The University of Sheffield
Corporate Information and Computing Services

Freedom of Information

Description of Service

Compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Client Groups/Eligibility for Services

All applicants for information to the University.

All staff concerned with supplying information to applicants.

Provider Responsibility

  1. To provide a named Freedom of Information Officer.
  2. To publish a Publication Scheme of information readily available to the public.
  3. To provide a Freedom of Information Compliance Unit to act as a centre for advice and assistance to University staff and all applicants.
  4. To ensure, as far as possible, that the duty to confirm or deny that the University has the information requested is met within the statutory 20 working days unless in circumstances otherwise provided for in the Act.
  5. To ensure, so far as possible, that all requests for information are dealt with within the statutory 20 working days unless in circumstances otherwise provided for in the Act.
  6. To ensure, so far as is practicable, that all information is supplied in the format requested by the applicant.
  7. To provide guidance on compliance to University staff, based on advice from the Information Commissioner and the Lord Chancellor.
  8. To provide training for departmental Compliance Contacts to enable them to make initial assessments regarding requests for information.
  9. To provide assistance and support to departmental Compliance Contacts in dealing with requests for information that are not straightforward.
  10. To advise applicants, where a request for information has not been met, of the reasons for the decision to withhold the information.
  11. To advise applicants of their right to lodge a Complaint against the University and/or an Appeal to the Information Commissioner where their request has not been met.
  12. To co-operate with the Information Commissioner in any investigation held in connection with an Appeal, and comply with any Information Notice issued on the University.
  13. To comply with any Decision Notice of the Information Commissioner issued on the University.

User Responsibility

  1. Applicants must submit applications for information in writing, which may include email or fax. Telephone enquiries are not permissible under the Act.
  2. Applicants must state their name and address. Email names and addresses are acceptable.
  3. Applicants must describe the information they want as accurately as possible.
  4. Applicants must not abuse the system by making vexatious or frequently repeated requests.

Availability of Service

During core service hours.

Service Statistics/Outputs

FOI Unit records of advice and assistance to or correspondence with applicants.
FOI Unit records of staff briefing and training sessions held.
FOI Unit records of advice and assistance to Compliance Contacts or other staff.
FOI Unit records of correspondence with the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Biannual reports of cases to Chair of FOI Group.

Service Measures

Requests for information will be dealt with within 20 working days as provided in the Act.

Dependencies

Applicants making clear what information they want.
Staff responding promptly to requests for information.
Where requests are referred from departments to the FOI Unit, that this is done in a timely manner.

Feedback and Monitoring

Informal feedback from Compliance Contacts as to effectiveness of training.
The number of Complaints lodged against the University by dissatisfied applicants.

Benchmarking

None.

Exclusions

Statutory provisions made in other Acts of Parliament.

Location of Service

Charges

To be determined in accordance with the statutory Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Failure Response

Failures of the service will be investigated internally and, where appropriate, escalated to the Director of CiCS or the Registrar and Secretary or the Information Commissioner.