Open Information Policy

1. Scope and responsibilities

1.1. This policy sets out the information that the Margaret Pyke Trust (the “Trust”) will make publically available, both through our website and on request. It also sets out information that is excluded from this policy, and how to appeal decisions relating to some types of exclusions. It is informed by best practice within the UK international development sector and existing legislation in the UK, where the Trust is a registered charity. This includes:

  • The Freedom of Information Act;
  • Charities Regulation Act;
  • Data Protection Act;
  • UK Aid Transparency Guarantee; and
  • International Aid Transparency Initiative.

 
1.2. Overall accountability for the implementation of this policy lies with the Chief Executive. Compliance with this policy is the responsibility of all staff.

 

2. How to make a request for information

2.1. To request information that is referred to in this policy, but where links are not provided, please use the contact information on our website at margaretpyke.org or by using a means of contact provided below.

2.2. We aim to respond initially within 5 working days of receipt of your request.

Postal address:
The Margaret Pyke Trust
Archway Centre
681-689 Holloway Road
London
N19 5SE
United Kingdom

2.3. If you would like to appeal any response where the information you have requested is subject to exclusions, please contact our Chief Executive: david@margaretpyke.org

 

3. The Trust’s commitment and transparency

3.1. Transparency lies at the core of our accountability towards our staff and our supporters. It refers to our openness and honesty in sharing information about our activities, our performance and learning as an organisation, our governance and decision making processes and our financial arrangements.

3.2. Transparency has both internal and external aspects. The Trust’s Trustees, management and staff need to be sure they will be informed in a timely way of important information that could affect their work. If external stakeholders are to have confidence in us, they need to be sure that the Trust will share timely, relevant information to enable them to make informed decisions about the Trust’s work.

3.3. We will make information available in order to increase our transparency to our key stakeholders and to enhance our own effectiveness in achieving our mission. We will model best practice to others, including those we support to increase their own transparency.

3.4. This Open Information Policy sets out the Trust’s approach to information sharing on the basis of a preference for openness unless there are valid reasons for withholding information (see the Exclusions section of this policy). By adopting this approach, we enable our stakeholders to assess how we have made decisions, how we have managed our finances, how effective our programmes have been and how we learn from the challenges we face.

 

4. Who are we transparent towards?

4.1. The Trust’s key stakeholders in terms of transparency are our Trustees, staff and volunteers, our supporters including donors and partners, and our clients (i.e. the clinicians we train, and the organisations for which we develop training courses). We also consider a key stakeholder group to be the people and communities in the developing countries who are engaged with the activities of our international work.

4.2. In addition, we also have a responsibility to ensure we communicate information that is in the public interest in relation to sources of funding that originate from public money and our registered charity status.

 

5. What information is shared under this policy?

The following is not a definitive list but indicates the status of the most common types of information that is shared by organisations within the development and charity sectors. The Trust may also share information not included on this list via our website www.margaretpyke.org.

Type of Information Currently available Exclusion categories that may apply
Mission, vision, values

 

 https://margaretpyke.org/about/overview/ None
Charity Commission number 1064672 None
Articles of association Company number is  03438741 and you can download our Articles on the Companies House website None
Board of Trustees

 

 

 https://margaretpyke.org/about/patron-trustees/ None
Minutes of Board meetings

 

 Application for review can be made. The Trust provides training to clinicians and has commercial competitors. Disclosure of board minutes could assist the Trust’s commercial competitors and therefore disclosure is subject to a review of the minutes and whether their disclosure could disadvantage the Trust.
Annual General Meeting processes, Standing Orders

 

 Application for review can be made. The Trust provides training to clinicians and has commercial competitors. Disclosure of board minutes could assist the Trust’s commercial competitors and therefore disclosure is subject to a review of the minutes and whether their disclosure could disadvantage the Trust.
Staff – people and roles in decision making process

 

 https://margaretpyke.org/about/staff/ None
Trust policies (existing polices include: Anti-bribery, corruption and fraud; Complaints; Conflicts of interest; Data protection; Disciplinary and capability; Diversity equity & inclusion; Equal opportunities; Financial management; Grievance; Health & safety; IT and communications systems; Modern slavery; Open information; Procurement; Reserves; Risk management; Safeguarding; Sustainability; and Whistleblowing). Application for review can be made, and the Trust will judge each application on its merits.
Accounts https://margaretpyke.org/about/accounts/ None
Annual summary of progress against our charitable objectives and strategy. See Annual Report. None
Summary of annual objectives published at the start of each financial year. The Trust does not publish its annual objectives due to the small size of the Trust and administrative burden of creating additional publications.
Regular summary of progress against objectives. See Annual Report. None

 

6. Freedom of Information

As a charity, the Trust is not a public body and therefore is not subject to the UK’s Freedom of Information Act 2000.  However, the Trust is committed to working to increase the openness and availability of the information listed in this policy.

 

7. Progressive publication

The Trust is committed to supporting Trustees, staff and volunteers to value transparency and open information and to ensuring that we have cost-efficient systems in place to make information available, including an improved website. However, this will take time. Therefore the Trust will follow a path of progressive publication, publishing what we can now and committing to publishing additional information in the future.

 

8. Circumstances under which we may be unable to provide information

If you request information from us, we may not be able to provide you will all the information you require. If all or part of the information you have requested falls under one of the following categories, we will write and let you know the reason we will not share it. You have the opportunity to appeal this decision (see 2.3 above).

  • Ownership of the data: You may ask us to disclose information about a partner organisation that is not our right to disclose. This is outside of the scope of this policy and we will ask you to contact the organisation directly. This decision is not subject to appeal;
  • Privacy: Where disclosure would breach data protection legislation or an individuals’ right to privacy. For example, we will not share the personal details of our staff, volunteers or individual supporters. This decision is not subject to appeal;
  • Confidentiality: The information is confidential on legal, business or contractual grounds. This decision is not subject to appeal. Where the Trust has grants that fall within this exclusion category, we are committed to working with our funders to move towards allowing us to share information with our stakeholders;
  • Intellectual Property Rights: If the IPR for a piece of work belongs to someone else and we cannot give permission for its use. This decision is not subject to appeal;
  • Security: The disclosure of information may present a risk to the safety and security of staff and operations, either for the Trust or other organisations;
  • Cost: The financial or time cost of disclosing the information would be unreasonably high. The Trust is a small organisation and we need to balance our commitment to transparency with our delivery of results, especially where it involves public or member funds;
  • Status: The information is in draft state for staff review only, is an internal communication or an internal administrative or management document;
  • Vexatious, offensive or unreasonable requests: We may decline to correspond if a person deliberately behaves in an offensive or abusive manner, aims to obtain information by deceit (for example by using false contact details or other misrepresentation) or otherwise engages in unreasonable conduct; and
  • Historical information: If the information requested is historical, it may be difficult and costly for the Trust to obtain archived material.

 

9. Copyright and legal information about this policy

This policy is for information only, and therefore is not a binding contract and does not confer legal rights on any person.