Guidelines for Staff

Handling FOI Requests

• An FOI request is a written request for information which explicitly states that it is being made under the Freedom of Information Acts. All requests are processed centrally, in the first instance, by the Information Compliance Officer, before being assigned to the most relevant local Decision Maker. If you receive an FOI request, or are unsure if you have received an FOI request, please contact the Information Compliance Officer immediately, as there are strict timelines to reply.
• The response to an FOI request is co-ordinated by a local area Decision-Maker or, in the case that a request relates to multiple areas, by the Information Compliance Office. Other staff are not expected to communicate directly with the requester.
• If you are asked by a Decision-Maker or by the Information Compliance Officer to provide copies of records as part of a response to an FOI request, your full co-operation is much appreciated. You will be given all the necessary details for you to locate the appropriate records.
• Please return the requested records within the deadline given to you by the Decision-Maker / Information Compliance Officer. This is important as, under the Act, a late response can be considered to be a refusal to grant the information requested.

Further Advice
Please contact the Information Compliance Officer if you require any further advice on handling FOI requests. Please contact the Secretary to the College if you require any further advice on Records Management. You may also find the Guidance Notices issued by the Freedom of Information Central Policy Unit useful in addressing specific queries.