Freedom of Information

Novus is committed to promoting a culture of openness and accountability and has a duty to help you understand your rights and responsibilities under the FOI legislation and to explain how you can exercise those rights and fulfil your responsibilities.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000 provides a right of access to information held by public authorities and sets out exemptions to that right of access.

Novus is committed to promoting a culture of openness and accountability and has a duty to help you understand your rights and responsibilities under the FOI legislation and to explain how you can exercise those rights and fulfil your responsibilities. 

How to obtain information about Novus:

1.    Check our Publication Scheme
2.    Check our website
3.    Check external sources for published information
4.    Submit a request for information: foi@ltegroup.co.uk 

Publication Scheme

A publication scheme is a requirement of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000. The Act promotes greater openness and accountability across the public sector by requiring public authorities to make information available proactively, through a publication scheme.

Under the FOI Act 2000, public authorities must produce a Publication Scheme describing:

  • the information they will publish
  • the format in which the information will be published
  • whether or not the information is available free of charge

The Publication Scheme is available to download below, it is not an exhaustive list of information held by us. It does, however, describe the types of information that are routinely available and facilitates access to that information.

Publication Scheme

LTE Group Information Guide

 

Our Scheme follows the model Publication Scheme produced for Further Education Colleges by the Information Commission's office.

The Publication Scheme is a guide to the information we make available to the public as part of our normal business activities. The information covered is included in the following classes:

  • Who we are and what we do
  • What we spend and how we spend it
  • What our priorities are and how we are doing
  • How we make decisions
  • Lists and registers
  • The services we offer

The Scheme is not a list of actual publications, because these will change as new material is published or existing material revised. It is, however, our commitment to make available the information described.

Accessing information covered by the Publication Scheme

To request information available through our publication scheme, please email foi@ltegroup.co.uk or write to: 

Data Protection (FOI)
Whitworth House
Ashton Old Road
Manchester
M11 2WH

Where possible we intend to progressively publish all documents covered by the Scheme in electronic format via our website although at present most documents are available in hard copy only.

What about information not covered by the Publication Scheme?

From 1 January 2005 you have the right, under the FOI, to request any information held by a public authority, which it has not already made available through its publication scheme.

Requests should be made in writing to: foi@ltegroup.co.uk and, in general, public authorities will have 20 working days to respond. They may charge a fee, which will be calculated according to Fees Regulations. They will not be required to release information to which an exemption in the Act legitimately applies. However, public authorities may be required to explain to the applicant why they are not releasing information and they may also have to justify this to the Information Commissioner.

Contact us

It is important that this publication scheme meets your needs. If 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 email or postal address below:

Company Secretary and General Counsel
Whitworth House
Ashton Old Road
Manchester
M11 2WH

foi@ltegroup.co.uk 

If we are unable to resolve any complaint, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner, the independent body who oversees the Freedom of Information Act:

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wimslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF