Empower your team with the skills to manage FOI requests confidently and lawfully.
This masterclass is designed for public sector staff and Freedom of Information officers who handle information requests as part of their role.
Freedom of Information is a vital tool for transparency and accountability in the public sector – people have a legal right to access information held by public authorities, with over 4,000 public bodies in the UK subject to FOI laws.
This Freedom of Information Act training session will take you on a journey of Freedom of Information Requests. Starting with the fundamental legal principles of Freedom of Information Requests finishing with Redaction techniques, you will come out of this session with a greater understanding of the processes involved and the legal reasoning as to why. You will also have the opportunity to put what you have are learning in to practice with an interactive session as well as delving in to practical application techniques and methodology. As the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) notes, promptly providing information is fundamental to our democracy. This course will help ensure you and your organisation meet these obligations, avoid common pitfalls, and maintain public trust.
FOI compliance is not optional – it’s the law. The UK Freedom of Information Act 2000 (and the FOI (Scotland) Act 2002) gives any person the right to request information from public bodies, which must be provided within 20 working days unless an exemption applies.
The ICO oversees enforcement of these laws and has published thousands of FOI decision notices, illustrating how complaints about noncompliance are resolved. Recently, the ICO has also taken stronger action against organisations with poor FOI performance. For example, in 2023 an enforcement notice ordered City of York Council to clear a backlog of 261 overdue FOI requests and in late 2024 City of London Police was formally warned to improve its FOI response rates due to continued failings This masterclass addresses such real-world developments, ensuring your knowledge is up-to-date. Whether you are new to FOI or an experienced officer seeking a refresher, our interactive course offers practical guidance for all levels.
