Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act enables you to get information
held by public bodies, like us, in two ways:
- through a publication scheme – which tells you what information
is readily available to the public
- your general right of access – which enables you to get
information that may be not readily available.
Your questions answered
What is a publication scheme?
A publication scheme is a document giving details of the
different types of information we publish. It's set out in a clear
and structured way with information classified by type. This is to
save you time and effort by making it easier to find what you
want.
What's in the publication scheme?
To get full details of our publication scheme click on the link
below (you may want to print out this document as it is quite
long):
You can also get a printed copy by contacting our customer
service unit:
Commission for Social Care Inspection
Customer Service Unit
St Nicholas Building
St Nicholas Street
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 1NB
Customer service helpline: 0845 015 0120
Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk
What about information not listed in the publication
scheme?
Under the Freedom of Information Act you have a general right of
access. This means you can get all information held by the
Commission unless it is covered by an exemption.
The right covers information recorded in any form and from any
source, not just documents published by the Commission.
In most cases we will respond within 20 working days:
- confirming whether any information is held
- enclosing a copy of all information that can be released
- explaining the exemptions applying to any information
withheld.
If we can't respond within 20 working days we will write to
explain why and tell you when we are likely to be able to
respond.
How do I make a request for information under my general right
of access?
Before you make your request, please check the website to
see if the information is already available. This could save you
and the Commission time and money.
If the information you want is not available, you must:
- make your request in writing
- send it to us by post, fax or email
- include your name and address for return correspondence.
We have a form you can use to make your request. The form is
designed to help you give us the information we need to respond to
your request. But you don't have to use it.
Download the form by clicking on the link below or contact our
customer service unit at the address
above.
Who should I send my request for information to?
In the first instance you should send your request to the person
or office that you think may hold the information that you
want.
If you don't know which office holds the information you can
send your request to the Access to Information team. Email enquiries.publicaccess2info@csci.gsi.gov.uk or
write to the customer service unit at the
address above.
You must state clearly what information you are requesting, but
you don't need to tell us why you want it.
You can say in what format you would prefer to receive the
information. For example:
- on paper
- electronically
- in braille
- in a language other than English.
We will try to give you your preference if possible. If we're
unable to do this we will explain why.
How much will it cost?
We will be making as much information available free of charge
as possible. And we are regularly adding to the information that
you can access directly on our website.
In some cases you may have to pay a fee because of the expense
involved in finding and supplying the information. Or to cover the
cost of photocopying and postage. We will tell you in advance if a
fee is likely to apply.
What kind of information can you withhold?
We will give you the information you ask for unless there is a
good reason for not doing so. The types of information we are
allowed to withhold are listed in the Freedom of Information Act
2000.
We hold some information that we can't make available to the
public because it is absolutely protected by law.
Some information has qualified protection and we will always
consider the public interest before deciding whether to provide or
withhold this information.
If we withhold any information we will explain why and how to
appeal against our decision.
We won't send you specific information if it is already
available in one of our published documents or in the public
domain. Instead, we will tell you how to get the information and
where you can find it.
We may not provide information if the cost of locating,
retrieving and extracting it is £450 or more. And we can refuse
requests from anyone who repeatedly asks for the same or similar
information.
How do I complain?
If you want to complain about the way we respond to your request
for information, please contact the person who responded in the
first instance.
If this does not resolve your complaint you can ask for an
internal review. Please contact the Access to Information Adviser
by email on enquiries.publicaccess2info@csci.gsi.gov.uk or
in writing to the customer service unit at the
address above.
If you want to complain about the Commission or services that it
regulates, please follow our complaints procedure.
Where can I get more information?
You can get more information about your rights to information
from:
