Freedom of information

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, sets out general exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities.

Public authorities are defined in the Act and include Higher Education institutions such as the University for the Creative Arts.

The Act is intended to promote a culture of openness and accountability amongst public sector bodies by providing people with rights of access to the information held by them. It is expected that these rights will facilitate better public understanding of how public authorities carry out their duties, why they make the decisions they do and how they spend public money. 

The University for the Creative Arts is committed to providing information in accordance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and will approach all requests for information in a positive and non-bias manner. See our FOI policy for information on our FOI processes and due diligence. 

Our publication scheme provides electronic access to the most up-to-date corporate information and our Classes of Information page covers popular areas of interest. We encourage you to review these pages before submitting a new request as the information you are looking for may already be available to you.

How to make an FOI Request

To enhance your experience and help us understand the specific information being sought, please complete the FOI Request Form provided, which include prompts and guidance to ensure that all relevant details are captured consistently. This reduces the chances of missing important information, which can lead to delays or incomplete responses. Once the standardised form is completed, this can be returned either: 

• By email to: FOI@uca.ac.uk
• Or by post to:
  Freedom of Information
  Information Governance Team
  University For The Creative Arts
  Falkner Road
  Farnham
  Surrey
  GU9 7DS

Please do not send requests for your own records as the FOI Act does not allow access to personal information. For guidance on how to request private information, see our Data Protection page. 

What Happens Next

You will receive an acknowledgement with further details and the university will aim to complete the request within twenty working days, providing that the information is not exempt from disclosure.

There are a number of exemptions that limits the information accessible under the FOI Act for various legal reasons. These exemptions are subject to interpretation and are considered on a case-by-case basis. If at any point information has been withheld, you will be directed to the appropriate exemption and an explanation will detail our careful assessment of the scope for this.  

Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015

Provision under the FOI Act does not entitle you to re-use the information without appropriate permissions.

The University for the Creative Arts is happy for the reuse of most information supplied in compliance with the open Government Licence terms. The University does not permit the forwarding or sale of staff/departmental contact details. Where you receive or access a document that is co-authored, you may be required to seek the permission of other information owners. A specific 'Re-use of Information Regulations' request is required to proceed.

Request for Internal Review

If you are unhappy with the response you have received and it is not possible to resolve the complaint informally, you have the right to request that the University conducts an internal review. This is passed on to a senior manager for a fresh assessment on the information available and gives the university the opportunity to review our conduct and compliance.

Requestors have the right to challenge a response if it is:

• denied
• partially denied, or
• if you are otherwise in dispute with the answers provided. 

To make a request for an internal review, please notify us in writing within 40 days either:

• By e-mail to: FOI@uca.ac.uk
• Or by post to:
  Freedom of Information
  Information Governance Team
  University For The Creative Arts
  Falkner Road
  Farnham
  Surrey
  GU9 7DS

Governing Body

Compliance with the FOI Act is overseen by the Information Commissioner Office (ICO). If you are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may apply directly to the ICO for a review of the decision. It is unlikely that the ICO will make a decision unless you have exhausted the local complaints procedure. This commissioner body can be contacted either: 

• Online
• Or by post to:
  Information Commissioner Office
  Wycliffe House
  Water Lane
  Wilmslow
  Cheshire
  SK9 5AF