Freedom of Information Act
The South Birmingham College
Freedom of Information Publication Scheme
CONTENTS
Part A: Introduction
1. South Birmingham College
2. Legal Requirements For A Publication Scheme
3. What Is A Publication Scheme?
4. The ‘Model’ Publication Scheme For Further
Education
5. Accessing Information Covered By The Publication Scheme
6. Fees Charged For Requests
7. Information Not Covered By The Publication Scheme And
The Exemptions To The Act
8. Feedback
9. Further Information
Part B: Groups and Classes of Information
1. Governance
2. Financial Resources
3. Human Resources
4. Physical Resources
5. Student Administration And Support
6. Information Services
7. Teaching And Learning
8. External Relations
Part A: Introduction
1. South Birmingham College
South Birmingham College is one of the largest and most successful colleges
of Further Education.
With 25,000 enrolments each year, five major sites and numerous learning
venues in the community, it can offer specialist provision in the broadest
range of professional, vocational and academic qualifications, delivered
in the way that best suits the individual.
The quality of provision at the College has been endorsed by Ofsted Inspectors, as has our approach to equality and diversity. SBC holds ‘Investors in People’ status and has obtained the prestigious Chartermark award. It has been designated by the DfES as a Centre of Vocational Excellence in its Childcare and Early Years provision, and holds five Lifelong Learning and two Association of Colleges Beacon Awards for the quality of its provision.
2. Legal Requirement For A Publication Scheme
2.1 Adopting a publication scheme is a requirement of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000. This Act promotes greater openness and accountability across the
public sector by requiring all ‘Public Authorities’ to make
information available pro-actively, through a publication scheme.
2.2 ‘Public Authorities’ are defined in the Act and include
universities, further education colleges and sixth form colleges.
2.3 Companies that are ‘wholly owned’ by the Public Authority
must be included in the Publication Scheme for that Authority. In the case
of the South Birmingham College these are:
1. FESSA
2. SBC Ltd (Dormant)
3. What Is A Publication Scheme?
3.1 A publication scheme is a document which describes the information
a college publishes, or intends to publish. In this context, ‘publish’
means to make information available, routinely. These descriptions are called
‘classes of information’. The scheme is not a list of the actual
publications, because this will change as new material is published or existing
material revised. It is, however, the College’s commitment to the
public.
3.2 A publication scheme must set out the classes, or categories, of information published. It must also make clear how the information described can be accessed and whether charges will be made.
4. The 'Model' Publication Scheme For Further Education
4.1 The South Birmingham College has based its publication scheme on the
model publication scheme prepared for the Further Education sector.
4.2 This model was designed for Colleges across England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. The purpose of the model is to save institutions duplicating effort
in producing individual schemes and to assist the public in accessing information
from across the sector. However, to reflect the diversity in size and function
of institutions, a number of optional classes of information are included.
As a result use of the model within the sector will vary slightly. Any optional
classes relevant to us have been included in our scheme.
4.3 To assist with the development of the model, a number of institutions
across the sector volunteered as pilots. Information about the pilot exercise
is available from the JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) website
at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk.
5. Accessing Information Covered By The Publication Scheme
5.1 The classes of information we publish are described in Part
B of the scheme.
5.2 Next to each class we have indicated the manner in which the information
described will be available.
5.3 If you are not able to obtain what you require from the College website,
please indicate clearly the information you would like, and address all
applications to:
Parveen Ghulam (Freedom of Information Officer)
South Birmingham College
High Street Deritend
Digbeth
Birmingham
B5 5SU
Tel. 0121 694 5100
Fax. 0121 694 5106
Email parveen.ghulam@sbc.ac.uk
5.4 Where the information you request is already routinely published by
the College (or some other public body) then we will provide you with guidance
on how to find information, rather than the information itself.
5.5 The College intends to publish a majority of documents covered by
the scheme in electronic format on the College website http://www.sbc.ac.uk.
However, at present, some information is available in paper copy only.
5.6 Please try to specify as clearly as possible all the information you
require. We will make all reasonable efforts to locate this information,
though we may need to ask you to provide more detail if your original application
does not allow us to identify exactly what you want. If you require advice
on how to specify your needs, please contact the Freedom of Information
Officer.
6. Fees charged for requests
6.1 Copies of publications/information listed in the publication scheme
are available free of charge. Printed information on courses and services
offered by the College is also available free of charge, as are packs issued
to people responding to notices of job vacancies. However, requests for
multiple copies will usually be charged for at a cost amounting to the cost
of producing those copies, with a minimum charge of £5.
