24-25/27

I refer to your request for information (FOI 24-25 / 27) dated 23 July 2024 in which you asked “how many times members of the Fitness to Teach have recused themselves from investigations due to a conflict of interest in each year since 2020” which we have handled under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA).

On 23 July 2024, we requested clarification from you on whether you were referring to either investigation officers or Panel Members as part of your request or both. We again requested clarification on 24 July to which you responded that your request refers to both Panel Members and Regulatory Investigations Officers.

We have now conducted a search for recorded information in the form of recusals by either Regulatory Investigations Officers or Panel Members from the Fitness to Teach process since 2020. I can confirm that we have identified a single record of an instance in 2022 of a Panel Member recusing themselves from a Fitness to Teach proceeding.

By way of advice and assistance, I can inform you that steps are taken at the case allocation stage to ensure the risk of any conflict of interest arising during the investigative process is mitigated and recusal is avoided.  For the same reason, Panel members are asked to identify any potential interest as part of the scheduling process so that recusal at a proceeding stage is avoided as far as possible.

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