Freedom of Information Act: An A to Z Guide
Course
In Bristol, London and Manchester
Description
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Type
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Class hours
4h
This interactive workshop is designed to teach delegates the basics of the Act and the exemptions. Suitable for: This workshop is ideal for beginners and those with very little knowledge of FOI. It will also assist new public authorities preparing for FOI implementation. Lawyers. FOI co-ordinators. Data protection officers. Complaints officers. Auditors. Press officers. Records managers. Archivists. Librarians Frontline staff as well as managers, both in the public and the private sector, will benefit from this workshop.
Facilities
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Start date
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About this course
No formal requirements. This workshop is ideal for beginners and those with very little knowledge of FOI.
Reviews
Teachers and trainers (1)
Ibrahim Hasan
Director of Act Now Training Ltd
Course programme
Introduction
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) gives individuals as well as organisations the right to access any recorded information held by 130,000 public authorities. Requests can come into at any level within an organisation. Therefore all staff must have a working knowledge of FOI. This interactive workshop is designed to teach delegates the basics of the Act and the exemptions. Decisions and guidance from the Information Commissioner and the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) will be also discussed. We will also cover the latest developments including the Coalition Government's Proposals on extending FOI and requiring more proactive disclosure of information. Delegates will receive a comprehensive training pack, which includes useful summaries, articles and guidance. This is our most popular FOI workshop and is often fully booked.
PROGRAMME - 10.00am to 4.00pm
Overview of the Act
- What is "recorded information?"
- Which authorities are covered?
- Which authorities could be covered in the future?
Key issues in dealing with requests
- Lifecycle of a request
- Validating requests
- Vexatious & repeated requests
- Duty to advise and assist
- Format of response
Fees for requests
- How to calculate fees
- Fees notices
- What costs can be taken into account
Key exemptions
- Detailed explanation of each exemption
- Guidance and caselaw
- The Public Interest Test
Refusals and enforcement
- Drafting Refusal Notices
- The appeals process
- Dealing with the Commissioner
Practical issues
- Raising awareness
- Complaints handling
Link with other legislation
- The Data Protection Act
- The Human Rights Act
- The Environmental Information Regulations
Common Questions
- Requests for CCTV images
- Vexatious requests
- Contracts and tenders
- Salaries and expenses
- Disclosure of statistics
- Requests from What Do They Know.com
- Requests for email/electronic documents
Delegates will be working through sector specific case studies and will be encouraged to discuss their own FOI requests and questions.
Freedom of Information Act: An A to Z Guide