23-24/81

I refer to your request dated 19 January 2024 for information on member of the public referrals made since 2019 that have resulted in no further action being taken (FOI 23-24/81) which we have handled under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA).

As part of your request, you provided us with documentation which contained an email sent by our Chief Executive and Registrar to the Scottish Government on 22 November 2021. You drew our attention to a specific paragraph within the email which stated:

"We have reviewed the member of the public referrals made to us since 2019 that have resulted in no further action being taken. The vast majority of those have come from parents who have direct contact with the school and can readily raise their concerns with a teacher's employer. We rarely receive referrals from children or young people other members of the public. Having reviewed the member of the public referrals since 2019 which were not investigated, we are content with the decision making but this process of evaluation has identified some areas where we think we can make some improvement."

You asked for all documentation including emails, meeting notes and information on the areas of improvement to detail what was done about them.

We conducted a reasonable search on receipt of your request. Due to the passage of time and the nature of our improvement activity not being documented in the way envisaged by your request, we have not identified any records relating to your request.

I have therefore applied section 17(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA) as information which is not held by GTC Scotland.

By way of advice and assistance under section 15 of FOISA, I can explain that the review of the member of the public referrals which had been the subject of No Further Action outcomes did not generate a specific policy or specific set of actions but rather informed improvements and refinements that we have made over time, including in terms of our communication.

I hope this information is helpful. If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may contact informationgovernance@gtcs.org.uk to request GTCS conduct a review of this decision. You should describe the original request and explain your grounds of review. You have 40 working days from receipt of this decision to submit a review request. When the review process has been completed, if you are still dissatisfied, you may use the Scottish Information Commissioners guidance on making an appeal to make an appeal to the Commissioner.