Our policies

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EISR) give members of the public a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by Scottish public authorities. Two of the main features are a general right to receive information that we hold, subject to certain exemptions.

FOISA requires every Scottish public authority to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme, and publish information in accordance with that scheme.

SFC Publication Scheme

The SFC Publication Scheme explains:

• What information is published by SFC.
• The manner in which the information is published.
• Whether the information is available free of charge and, if not, what charges apply.
• How to request information that is not covered by the Scheme.

We are committed to publishing as much information as possible as part of our Publication Scheme.

If you cannot find the information you require or a document has an exemption you should send a written request to:

Senior Information Management and Governance Officer
Scottish Funding Council
Apex 2, 97 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5HD

Tel: 0131 313 6566
Email: info@sfc.ac.uk

We will reply to your information request as soon as possible and no later than 20 working days.

When making a request you must include the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence. An email address is sufficient when you are asking for information.

However, if you send your request by email, you must give your name in the body of the email to fulfil the requirement that the name of the applicant is given. Even if your name appears in your email address (e.g. john.smith@email.com) you must add your name to the text of your request, so that it is clear who the email is from.

You must give your real name, as the public authority does not have to answer your request if you have used a false name or pseudonym. The Commissioner will not be able to carry out an investigation if you have used a false name. If you have particular reasons for not wanting to reveal your identity to the public authority, you should ask a friend or family member to make the request for information.

When making a request for information it important that it is clear what information you are asking for. If a request is not clear, we will probably need to ask you to clarify your request which will cause a delay in you receiving the information you are looking for.

Freedom of information provides the right to recorded information rather than answering questions or responding to statements about SFC’s work. It is therefore useful if your request is framed around what information you want to access.

If possible it is also useful if you can break your request down using numbers or bullet points to show where you are requesting more than one piece of information.

More information on how to make a good request is available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.

The EU General Data Protection Regulation and UK Data Protection Act 2018 set out rules for processing personal information and applies to all personal data that the Scottish Funding Council holds.

Data protection legislation gives individuals certain rights including access to personal information that SFC holds on them. For more information on your data subject right please see our Privacy Notice.

Our Data Protection policy [PDF] sets out the requirements for processing our personal data safely and correctly in accordance with Data Protection Law.

To exercise your information rights please write to:

Senior Information Management and Governance Officer
Scottish Funding Council
Apex 2, 97 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5HD

Tel: 0131 313 6566&
Email: info@sfc.ac.uk

You may need to provide adequate proof of identity such as a copy of a utility bill, drivers licence, passport or birth certificate. The standard of identity check will be proportionate to the data you have requested from us.

Please try to be as clear as possible about the information you are seeking. For example, if it is your personal data as an ex-employee then please provide the dates of your employment.

You will receive a response from us within one calendar month. However, exemptions to disclosure may apply in some circumstances. Data protection legislation allows for the one calendar month deadline to be extended by a further two months where the request is particularly complex.

You can find more guidance on accessing your personal data from the UK Information Commissioner’s website.

If you require any assistance completing your freedom of information request or data subject rights request or would like to discuss the information we hold with a member of staff, please contact our Senior Information Management and Governance Officer, tel: 0131 313 6566.

SFC and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are working together to enhance our leadership and oversight role in tackling persistent inequalities in the tertiary system.

This report, Tackling persistent inequalities together [PDF], outlines the persistent inequalities in the tertiary system and asks institutions to address them by contributing to a set of National Equality Outcomes (NEOs) as part of their Public Sector Equality Duty.

The Equality Act 2010 requires us to deliver on the Public Sector Equality Duty. SFC adheres to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Scotland-specific advice and guidance.

To help us advance equality and diversity, we work closely with the Equality Unit and Sponsorship Teams in the Scottish Government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and other partners in the Non-departmental Public Bodies Equality Forum to strengthen our approach.

Through this MoU, SFC and EHRC will establish National Equality Outcomes (NEOs) for the tertiary education sector and support Scotland’s colleges and universities to meet the requirements and achieve the aspirations of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

• SFC/EHRC Memorandum of Understanding [PDF]
• SFC/EHRC Memorandum of Understanding Annex 1: Joint action plan [PDF]
• SFC/EHRC Memorandum of Understanding Annex 2: Information sharing arrangements [PDF]

If you wish to make a complaint about a college or university you should use the college or university’s own complaints procedure in the first instance.

Complaints which cannot be resolved using procedures available within the college or university can be taken to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

Each year, SFC reports on its carbon emissions, in line with the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties, which require all public bodies to report on carbon emissions, targets and climate adaptation.

Our most recent report is available to read on the Sustainable Scotland Network website.