Miss-Delectable
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- Apr 18, 2004
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PLYMOUTH City Council has been put on a "watch list" by a national deaf charity for failing to respond in time to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
PLYMOUTH City Council has been put on a "watch list" by a national deaf charity for failing to respond in time to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
The National Deaf Children's Society is "very concerned" after requesting information about the authority's budget for deaf children support services at the beginning of April.
The council failed to reply in the statutory 20-day period, blaming a massive influx of FOI requests.
"We are very concerned about the lack of information from Plymouth City Council over the future of this vital support for deaf children in Plymouth," said Susan Daniels OBE, chief executive of the charity.
She added that the organisation is worried that cuts are being made across the country to specialist support for deaf youngsters.
A spokeswoman from the authority said: "The council normally seeks to provide information requested within 20 working days however we are experiencing a very high number of Freedom of Information requests and are at present working on tackling the issue of demand and supply within the statutory time frame."
She added that, for 2011-12, £350,000 will be used to fund services for all children and young people with sensory needs, including the deaf and visually impaired. Two qualified teachers of the deaf, a sensory team manager and a deaf access and inclusion worker are also employed. Neither the funding nor the number of posts has decreased in 2011/12.
PLYMOUTH City Council has been put on a "watch list" by a national deaf charity for failing to respond in time to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
The National Deaf Children's Society is "very concerned" after requesting information about the authority's budget for deaf children support services at the beginning of April.
The council failed to reply in the statutory 20-day period, blaming a massive influx of FOI requests.
"We are very concerned about the lack of information from Plymouth City Council over the future of this vital support for deaf children in Plymouth," said Susan Daniels OBE, chief executive of the charity.
She added that the organisation is worried that cuts are being made across the country to specialist support for deaf youngsters.
A spokeswoman from the authority said: "The council normally seeks to provide information requested within 20 working days however we are experiencing a very high number of Freedom of Information requests and are at present working on tackling the issue of demand and supply within the statutory time frame."
She added that, for 2011-12, £350,000 will be used to fund services for all children and young people with sensory needs, including the deaf and visually impaired. Two qualified teachers of the deaf, a sensory team manager and a deaf access and inclusion worker are also employed. Neither the funding nor the number of posts has decreased in 2011/12.