Published Information About the Trust Publication Scheme

Welcome to North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust Publication Scheme. The Scheme is in three parts:

Part 1: Introduction

1.1 What a Publication Scheme is

This Publication Scheme is a complete guide to the information routinely published by North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust. It is a description of the information that we make publicly available. We will review the Scheme at regular intervals and monitor how it is operating.

It is important to us that this Scheme meets your needs and we have designed it to be a route map so that you can find information about North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust easily.

Under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act is available from HMSO), North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust has a legal duty to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme for the publication of Trust information. The purpose of the Act is to promote greater openness by public authorities (of which North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust is one). The Publication Scheme will help you to find all the information that the Trust publishes.

The Freedom of Information Act does not change the right of individuals to confidentiality in accordance with Article 8 of the Human Rights Act (1998), the Data Protection Act (1998) and in common law. Maintaining confidentiality continues to be an important commitment on our part.

To help with this, we have appointed an officer who has responsibility to ensure the protection of individuals’ confidentiality in accordance with your legal rights. In North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust, this officer is:

1.2 Feedback

Any questions or comments about this Scheme, or its operation, should be sent in writing to:

If you have a complaint about the operation of the Scheme or how the North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust has dealt with your request for information from the Scheme please write to:

1.3 Rights of Access to Information

At the present time, in addition to accessing the information identified in this Publication Scheme, you are entitled to request information about North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust under the Code of Practice on Openness in the HPSS (1996). Hard copies of this Code of Practice are available free of charge from the DHSSPS, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SF. Sometimes, some, or all of the information cannot be provided and we will explain the reasons when this happens.

The Freedom of Information Act enables you to know how public services such as the Health & Personal Social Services (HPSS) are organised and run, how funds are used and how you can make complaints if you need to. You have the right to know which services are being provided, the targets that are being set, the standards of services that are expected and the results achieved.

From January 1^st 2005, Freedom of Information Act will also oblige North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust to respond to requests about the information which it holds and is recorded in any form and it will create a right of access to that information. The rights to request and access this information are subject to some exemptions that the Trust has to take into consideration before deciding what information can be released.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, individuals are also entitled to access any personal information held about them (subject to certain exceptions) and you can contact the Data Protection Officer at the following address to do this.

Revised Environmental Information Regulations may be introduced in the future. These will enable similar access to environmental information, as under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Unless otherwise specified, the version of the document(s) available will be the most recently approved by North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust.

To comply with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, this publication scheme will be made available on request in alternative formats as appropriate.

Part 2: The Classes of Information

1. The HPSS and where we fit in

2. Who we are

3. Financial and Funding Information

4. Corporate Information

5. Aims, Targets and Achievements

6. Our Services

7. Reports and Independent Enquiries

8. Policies and Procedures

9. Public Involvement and Consultation

10. Communications with the public

11. Complaints

12. Human Resources

13. Environmental Information

14. This Publication Scheme

We will state how you can obtain the information outlined within each Class. This will be either via the web site or as a hard copy or other media as stated within each Class. The publications are all free unless otherwise indicated within each Class. Where information is provided at a cost the charges will be calculated as set out in Class 14.

North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust’s commitment to publish information excludes any information which can legitimately be withheld under the exemptions set out in the Code of Practice on Openness in the HPSS or the Freedom of Information Act. Individual classes may be subject to exemptions, for example to protect commercial interests and to protect personal information as required under the Data Protection Act 1998. These exemptions apply to most Classes within the Publication Scheme. The Publication Scheme is available in hard copy and also as a PDF document on our Homepage.

Class 1. The HPSS and where we fit in

Class 2. Who we are

Class 3. Financial and Funding Information

Class 4. Corporate Information

Reports, policies, minutes of Board and Board Sub-committee meetings and planning documents

Class 5. Aims, Targets and Achievements

Financial targets, aims and objectives and key performance indicators. See also Class 9 below.

Class 6. Our Services

Class 7. Reports and Independent Enquiries

Class 8. Policies and Procedures

Class 9. Public Involvement and Consultation

Details of consultation procedures, decision-making processes, timescales and responses. Consultations in progress and how you can become involved.

Class 10. Communications with the Public

Class 11. Complaints

Class 12. Human Resources

Class 13. Environmental Information

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).

Class 14. This Publication Scheme

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 Trust. We will also publish any changes or additions to publications already available under this Publication Scheme.

For the most part, we will charge you only for hard copies or copying onto media (e.g. CD ROM). Some information is available free, but for others there may be a charge. The charges will vary according to how information is made available. Charges are as follows:

Via the Trust’s Web Site –Free of charge, although any charges for Internet Service provider and personal printing costs would have to be met by the individual

For those without Internet access, a single print-out as on the website would be available by post from ………………or by personal application at Trust……………………………………………………………………….

However, requests for multiple printouts, or for archived copies of documents which are no longer accessible or available on the web, may attract a charge for the retrieval, photocopy, postage etc. We will let you know the cost and charges that will have to be paid in advance. We will not provide printouts of other organisation’s websites.

Leaflets and brochures-free of charge for leaflets or booklets on, for example, services we offer to the public. Details of how to obtain these will be specified in individual Publication Schemes.

“Glossy” or other bound paper copies, or in some cases a CD Rom, video or other mediums, may be charged for. Details will be specified in individual Publication Schemes.

The material available through this Publication Scheme is subject to the Trust’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:

PUBLICATIONS SCHEME

Classes of Information

North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust

Publication Scheme

Part 1: Introduction

1.1 What a Publication Scheme is

1.2 Feedback

1.3 Rights of Access to Information

Part 2: The Classes of Information

Class 1. The HPSS and where we fit in

Class 2. Who we are

Class 3. Financial and Funding Information

Class 4. Corporate Information

Class 5. Aims, Targets and Achievements

Class 6. Our Services

Class 7. Reports and Independent Enquiries

Class 8. Policies and Procedures

Class 9. Public Involvement and Consultation

Class 10. Communications with the Public

Class 11. Complaints

Class 12. Human Resources

Class 13. Environmental Information

Class 14. This Publication Scheme