PHS FOI 2025-002026

Date of request
06 January 2025
Date of response
30 January 2025
FOI request ID
PHS FOI 2025-002026
  • Corporate information
  • Equality

Request

Thank you for your request to provide the following information:

  • How many Board meetings were held in each of the three calendar years of 2022, 2023 and 2024 ?
  • How did the Board ensure that members of the public were aware they could attend and access meetings ?
  • When was this method of inviting the public/raising awareness of the public that they could attend meetings, last reviewed by the Board
  • Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend in-person at the meetings of the Board ?
  • Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend, virtually, meetings of the Board ?
  • 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.
  • 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 ?
  • 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 ?
  • What accessibility arrangements are routinely in place for Board meetings [such as but not limited to loop systems]?
  • 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] ?

Please see below responses to each individual question. Some of the information we found as recorded information and where relevant, we have also included responses sourced from relevant staff:

 

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

In 2022 PHS Held 7 Board meetings.

In 2023 PHS held 8 Board meetings.

In 2024 PHS held 7 Board meetings

 

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

PHS publishes details on our website about our Board meetings being open to the public and provides contact details for anyone interested in attending a Board meeting. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/about-us/who-we-are/our-board/our-board-meetings-and-papers/

 

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

We are in the process of launching new external web pages providing all the details of our Board and Committees for members of the public. As part of the development of the new site, we have reviewed the means of publicising our Board meetings.

 

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

None

 

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

None

 

  • 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.

None

 

  • 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 ?

PHS has not allocated a specific budget to Board meeting attendance. Members of the public are currently invited to join Board meetings online.

 

  • 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 ?

None

 

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

PHS carries out accessibility checks on buildings to plan for meeting rooms to be accessible.

Members of the public are currently invited to join Board meetings online and provide us with details of any requirements for accessibility to our meetings and our papers.

We complete accessibility checks on all of our Board papers and there is the option to request copies of our papers in alternative formats.

 

  • 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] ?

We have not made any recent changes to our processes and have not therefore carried out an EDIM. We do work in conjunction with our Equalities and Diversity Manager to ensure compliance.

Response

Last updated: 30 January 2025