6.2 If requested, we will produce publications in other formats (e.g.
audio, Braille etc). In these cases, we will usually make a charge, amounting
to the cost of producing the item in the format requested and sending it,
with a minimum charge of £5.
6.3 There may be a fee for finding and providing the information. If there
is a fee we will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of the amount.
We will not conduct a search or provide you with the information until you
pay the fee. If you do not pay within 30 days of the date of the notification
your request will be deemed to be cancelled.
6.4 In certain circumstances the College may waive the charge.
7. Information not covered by the publication scheme and the exemptions to the Act
7.1 From 1 January 2005 you will have the right, under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, to request any information held by the College which
it has not already made available through its publication scheme.
7.2 Requests will have to be made in writing and, in general, the College
will have 20 working days to respond. The College may charge a fee as set
out in Section 6. The College will not be required to release information
to which an exemption in the Act legitimately applies. However, the College
will be required to explain to you why it is not releasing information and
it may have to justify this to the Information Commissioner.
7.3 If some/all of the information you request is held by another Public
Authority the College will provide what information we can and then consider
transferring the request to the relevant Authority. Should we need to transfer
your request, you will be informed immediately.
7.4 Whilst there is a general right to access to information held by the
College there are a number of exemptions which include but is not limited
to:
1. Information which is otherwise reasonably accessible to the applicant
(s.21 Freedom of Information Act 2000)
2. Disclosure of the information would be prejudicial to the commercial
interests of any person
(including the public authority holding it)
3. Information is personal data (staff addresses, ages or salaries,
students’ fee remission status, etc.
s.40 Freedom of Information Act 2000).
4. Information which will be published at a future date (even if undetermined)
and it is reasonable to be withheld
5. Information which has already been published
6. Information which is likely to prejudice prevention of crime, administration
of justice, operation of immigration controls
7. Information which would otherwise prejudice, or would be likely otherwise
to prejudice, the effective conduct of public affairs
8. Information that would endanger the physical or mental health of
an individual or the safety of an individual
9. Disclosure of information would breach the Data Protection Act
10. Disclosure of information obtained from third parties would cause
a breach of confidence (s.42 Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Legal
Professional Privilege).
11. The information is owned by a third party and they object to its
disclosure
12. The information is not non-official i.e. it is not related to the
official duties of any of the employees, for example, personal e-mails or
related to unofficial or private correspondence with trade unions
8. Feedback
8.1 It is important that this publication scheme meets your needs. If
you find the scheme difficult to understand, please let us know. We also
welcome suggestions as to how our scheme might be improved. Any questions,
comments or complaints about this scheme should be sent in writing to the
Publication Scheme Co-ordinator below:
Parveen Ghulam (Freedom of Information Officer)
South Birmingham College
High Street Deritend
Digbeth
Birmingham
B5 5SU
Tel. 0121 694 5100
Fax. 0121 694 5106
Email: parveen.ghulam@sbc.ac.uk
8.2 If we are unable to resolve any complaint, you can complaint to the
Information Commissioner, the independent body who overseas the Freedom
of Information Act:
Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel. 01625 545 700
Fax. 01625 524 510
Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
9. Further Information
More information about the Freedom of Information Act is available on
the Information Commissioner’s website at:
http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
*Please note that Scotland has its own Freedom of Information
Act and Information Commissioner.
For more information, please see the Scottish Executive’s website
at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/foi
Part B: Groups and Classes of Information
Main Categories
There are eight main groups (and the classes within them) which form the
publication scheme. They are in a logical order and no one single section
has a higher status than another. The types of information and documents
listed within the classes are examples only and not mandatory.
The scheme excludes classes of information that are exempt under the Freedom
of Information Act or for which exemptions could be claimed. However, it
is recognized that individual items of information or documents or parts
thereof in a class may be exempt and these will be omitted if they are exempt.
In all cases the college makes clear what has been omitted and why. Personal
data and information, which affect the commercial operations of the college,
are two examples.
The main groups of classes of information in the model publication scheme are:
1. Governance
2. Financial Resources
3. Human Resources
4. Physical Resources
5. Student Administration And Support
6. Information Services
7. Teaching And Learning
8. External Relations
The columns used in this Model Publication Scheme (MPS) are shown
below:
Class | Description | Manner |
Examples of the type of information that fit in this class. | A brief description to aid the public in understanding what the type of information is. | The media in which the information is to be provided, i.e. paper
or electronically (via the Internet or email) or if charges apply.
|
Fees charged for requests
Please refer to Part A of this publication.
