Shout at Cancer is committed to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which came into force on 1 January 2005. We are committed to the principles of accountability and the general right of access to information, subject to legal exemptions. The policy outlines our framework for managing requests.
 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, any person has a legal right to ask for access to information held by us. They are entitled to be told whether we hold the information, and to receive a copy, subject to certain exemptions. The information which our organisation routinely makes available to the public includes
information available on the Shout at Cancer web site. Requests for other information are dealt with in accordance with statutory guidance. While the Act assumes openness, it recognises that certain information is sensitive. There are exemptions to protect this information.
 

The Act is fully retrospective, so that any past records which Shout at Cancer holds is covered by the Act. Our organisation has a Retention Schedule based on the schedule recommended by the Records Management Society of Great Britain, which guides our organisation as to how long it should keep records.

 

It is an offence to wilfully conceal damage or destroy information in order to avoid responding to an enquiry,
so it is important that no records that are the subject of an enquiry are amended or destroyed.

Requests under the Act can be addressed to anyone employed by Shout at Cancer. However, all responses are to be cleared with a member of The Directorate prior to despatch. Requests must be made in writing, (which can include email), and should include the enquirer’s name and correspondence address, and
state what information they require. They do not have to mention the Act, nor do they have to say why they want the information.
 

Staff need to be aware of the process for dealing with requests. There is a duty to respond to all requests, telling the enquirer whether or not the information is held, and supplying any information that is held, except where exemptions apply. There is no need to collect data in specific response to an enquiry. There is a time limit of 20 days excluding our published holidays for responding to the request.