Freedom of Information - Publication Scheme

Under the Freedom of Information Act ("the Act"), it is the duty of every public authority to adopt and maintain a publication scheme. Publication schemes facilitate the proactive release of information and play a crucial role in supporting and providing greater openness and transparency across the public sector.

This model publication scheme has been prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner. It may be adopted without modification by the College without further approval and will be valid until further notice.

This publication scheme commits the College to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The information covered is included in the classes of information mentioned below, where this information is held by the College.

The scheme commits the College:

• To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine information, including environmental information, which is held by the authority and falls within the classifications below;
• To specify the information which is held by the College and falls within the classifications below;
• To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information in line with the statements contained within this scheme;
• To produce and publish the methods by which the specific information is made routinely available so that it can be easily identified and accessed by members of the public;
• To review and update on a regular basis the information the College makes available under this scheme;
• To produce a schedule of any fees charged for access to information which is made proactively available;
• To make this publication scheme available to the public.

Classes of Information

Who we are and what we do
This includes organisational information on current structures, locations and contracts.

Legal Framework
Information relating to the legal and corporate status of the institution.

How the institution is organised
Information about the management structure of the institution, including a description of the Statutory Bodies and the organisational structure together with a description of the work of each area and the names and responsibilities of key personnel. It is also includes terms of reference, membership and description of all boards and committees, department structures and senior personnel.

Lists of, and information relating to, organisations it works in partnership with and any companies wholly owned by it
This covers details of the relationship between these bodies (such as business, the professions and the community) and the College.

Location and contact details
Where appropriate this includes named contacts, phone numbers and email addresses.

Student activities
Information relating to the operation and activities of the Student Union and other clubs, associations and non-academic activities that are organised for or by the students where this information is held by the College.

What we spend and how we spend it
This section includes financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.

Funding/income
Information on the sources of funding and income, such as funding grants, tuition fees, endowment and investment income (including investment strategy).

Budgetary and account information
Annual statement of accounts and other information that shows where money is being spent, where it is or has been planned to spend it and the difference between one and another. This includes revenue budgets and budgets for capital expenditure.

Financial audit reports

Capital programme
Information on major plans for capital expenditure including any public private partnership contracts.

Financial regulations and procedures

Staff pay and grading structures
This may be provided as part of the organisational structure and should indicate, for most posts, levels of pay rather than individual salaries.

Register of suppliers

Procurement and tender procedures and reports
Details of procedures used for the acquisition of goods and services. Contracts currently available for public tender and reports of successful tenders.

Contracts
This relates to details of contracts that are of sufficient size to have gone through a formal tendering process.

What our priorities are and how we are doing
This section covers strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews covering the current and previous three years and would include the following:

• Annual report
• College Development
• Teaching and learning strategy
• Academic quality and standards
  Information on the College's internal procedures for assuring academic quality and standards and qualitative data on the quality and standards of learning and teaching.
• External review information
  This will include information such as the annual monitoring and review process together with a statement of roles, responsibilities and authority of different bodies within the institution involved in programme approval and review.
• Corporate relations
  Information relating to the College's links with employers and the development of learning programmes.
• Government and regulatory reports
  This includes accreditation and monitoring reports by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies and information that an institution is legally obliged to make available to its funding and/or monitoring bodies.

How we make decisions
This section relates to information about the decision making processes and records of decisions covering the current and previous three years.

• Minutes from governing body and sub-committees
  This includes minutes of meetings where key decisions are made about the operation of the College, excluding material that is properly considered to be private.
• Teaching and learning committee minutes
• Minutes of staff/student consultation meetings
• Appointment committees and procedures

Our policies and procedures
This section includes current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities.