1. Governance
Introduction
This section covers information relating to the way the college is governed
and how decisions are made. It includes information on the legal status
of the college, which individual member of staff or group within the organisation
is responsible for specific functions and where they fit in the overall
structure of the organisation. In some instances information from committee
minutes will be exempt from disclosure where it contains personal information,
information that may damage the commercial interests of the college or that
may threaten the health and safety of specific individuals.
Class | Description | Manner | |
1.1 | Legal framework |
This class contains information relating to how the college was established
and its standing from the point of view of the law. Ultimately the
corporate status of some FE ‘corporations’ will be conferred
by the relevant statutes, in particular the Education Reform Act of
1988 and the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The actual legislation
is often already publicly available, for example on the HMSO web site
(www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts.htm)
and need not be duplicated. | Paper |
1.2 | How the college is organised |
This class contains information relating to how the individual units
of the college are organised and where each unit fits in the overall
structure of the college. Examples of the type of information in this
class include: | Paper |
1.3 | Information on the college context |
This class should include information to be made available by the
corporation on: | Paper |
1.4 | Management structure |
This class contains information relating to how the college’s
management structure is organised and the function and purpose of
each part of the management structure. Examples of the type of information
in this class include: | Paper |
2. Financial Resources
Introduction
This section covers information on the college’s strategy and management
of financial resources. The Finance Division provides accounting, procurement
and contracting services, helping to make best use of resources and fulfilling
statutory responsibilities. Information that may damage the college’s
commercial interests will be excluded from publication.
Class | Description | Manner | |
2.1 | Finance |
Examples of the type of information in this class include policies
and procedures relating to: | Paper |
2.2 | Resource planning |
This class should include information that defines how the college
undertakes its planning and resource allocation, how it regulates
the deployment of resources and how it publishes the outcomes. | Paper |
3. Human Resources
Introduction
This section covers information on the college’s strategy and management
of human resources, rather than information relating to individual members
of staff which is exempt from disclosure as personal information. The information
available covers personnel policies and procedures (including terms and
conditions of service including all current versions of the information
specified in each class).
|
Class |
Description |
Manner | |
|
3.1 |
Employment and employee relations |
Examples of the type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
3.2 |
Equal opportunities/Diversity |
Examples of the type of information in this class include:
|
Paper |
|
3.3 |
Staff development |
This class should include information on staff development and training,
including induction programmes, probation and appraisal. Examples
of the type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
4. Physical Resources
Introduction
This section covers information at a strategic level relating to the college’s
management of its physical resources. Information that provides specific
details of the college’s future plans to alter its estate (e.g. proposals
to purchase additional property) may be exempt from disclosure where such
disclosure would damage the college’s commercial interests.
|
Class |
Description |
Manner | |
|
4.1 |
Estates |
Examples of the type of information in this class include:
|
Paper |
5. Student Administration and Support
Introduction
This section contains information on how the college manages the administration
and progression of their students from admission to course completion, including
student support services. Information available within this section does
not include specific student personal details, by virtue of being personal
information.
|
Class |
Description |
Manner | |
|
5.1 |
Information on student admission, progression and completion |
This class should include information recommended to be made available
by the Cooke report under this heading : |
Paper |
|
5.2 |
Student accommodation |
This class should include information relating to: |
Paper |
|
5.3 |
Student administration |
This class should include information relating to all areas of the
maintenance of individual student records, including policies and
procedures covering the management of the student records system itself,
and the division of responsibilities between central registry staff,
school/faculty/college staff and the students themselves. Examples
of the type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
5.4 |
Student admission and enrolment |
This includes information relating to the admission/enrolment of
new students, including policies and procedures covering the assessment
of external qualifications, the creation of student records, the coordination
of student funding arrangements and the division of responsibilities
between central admissions or equivalent and college/school/faculty
staff. An example of the type of information in this class is: |
Paper |
|
5.5 |
Student discipline |
This class should include information relating to the conduct of
disciplinary proceedings against students. Examples of the type of
information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
5.6 |
Student learning support services |
This class should include information on student support services
from an academic and learning perspective, particularly those not
covered under Information Services. This will also likely appear in
the Student Handbook and Prospectus in some form. Examples of the
type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
5.7 |
Student liaison |
This class should include information relating to the structure and
functioning of staff/student consultative committees or other liaison
groups. Examples of the type of information in this class include:
|
Paper |
|
5.8 |
Student policies |
This class should include a guide to all student policies issued
by the college: |
Paper |
|
5.9 |
Student welfare |
Examples of the type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
5.10 |
Student Associations and Activities |
This class contains information relating to the operation and activities
of the Students’ Union and other clubs, associations and non-academic
activities that are organised for or by the students. Examples of
information include: |
Paper |
6. Information Services
Introduction
This section covers those functions within the college that provide access
to information to the student body and both academic and administrative
staff. These include libraries, computing services and information support
services.
