What can you expect?
- Details of this procedure will be included in all FOI and EIR response letters where appropriate, including refusal notices.
- Your complaint will be considered free of charge.
- Your complaint should be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt of the complaint.
- You should be informed of the target date for determining the complaint. To help us provide you with a timely response, we ask that you wait until this date has passed before contacting us, as additional enquiries may impact our ability to respond as quickly as possible.
- Where it is apparent that determination of the complaint will take longer than the target time (for example because of the complexity of the particular case), you should be informed and provided with an explanation of the reason for the delay.
- The review will be conducted by an officer not involved in the original decision, and where possible, at an appropriate level of seniority.
- We will confirm the scope of your complaint or review with you.
- Once the scope has been agreed with you, or agreed in the absence of timely engagement in the scoping, the review will independently reconsider those points, including any exemptions or exceptions, based on the evidence available at the time of the request.
- The deadline for responding starts when the scope has been agreed.
- We aim to provide a response within 20 working days. In complex or exceptional cases this may be extended to a maximum of 40 working days. If an extension is required, you will be informed of the reason and revised timescale.
- If your appeal is upheld, you will either receive the requested information, or a written explanation setting out:
o What requirement was not met
o What action will be taken to address this
o The timeframe for completing that action - In all cases you will be advised of your right to appeal to the Information Commissioner; you should usually complete our internal review process before contacting the Information Commissioner’s Office.
- We will use the outcomes of internal reviews to improve our processes and prevent similar issues occurring in future.
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Possible Findings |
Possible Actions |
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Information should be disclosed which was previously withheld. |
The information in question will be disclosed as soon as practicable, and you will be informed how soon this will be. |
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Procedures have not been properly followed by Gloucestershire County Council staff. |
An apology will be provided. |
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The initial decision to withhold information is upheld or the council’s actions are found to be appropriate. |
You will be informed of the decision and advised of your right to appeal to the Information Commissioner. |
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