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FOI release

FOI – 2025-000004 Accessibility Of NSS Board Meetings (HTML)

Published on 29 January 2025

Date received – 06/01/2025 | Date responded – 29/01/2025

Request

Can you please provide me with the following information/data for the last 3 calendar years:

  1. How many Board meetings were held in each of the three calendar years of 2022, 2023 and 2024?
  2. How did the Board ensure that members of the public were aware they could attend and access meetings?
  3. When was this method of inviting the public/raising awareness of the public that they could attend meetings, last reviewed by the Board?
  4. Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend in-person at the meetings of the Board?
  5. Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend, virtually, meetings of the Board?
  6. Each year, how many members of the public who asked to attend in-person also asked for arrangements to be made so that the meeting experience for them was barrier-free and fully accessible [such as but not limited to - large print papers, BSL signer, electronic notetaker, loop systems etc.]? Please provide a list of each different form of particular needs identified and those which were met/unmet.
  7. Did the Board allocate a budget each year to meet the costs of making Board meetings accessible to the public? If so how much for was budgeted for in each of the three years?
  8. What was the actual expenditure by the Board in each year for meeting the particular needs of members of the public in making the meetings they attended fully accessible?
  9. What accessibility arrangements are routinely in place for Board meetings [such as but not limited to loop systems]?
  10. When did the Board last conduct an Equality & Diversity Impact Assessment of the accessibility of Board/Council meetings to the general public [including arrangements on how the public are invited to attend]?

Response

Accessibility to and of publicly held Board meetings, including what measures are in place to enable access to Board meetings in person, how many members of the public have requested to attend and of those, how many requested additional supports, and any monies spent to enable this support.

I am writing to advise you that following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) does hold information in relation to some of the questions you have asked.

1. How many Board meetings were held in each of the three calendar years of 2022, 2023 and 2024?

  • 2022

Number of formal public Board Meetings = 5

Members of the public who requested to attend* = 4

  • 2023

Number of formal public Board Meetings = 5

Members of the public who requested to attend* = 6

  • 2024

Number of formal public Board Meetings = 5

Members of the public who requested to attend* = 2

*All Members of the public who asked to attend a meeting were given the option of In-Person or Virtual attendance and sent a Teams meeting invitation to join virtually.

2. How did the Board ensure that members of the public were aware they could attend and access meetings?

Board meetings are advertised on our website, as are arrangements for requesting attendance: Board meetings | National Services Scotland

3. When was this method of inviting the public/raising awareness of the public that they could attend meetings, last reviewed by the Board?

This information is included in the Board Standing Orders which are reviewed by the Board annually – item 4.9 states that; “Board meetings shall be held in public. A public notice of the time and place of the meeting shall be provided at least three clear days before the meeting is held. The notice and the meeting papers shall also be placed on the Board’s website…”

4. Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend in-person at the meetings of the Board?

See the table in response to Question 1.

5. Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend, virtually, meetings of the Board?

See the table in response to Question 1.

6. Each year, how many members of the public who asked to attend in-person also asked for arrangements to be made so that the meeting experience for them was barrier-free and fully accessible [such as but not limited to - large print papers, BSL signer, electronic notetaker, loop systems etc.]? Please provide a list of each different form of particular needs identified and those which were met/unmet.

  • 2022

Number of members of the public who asked to attend in-person also asked for arrangements to be made so that the meeting experience for them was barrier-free and fully accessible = 0

  • 2023

Number of members of the public who asked to attend in-person also asked for arrangements to be made so that the meeting experience for them was barrier-free and fully accessible = 0

  • 2024

Number of members of the public who asked to attend in-person also asked for arrangements to be made so that the meeting experience for them was barrier-free and fully accessible = >5 requested a special accommodation

7. Did the Board allocate a budget each year to meet the costs of making Board meetings accessible to the public? If so how much for was budgeted for in each of the three years?

There is a single budget for Board meetings which any additional accommodation requirements would be met from. 

8. What was the actual expenditure by the Board in each year for meeting the particular needs of members of the public in making the meetings they attended fully accessible?

£0

9. What accessibility arrangements are routinely in place for Board meetings [such as but not limited to loop systems]?

NSS adheres to all requirements in terms of accessibility arrangements. Please find here details from our three premises where public Board meetings are regularly held:

Access to the buildings are DDA compliant - This includes access to the main buildings, lifts, ablutions etc, including outside seating areas.

Induction Loops are in place including in meeting rooms and reception area.

Access re Fire Safety - in relation to fire safety any individuals with special requirements would have a Personnel Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) which would have detailed arrangements for the specific person in relation to assistance/process of evacuation etc. Places of refuge with fire protection are located within all the stairwells. This applies to all NSS Estates.

Any additional requirements/adjustments would be discussed with meeting organisers/facilities and IT on an individual basis.

All Board meetings are hybrid and hosted via Teams which offers a transcription service.

10. When did the Board last conduct an Equality & Diversity Impact Assessment of the accessibility of Board/Council meetings to the general public [including arrangements on how the public are invited to attend]?

Under Section 17(1) of FOISA for “Information Not Held” NSS does not hold any information in relation to this question.

I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of how we have dealt with your request, you can make representations to us asking us to review the handling of your request.

If you require any further information, please contact the Associate Director Governance and Board Services (Board Secretary) within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence.

Contact

Address

NHS National Services Scotland
Headquarters
Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB

If after a review you are still unhappy, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, or via their application form.

National Services Scotland (NSS) is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. You can view all FOI responses within our FOI Publications repository.