Such functions may be managed separately from each other, or in various
combinations. These services routinely explain their facilities (and the
conditions of their use) to students, staff and the general public, and
it is information of this nature that is included within this section.
Information services inevitably hold large quantities of personal data
that are exempt from general disclosure.
|
Class |
Description |
Manner | |||||||||
|
6.1 |
Availability and conditions of use of facilities |
Information in these classes provides details about who can access
systems and services and the facilities that they can access. They
also provide assurance for external bodies/individuals that rules
exist to ensure that breaches of conditions of use (e.g. breach of
copyright, email spamming of an external site) are appropriately dealt
with. Examples of the type of information in this class include: |
Paper | ||||||||
|
6.2 |
Mission statements and related documents | This class should include information regarding the aims of the department in context of its place in the organisation, a definition of the service provided and, where appropriate, service level agreements. |
Paper | ||||||||
|
6.3 |
Policies with regard to data and information |
Information in this class offers assurances to data subjects, whether
they are individuals or companies that deal with the college, that
data relating to them is being handled well, minimising the risk of
unauthorised access or disclosure. Examples of the type of information
in this class include: Paper
6.4 Procurement and disposal policies
Information in this class offers assurances that monies are being
appropriately spent and assurances that procurement is fair and open.
The disposal policies also assure that the college is making correct
and appropriate use of funds. Paper
6.5 Scope of collections held
Examples of the type of information in this class include: Paper
|
7. Teaching and Learning
Introduction
This section contains information regarding the management of teaching
and learning within the college including mechanisms for reviewing and ensuring
the quality of teaching provided. (The college may be required to make available
much of the information included within this section as part of the recommendations
of the Information on quality and standards in higher education
(‘Cooke Report’).
|
Class |
Description |
Manner | |
|
7.1 |
Academic year dates |
This class should include information on the dates for the current
academic year as well as future academic years (as far as is known).
|
Paper |
|
7.2 |
Further course information |
This class includes information relating to particular schools and
departments, also information relating to programmes and qualifications.
Examples of the type of information in this class include:
|
Paper |
|
7.3 |
Information on internal procedures for assuring academic quality and standards |
This class includes information about the college’s internal
quality audit programmes and annual review. It should also include
information on the college’s internal procedures for assuring
academic quality and standards. Examples of the type of information
in this class include: a) Information on programme approval, monitoring and review:
|
Paper |
|
7.4 |
Staffing structure of colleges/departments |
This class includes information about staff roles within colleges
and departments, together with organisational charts. Examples of
the type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
7.5 |
Student assessment strategy |
This class includes information on the regulations and/or policy
governing student assessment. Examples of the type of information
in this class include: |
Paper |
|
7.5 |
Tuition fees |
This class includes information relating to tuition fees for UK students,
EU students and other international students, including information
on when tuition fees will be payable and how to pay. Examples of the
type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
8. External Relations
Introduction
This section covers information relating to the college’s relationship
with its external environment. These include the formal reports the college
is required to provide to its funding bodies, arrangements with other colleges,
how it manages its relationship with the local community and how it retains
contact with its former staff and students.
By virtue of its nature the majority of these classes are already made
available to the public in some means. Members of the public are also likely
to find the same or related information is available from the external partners
with which the college has links.
|
Class |
Description |
Manner | |
|
8.1 |
Community liaison (Optional) |
This class contains information about the college’s relationship
with their local community. The information included within this class
represents the college’s approach to maintaining and fostering
that relationship. An example of the type of information in this class
is: |
Paper |
|
8.2 |
Government and Regulator relations |
This class relates to the information that the college is legally
obliged to make available to its funding and/or monitoring bodies.
Such material may provide information as to how well the college is
performing. Examples of the type of information in this class include:
|
Paper |
|
8.3 |
Marketing and recruitment |
This class should include publications relating to student recruitment
(UK and International), including the college prospectus. It will
also include information related to the learning experience. There
will be some overlap with Student Administration and Support. Examples
of the type of information in this class include: |
Paper |
|
8.4 |
Public relations |
This class contains information that is created specifically by the
college to help publicise its facilities and activities. The majority
of such information will have been created for prospective and current
students, but may still be of considerable interest to those wishing
to know more about what the college has to offer and the activities
of its students and staff. Examples of the type of information in
this class include: |
Paper |