Access to information

If you request your own personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 or Data Protection Act 2018, this request is known as a ‘Subject Access Request’ or a ‘SAR’. If you would like to make a SAR relating to personal data held in respect of any services provided by Skills Development Scotland you should fill in a SAR Form.

If you cannot access the form online you can:

Write to:
Data Protection Officer, Skills Development Scotland, Monteith House, 11 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DY

Email the Data Protection Officer at SDS DPO@sds.co.uk

What we may need from you

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.

Time limit to respond

We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of your other rights set out here).

However, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) gives you the right to ask for information we hold. The Act states that if you ask for information your request must be in a format which can be used for reference or kept for future use - usually in writing or by email, stating your full name and email address or postal address for correspondence.

For full details on how we handle Freedom of Information requests please read our Freedom of Information Policy. If you would like to request information you can:

Email: foi@sds.co.uk

Write to:
Corporate Affairs
Skills Development Scotland
Monteith House
11 George Square
Glasgow
G2 1DY

You can also contact us if you have any questions about how to access the information we publish, or if you would like advice on how to ask for information that we do not publish. You can find out more about your right to access information and on how to make your request on the Scottish Information Commissioner website.

Scottish public authorities are also required to produce and maintain a publication scheme.  Authorities are under a legal obligation to:

• Publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
• Tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost.

Skills Development Scotland has adopted the Model Publication Scheme (updated March 2021) produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Access our Guide to Information available through our Publication Scheme.

We can refuse to provide you with information if we estimate it will cost us over £600 to find and supply it. If this happens we will, wherever possible, try to provide what we can up to the £600 limit rather than refusing the request outright.

Environmental information is governed by separate regulations, known as the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs). We will only treat such requests differently when the regulations require us to do so. Please note our charging schedule for environmental information.

EIR requests can be made by contacting foi@sds.co.uk

If we withhold information we will tell you why and give you details of how to request a review of our decision by our Corporate Office.

If following any review you remain dissatisfied with our response, you are entitled to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. Such an application should be sent to the following address:

Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Tel: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611

Email: enquiries@itspublicknowledge.info

For context, our latest annual report and accounts details our contribution towards sustainable economic growth.  It also outlines the steps we took in 2022/23 to improve efficiency, effectiveness and economy and includes disclosures on our efficiency savings.

Our financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March.

Read our Annual Report and Financial Statements for year ended 31 March 2023

Statement of Expenditure 2022/23

• Payments in excess of £25,000 in 2022-23
  • National Training Programmes
  • Non-National Training Programmes
• Public Relations * - 1,490,485.31
• Overseas Travel - £172
• Hospitality & Entertainment - £796
• External Consultancy - £2,669,903

 Statement of Expenditure 2021/22

• Payments in excess of £25,000 in 2021/22
  • National Training Programmes
  • Non-National Training Programmes
• Public Relations * - £2,541,662.70
• Overseas Travel - Nil
• Hospitality & Entertainment - £1,200
• External Consultancy - £3,349,487

 Statement of Expenditure 2020/21

• Payments in excess of £25,000 in 2020/21
  • National Training Programmes
  • Non-National Training Programmes
• Public Relations * - £2,713,643.72
• Overseas Travel - £2,083
• Hospitality & Entertainment - Nil
• External Consultancy - £2,555,120

*In line with Scottish Government guidance, Public Relations costs include all external communications and marketing expenditure, including the cost of in-house and contracted staff.