Improving skills, creating potential

Freedom Of Information

UFI LIMITED

PUBLICATION SCHEME

PART 1 - INTRODUCTION

Legal Requirement
1. Adopting a publication scheme is a requirement placed on public authorities by 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 proactively, through a publication scheme.
2. Ufi Limited (Ufi) was designated as a public authority by The Freedom of Information (Additional Public Authorities) Order 2005.
What is a publication scheme?
1. Under the Freedom of Information Act, each public authority must produce a publication scheme. A publication scheme is a document which describes the information a public authority publishes, or intends to publish. In this context, ‘publish’ means to make information available, routinely.
2. The scheme is not a list of the actual publications made available by the public authority, because this will change as new material is published or existing material revised. It is, however, the public authority’s commitment to make available the information described if and when it is published.
3. 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 or not charges will be made.
4. The publication scheme covers documents available in a variety of formats. These range from computer files (e.g. databases, web pages or documents printed from a desktop PC) to paper-based materials such as reports, books and leaflets.
5. The scheme itself is available online at www.ufi.com and in hard copy on request. To assist the partially sighted and blind it can be provided on request in alternative formats. Ufi is also willing to consider providing the scheme in languages other than English.
6. Occasionally we may need to edit the material we make available. This will usually be because of concerns about confidentiality, invasion of privacy or commercial sensitivity. Other possible reasons include the public interest and legal professional privilege.
Who we are
1. Ufi Ltd is the organisation responsible for learndirect , the largest government-backed supported e-learning initiative in the world, learndirect advice and UK online . Ufi was established in 1998 by the government to take forward the concept of a "university for industry".
Accessing information covered by the publication scheme
1. The classes of information we publish are described in the second part of the scheme.
2. Next to each class we have indicated the manner in which the information described will be available. We have also indicated whether charges apply to material in each class.
3. If information is available on the website, a link will direct you to the page you need. If information is primarily available by post, or if you need a paper version, you can request a copy from:
  
  Company Secretary
  Ufi Limited
  Dearing House
  1 Young Street
  Sheffield S1 4UP
  Email: foi@ufi.com
4. Please note that a publication scheme relates to ‘published’ information. Therefore, material covered has already been prepared in a format ready for distribution.
5. The publication scheme indicates which types of information are provided free and which have to be paid for. You should expect to pay for priced items such as some glossy publications, videos and bound information such as reports. If your request means that we have to do a lot of photocopying or printing, or pay a large postage charge, we will let you know the cost before fulfilling your request. Any costs are payable in advance.
6. As a rule, information published on our website is free, although you may incur costs from your internet service provider. If you don’t have internet access, you can access our website using your local library or an internet café.
What about information not covered by the publication scheme?
1. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, you have the right to request any information held by Ufi which it has not already made available through our publication scheme.
2. Requests will have to be made in writing (see How to Make a Freedom of Information Request) and, in general, Ufi will have 20 working days to respond. We may charge a fee, which will have to be calculated according to the appropriate Fees Regulations. We will not be required to release information to which an exemption in the Act legitimately applies. However, Ufi may be required to explain to you why it is not releasing information. You have the right to appeal our decision to withhold information by requesting an internal review. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome once an internal review is completed, you have the right to complain the Information Commissioner.
Feedback
1. The Company Secretary is the Publication Scheme Co-ordinator and is responsible for the day to day management of the scheme. The Chief Financial Officer has overall responsibility for the scheme.
2. It is important that this publication scheme meets your needs. The scheme will be reviewed from time to time but if in the meantime 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.
3. If we are unable to resolve any complaint about the scheme, you can complain to the Information Commissioner, the independent body who oversees the Freedom of Information Act:
  
  Information Commissioner
  Wycliffe House
  Water Lane
  Wilmslow
  Cheshire
  SK9 5AF
Further Information
1. More information about the Freedom of Information Act is available on the Information Commissioner’s website at:
Copyright
1. The copyright in most of the material contained in this Publication Scheme is owned by Ufi, copyright details will normally be shown on the document or website concerned. The fact that Ufi makes the information available to you does not give you the right to use it in any way which infringes the copyright, for example by reproducing it for commercial gain. If you have any questions about this or would like a licence to use the material, please contact us.

PART 2 – CLASSES OF INFORMATION

MAIN SECTIONS

To help you find the information you require, we have divided the classes of information we publish into 7 main sections which are divided into different categories. The information has been grouped into broad topic areas, and no single section has a higher status than another.

Where examples are given, the purpose is to indicate the type of information that should be available, if held, via this publication scheme. However, the use of examples does not necessarily indicate that a particular document is available at any time, as Ufi reviews and updates its documents from time to time.

The main sections of information in the publication scheme are:

The publication scheme is set out as follows:

Category

Overall subject area

Class

What information is available

Description

Description of information available within class

Manner

How the information will be provided – e.g. electronically via website/email or paper copies

Fee

Whether there is a charge for any of the information within each class

Last updated 13 June 2007