Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires all public bodies to promote openness by making information available through a Model Publication Scheme. The Scheme provides a list of the information routinely published by colleges which the ICO expects them to make available.
The Model Publication Scheme and definition document for Further Education Colleges can be downloaded at www.ico.org.uk
The information that colleges routinely publish falls into the following categories:
Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts.
Published accounts.
Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews.
Decision making processes and records of decisions.
Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our service and responsibilities.
Information legally required to be held in publicly available registers and logs
Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters.
The College is obliged to respond in writing within 20 working days to specific requests from any individual. You can expect the College, in its response, to state whether it holds information of the type requested, and, if so, then, subject to certain exemptions (including Data Protection principles), communicate it to you.
The College may make a reasonable charge for actual disbursements incurred for information which is not available on its website to cover administration, photocopying, postage and packing or to cover the costs of converting information to a preferred format.
The College may refuse a request if the cost of providing the information is over £450 or if the information is otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. You will be asked if you want to proceed with a request before work is done that will attract a charge.
Please email requests to foi@sunderlandcollege.ac.uk