Re: Freedom of Information Request (COR/93ZETW)

Re: Freedom of Information Request (COR/93ZETW)

By email

Date:21 May 2013

Dear Ms Smith

Re: Freedom of Information Request (COR/93ZETW)

I refer to your request for information received on 15/01/2013, that has been considered under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoIA).

We have provided you with the information that we can make available within the statutory cost limit of £450 (which is calculated as being approximately 2.5 days of a council officer's time to determine whether the Council holds the information, locate, retrieve and extract the information).

I set out below your request for information and the Council’s response to the request.

Your Request and the Council’s Response to Each Question -

1. Do your Local Authorities and Educational authorities presently employ Counsellors (rather than ‘buying in’ such a service from anexternal provider)?

No, we do not presently directly employ any counsellors.

2. If the answer to Question 1 is ‘yes’, please state for each Counsellor employed by the Local Authorities/Educational Authorities:

What qualifications are required for such a position?

What is their current salary pay grade/scale? What does this equate to per annum?

N/a.

3. If they do 'buy in' such a service from an external provider what do they pay for the service?

We buy in this service from our Occupational Health Provider, the charge for each counselling session (usually 55 minutes) is £66.

4. If the Local and Educational Authorities do not presently employ Counsellors, have they done so in the past?

We have not previously (since 2008) employed Counsellors.

5. If the answer to Question 4 is ‘yes’, please state for each:

How many Counsellors have been employed by Local and Educational Authorities since September 2008

What was their salary pay grade/scale?"

N/a.

Please note all information provided excludes Manchester Schools.

Please note if you are not satisfied with this response you may ask for an internal review. If you wish to complain you should contact me in the first instance. If you require more information about the Council’s access to information complaints procedure this is available at section 25 of the Council’s Code of Practice which can be downloaded from If you do not have internet access and require a paper copy, please let me know.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Please remember to quote the reference number - COR/979L8H -in any future communications.

Yours Sincerely,

Mallicka Mandal

Employee Relations Manager