reference should be made to the geographical area to which services are provided and to the full list of services in Class 6 of the Publication Scheme
2. Who we are
Class description: Details of the organisation, organisational structures and key personnel
Details of your organisation, organisational structure and key personnel. This will include the Board and its subcommittees, Directors, Deputy Directors, senior managers and personnel who are contacts for aspects of the Publication Scheme.
- Corporate Governance material will be listed including, for example, the Register of Interests, Establishment Orders, Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions, Delegation of Statutory Functions, Scheme of Delegation, Codes of Conduct for Chair/Board Members/Chief Executive and other Senior Officers. Some information will be withheld, including personal, confidential information about individuals which is protected by the Data Protection Act.
- Main partnerships will be outlined here in terms of explaining the structure of relationships with other stakeholders in the provision of services in the community. These will include key partners within the HPSS (Local Health and Social Care Groups, partner Trusts / Agencies / Councils) , academic partners, independent practitioners, local councils, police, probation, prison service, voluntary and charitable bodies, pharmaceutical services, private sector providers etc.
- Relevant Agreements concerning Service Delivery may be included unless the material falls within any exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act relating to the performance by the parties concerned which are confidential.
3. Financial and Funding Information
Class description: Funding details, charging policies and financial accounts
- Here will be information about how you obtain funding for your services, the framework for deciding on how that is allocated within the organisation for services, including the current set of financial accounts. In certain circumstances information intended for future publication, audit material under certain circumstances, personal information, commercial or confidential information and criminal and regulatory investigative material or law enforcement material under certain circumstances, will be exempt.
- How you purchase your equipment and supplies
- Procurement Policy
- Standard terms and conditions
- OJEC adverts
- In this class you may publish some background information relating to recent major tenders sought and awarded by your organisation. Items not included will be those where a commercial issue or issue of confidentiality is involved.
4. Corporate Information
Class Description: Reports, policies, minutes of meetings and business planning documents
In this class you will include the categories of items your organisation routinely publishes. This will include items such as:
- Annual Report
- Your aims and objectives
- Corporate Planning Documents
- Agenda of Board Meeting
- Agenda of Board sub-committee meetings
- Minutes of Board meetings and sub-committee meetings
Some of this information is of a personal and confidential nature and will be excluded as will any other confidential material. Material relating to the health and safety of specific individuals, as to law enforcement or criminal or regulatory enforcement or audit issues under certain circumstances may also be excluded from publication. There may be circumstances where material cannot be released because the appropriate officer of the Authority has taken the view that it may be prejudicial to the conduct of public affairs.
5. Aims, Targets and Achievements
Class Description: Financial targets, aims and objectives and key performance indicators
- Whether your organisation is meeting its financial targets and how it is meeting any shortfall or deficit. What implications, if any, this has for service users.
- How you measure yourselves. This will list, for example, the systems established to manage Controls Assurance, Audit, Corporate Governance, Charter Standards.
- Risk Management Functions, including for example procedures for adverse incident reporting.
6. Our Services
Class Description: The range of services that we provide for the HPSS and how we deliver these
- Include a full directory of services.
- The recent decisions which have been approved by your Board about service changes or variations and the reasons for the decisions.
- Here will be information relating to the services that you provide and/or commission. Information will also be included which relates to the description of the community served and how the services match the needs of that community.
- Planning documents. The current plans that the organisation has for its services, and how the public can contribute to these. A contact address will be published here.
- Information relating to non-clinical services such as waste disposal, cleaning maintenance and catering. It will include a point of reference for complaints about any of these services.
7. Reports and Independent Enquiries
Class Description: Independent inspections and findings regarding the organisation. See Part 3 for a list of bodies which monitor and inspect us
- Here will be the reports of inspections which have taken place in the past year, and the findings regarding the organisation.
- Some of the Inspection information is of a personal and confidential nature and will be excluded as will any other confidential material. Material relating to the health and safety of specific individuals, as to law enforcement or criminal or regulatory investigatory material or audit issues may also be excluded form publication
8. Policies and Procedures
Class Description: General policies and procedures in use within the organisation. These include but are not restricted to human resources (see Class 12), health and safety, information management
- E.g. Consent, Advance Directives, Not to Resuscitate, How to apply for Case Records, Confidentiality, Data Protection, Patient’s property, IM and T, Visitors, Child Protection, Equality, Discrimination.
