Our Policies and Procedures
If you require information including policies and procedures relating to the conduct of business and the provision of services or policies and procedures relating to human resources including Race, Disability, Age and Gender, Equal Opportunities, Managing diversity, Equality assessments a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request will be required.
Policies and procedures relating to recruitment and employment
Please find following our Human Resources policies and procedures including specific schemes and action plans supporting equality and diversity:
Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)
Single Equality Scheme
Standing Financial Procedures
Complaints policy
Click here to view our latest complaints policy.
Data protection / information governance / Caldicott Guardian
Data Protection Policy
Information Governance Policy
Information Sharing Principles
Estate management
Environment and Sustainability Policy
Charging regimes and policies
Depending upon the format some information is available free of charge. For other information there may be a charge. This charge will be confirmed and payment requested before the information is provided. For the most part charges will relate to providing hard copies of information requested or copying onto media such as CD ROM. Charges are as follows:
1) Via this website
No charge, although any charges for your Internet Service provider and personal printing costs would have to be met by you.
2) For those without Internet access
A single sheet print-out from the our website www.partnershiptrust.org.uk can be requested from the Freedom of Information lead, and sent by post.
3) Individual leaflets, brochures or booklets
For example services that we offer to the public are free of charge.
4) Bound and/or printed paper copies, CD Rom, video and other electronic media
We will let you know the cost and charges that will have to be paid in advance before the information is provided.
5) E-mail
No charge unless otherwise stated.
6) Written requests
Information held by the Trust that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) as follows:
Section 9 of the FOIA allows the Trust to charge a fee for providing information in response to a written request where the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (the Fees Regulations) are engaged.
Section 12 of the FOIA provides an exemption from the Trust’s obligation to comply with a request for information where the cost of compliance is estimated to exceed the appropriate limit. The Fees Regulations state that the cost limit for the Trust is £450 i.e. 18 hours @£25 per hour plus £25 per hour thereafter.
On receipt of a request, the Trust will have to consider on a case by case basis if it wishes to estimate whether the appropriate limit will be exceeded in advance. It will have to make such an estimate if it is determined that it will take 18 hours of work or more to provide the information. In which case the Trust can refuse the request, or make a charge because the appropriate limit has been exceeded.
The Regulations set out what may be taken into account when the Trust is estimating whether the appropriate limit has been exceeded. The costs are limited to those that the Trust reasonably expects to incur in:
- determining whether it holds the information requested,
- locating the information or documents containing the information,
- retrieving such information or documents, and
- extracting the information from the document containing it (including editing or redacting information)
In certain situations, the costs of answering more than one request may be added together or aggregated for the purposes of estimating whether the appropriate limit would be exceeded in relation to any one of those requests.
If the estimate to locate, retrieve and extract the requested information is less than 18 hours of work, we may levy a charge for:
- putting the information requested in the requestor’s preferred format e.g. CD ROM
- photocopying or printing the information
- postage and packaging
The charge applicable for photocopying or printing the information, other media, postage and packaging is as follows:
|
Item |
Hard copy |
Hard copy |
Other media |
Postage |
Packaging |
|
Request Type |
First copy |
Additional copies |
First and additional copies |
Per individual request |
Per individual request |
|
Charge (£) |
No charge |
@ £0.10 per sheet of A4 paper |
Cost based on media request |
At cost |
At cost |
Please note
If we propose to levy a fee in answering a request, a fees notice will be issued to the requestor before any costs are incurred. On receipt of the necessary fee the information can be obtained and released. Cheques should be made payable to 2gether NHS Foundation Trust and should initially be forwarded to the Freedom of Information Lead. The period between the issuing of a fees notice to the receipt of the payment does not count as part of the 20 day requirement.
We will not provide printouts of other organisation’s websites.
The charges will be regularly reviewed.
Copyright
The information and material that is routinely published is subject to 2gether NHS Foundation 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 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 Trust web site that is the copyright of third parties. You must obtain authorisation to reproduce such material from the copyright holders concerned. For further guidance on a range of copyright issues, see the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) web site or write to:
London Office
OPSI
102 Petty
London
SW1H 9AJ
or
Kew Office
OPSI
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
Crown copyright, Licensing and Public Sector Information: Tel 020 8876 3444
Legislation and Command Paper Publishing Enquiries: Tel 020 8876 3334