Special Briefly June 12 2007
Freedom of Information and Privacy and Confidentiality
As local government becomes more transparent and accountable there is an increasing need for all council staff to be aware of the Council’s obligations regarding access to the Council’s documents and information, privacy and confidentiality.
Freedom of information is an issue which impacts on the whole organisation and therefore it is important that all staff have an understanding of how it affects the Council and what role they may have in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act 1991. Norman Waterhouse recently presented a seminar at the Local Government Association for FOI officers and the feedback from that session highlighted the need for all staff to appreciate and understand the Council’s responsibilities with respect to freedom of information.
In addition issues surrounding privacy and confidentiality are often misunderstood which can lead to inconsistent and inaccurate information being provided to the public. The way in which FOI, privacy and confidentiality interact is a fundamental aspect of open and effective government and the need for these issues to be understood can not be emphasised enough.
At Norman Waterhouse we have a number of solicitors who have undertaken the FOI accredited training course and we frequently assist councils with FOI applications and privacy and confidentiality queries as well as providing training sessions.
We are pleased to offer the Council tailored training sessions for all council staff in the areas of FOI, privacy and confidentiality. Such sessions are usually targeted towards records management and IT Staff, staff involved in tenders and contract negotiations, planning staff and senior management. The aim of the sessions is to provide staff with an understanding of the broad parameters of the Freedom of Information Act, as well as privacy and confidentiality to assist staff with record keeping, dealing with enquiries from the public and understanding what records may be accessed and what kind of access is warranted in the circumstances
The sessions typically run for half a day at a cost of $1,800.00 (+ disbursements and GST) per session however we can tailor a session to suit your requirements and budget.
If you would like more information regarding the type of sessions Norman Waterhouse can provide the Council please contact Felice D’Agostino or Rina Reina to discuss a tailored information session to meet your needs.
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Norman Waterhouse
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