- Cross reference to Procurement Policy in Financial Information (Class 3)
9. Public Involvement and Consultation
Class Description: Details of consultation procedures, decision-making processes, timescales and responses. Consultations in progress and how you can become involved.
- Here will be a description of the system by which you consult and engage with the public in the debate and discussion about the development of priorities and services; the mechanism for deciding priorities; how this is fed back to the public.
- The process within the Health and Social Services for deciding on the current priorities and development areas and what these are. How the public can become engaged in the debate. Contact address. Description of the forums available.
- Formal consultation documentation required re closures/variation of services.
- Here will be information about how you involve the community, e.g. Users and Carers, Advocacy, Interpreters and Focus Groups etc.
- Here will be published information relevant to the issues that the organisation believes to be of topical interest to the community. It might include local good news stories etc
- Compliments and awards, how they have been dealt with and, with the agreement of the person concerned, any compliments and awards which have been given either to individuals or to the organisation.
- If you would like to find out more, please contact [job title] [address]
- In certain circumstances personal and/or confidential material will be exempt
10. Communications with the Public
Class Definition: e.g. Guidance and information leaflets, Press Releases
- Here will be the regular publications that you make available to the Public
11. Complaints
Class Definition: Policies, procedures and contacts for complaints
- How you deal with complaints
- Outcomes of complaints, including any resulting actions
- The HPSS Complaints Procedure
- Where relevant, the complaints procedure under the Children Order (1995)
- This class may include an audit of anonymised complaints received and how they have been dealt with.
- Include in this Class a contact for complaints, [address]
12. Human Resources
Class Definition: Employment policies and procedures
- Here you will publish information relating to policies and strategies about, for example, Training, Human Resources, Recruitment and Selection, Work life balance, Flexible working, Health and Safety, How we communicate with our staff, Contracts, Diversity, Policy documents on disciplinary procedures, grievances, sickness absence management, equal opportunities, harassment, bullying and discrimination, pay and pensions, staff handbook, inductions.
- Your workforce – description (aggregate anonymised data)
- Where relevant, Continuing Professional Development within the organisation.
- Some of this information is of a personal and confidential nature and will be excluded as will any other confidential material. Material relating to the health and safety of specific individuals, as to law enforcement or criminal or regulatory investigative material or audit issues may also be excluded from publication.
- Current publicly advertised vacancies.
- Include a Contact [address] here, for further information
13. Environmental Information
Class Definition: Our estate and land holdings, and the uses they currently enjoy. Information required to be placed in the public domain as a result of the Environmental Information Regulations, any Environmental Enforcement action and associated information (see also Introduction to Publication Scheme).
- In this Class you will publish details of your estate and land holdings, and the uses they currently enjoy. This Class will also include any information required to be placed in the public domain as a result of the Environmental Information Regulations, any Environmental Enforcement action and associated information.
- Put a contact here (address) for full list of your estate and land holdings
14. This Publication Scheme
Class Definition: In this class we will publish any changes we make to this Publication Scheme, our information management policies and a referral point for all enquires regarding information management generally in the organisation. We will also publish any proposed changes or additions to publications already available.
- Process for review
- Procedures for management of changes.
- Contact for queries on information management
Copyright
This copyright statement needs to be included:
“The material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to [Name of Organisation]’s copyright unless otherwise indicated. Unless expressly indicated on the material to the contrary, it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading manner. Where any of the copyright items in this Scheme are being re-published or copied to others, you must identify the source of the material and acknowledge the copyright status. Permission to reproduce material does not extend to any material accessed through the Publication Scheme that is the copyright of third parties. You must obtain authorisation to reproduce such material from the copyright holders concerned. For HMSO Guidance Notes on a range of copyright issues, see the HMSO web site:
www.hmso.gov.uk/guides.htm
or contact:
HMSO Licensing Division,
St Clements House,
2-16 Colegate,
Norwich,
NR31BQ,
Tel: 01603 621000,
Fax: 01603 723000,
Email: HMSO Licensing”
(Ordnance Survey Copyright Statement)
Part 3: Inspection and Monitoring Bodies, Index to Publication Scheme, and Useful Resources
3.1 The bodies involved in the monitoring and/or inspection of HPSS service
Here you should insert a link to the list of bodies that inspect and monitor your organisation.
3.2 Index
It is suggested that this index is collated following the population of the model scheme.
3.3 Useful Resources
You might like to add your own to the list on the model Scheme.
3.4 Publications
You might like to add your own to the list on the model Scheme.