• Policies and procedures for conducting College business
  Codes of practice, memoranda of understanding, procedural rules, standing orders and similar information. Procedures for handling requests for information.
• Procedures and policies relating to academic services
  Some of these policies may already be covered in class 2 'What our priorities are and how we are doing' in the context of external review and academic quality and standards. Additional policies under this heading may include such matters as policies and procedures relating to changing course, regulations and policy on student assessment, appeal procedures and policy on breach of assessment regulations.
• Procedures and policies relating to student services
  This will include relevant policies and procedures as they apply, for example, to student admission and registration, accommodation, management of the student records system, the assessment of external qualifications, internal student complaints and appeals and code of student discipline.
• Procedures and policies relating to human resources
  This will include the full range of human resources policies and procedures such as generic terms and conditions of employment, collective bargaining and consultation with trade unions, grievance, disciplinary, harassment and bullying, public interest disclosure, staff development (such as induction, probation, appraisal, promotions).
• Procedures and policies relating to recruitment
  If vacancies are advertised as part of recruitment policies, details of current vacancies will be readily available.
• Code of Conduct for members of governing bodies
• Equality and Diversity
  This will also include policies, statements, procedures and guidelines relating to equal opportunities.
• Health and Safety
  This will include policies, procedures, accident statistics and annual reports.
• Estate management
  This will include disposals policy, estates strategy and plan, facilities management policies, grounds and building maintenance.
• Complaints policies and procedures
  Complaints procedures will include those covering requests for information and operating the publication scheme.
• Records management and personal data policies
  This will include information security policies, records retention and archive policies, and data protection (including data sharing) policies.
• Charging regimes and policies
  This includes details of charging policies including charges made for information routinely published identifying what costs are to be recovered together with the basis on which they are made and how they are calculated.

Lists and registers
This section relates to information contained only in currently maintained lists and registers

• Any information we are currently legally required to hold in publicly available registers
• Asset registers
  This includes selected information from capital asset registers rather than in their entirety
• Disclosure logs
  Where a department produces a disclosure log indicating the information that has been provided in response to a request it should be readily available. Disclosure logs are themselves recommended as good practice.

The services we offer
This section includes information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters.

Generally this is an extension of part of the first class of information. While the first class provides information on the roles and responsibilities of the College, this class includes details of the services which are provided by the College as a result of them. It will also relate to information covered in other classes.

Examples of other services that could be included are:

• Prospectus and course content
• Health advice
• Careers advice
• Chaplaincy services
• Services for which the College is entitled to recover a fee together with those fees
• Sports and recreational facilities
• Libraries
• Conference facilities
• Advice and guidance
• Local campaigns
• Media releases

The method by which information published under this scheme will be made available
Where it is within the capability of the College, information will be provided on a website. Where it is impracticable to make information available on a website or when an individual does not wish to access the information by the website, the information can be obtained by contacting the College details of which are set out below.

In exceptional circumstances some information may be available only by viewing in person. An appointment to view the information will be arranged within a reasonable timescale.

Information will be provided in the language in which it is held or in such other language that is legally required. Where the College is legally required to translate any information, it will do so.

Obligations under disability and discrimination legislation and any other legislation to provide information in other forms and formats will be adhered to when providing information in accordance with this scheme.

Charges which may be made for information published under this scheme
The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public. Charges made by the College for routinely published material will be justified and transparent and kept to a minimum.

Material which is published and accessed on a website will be provided free of charge.

Charges may be made for information subject to a charging regime specified by Parliament.

Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:

• Photocopying
• Postage and packaging
• The costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme where they are legally authorised, they are in all the circumstances, including the general principles of the right of access to information held by public authorities, justified and are in accordance with a published schedule or schedules of fees which is readily available to the public.

If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

Written Requests
Information held by the Coillege that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

How do I request information?

Please apply in writing to:

Richard Oliver
Director of Finance & Resources
Derwentside College
Front Street
Consett
DH8 5EE

Email: richard_oliver@derwentside.ac.uk

How will the information be supplied?
In general, the information will be provided in paper form (or by electronic means if this is more convenient). It is intended that over time items will be accessible from this website.

How long will it take?
Where the information you want is readily available, we aim to provide this within a few days. Where it takes longer to gather the information for you, we aim to supply the information you want in 20 working days.