Universal Access to Information day: Building trust through transparency
25 September 2026
The International Day for Universal Access to Information takes place on Monday 28 September 2026, promoting the right of every person to access information held by public bodies, and highlighting the laws and practices that facilitate transparency and accountability.
To mark the day, we’re focusing on the importance of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and why public bodies should embrace the Act beyond simply legal compliance.
Freedom of Information
For a lot of us working in the public sector the FOIA can conjure mixed emotions. Whilst it is evident that transparency and accountability are cornerstones of public service, there is no denying that it also has the capacity to place a strain on already stretched resources and evoke an understandable reluctance to open ourselves up to public scrutiny.
Much of how we perceive the burden of FOI is underpinned by how we actually manage information within the organisation in the first instance. An effective records management framework is key as this will inevitably ensure that information is more readily available, searchable and retrievable. Equally, a proactive approach to publishing certain types of information will also reduce the burden of having to respond to requests, allowing us to quickly signpost applicants and close down them down. Both of these measures take time and effort to implement; however, the efficiencies it can bring to the FOI process are not to be underestimated. It will require buy in from senior leadership and an emphasis on promoting a positive culture of FOI within the organisation; effective training for staff involved in handling requests, monitoring of response timescales and a low tolerance for late responses.
The benefits of embracing a strong culture of FOI include:
Enhancing transparency
- Helping the public and service users understand how and why decisions are being made
Increasing accountability
- Although inviting public discourse and scrutiny can feel uncomfortable, it demonstrates integrity and a willingness to engage with stakeholders
Reputational protection
- Responding appropriately to FOIs demonstrates that as an organisation you prioritise compliance and professionalism. It also allows organisations to ensure that information being released into public discourse is accurate, which can help address incorrect narratives and misinformation
Getting FOI ‘right’ is not always a quick or easy fix; it requires time, effort and resources to implement. We are also in a period where emerging technologies and AI play a role in how this is managed. This can bring many efficiencies such as speeding up and automating processes, however optimising the benefits of these new tools is very much underpinned by having a solid records management framework which you can build from. Advancement in AI has also created some challenges for practitioners, as FOIs generated by these tools can be more voluminous and complex.
As a team of qualified practitioners, Veritau’s access team is available and ready to help you with your FOI and other information access requirements. To get in touch please contact us at [email protected].
Meet Veritau’s information access team
Name:
Dani Mistry
Role:
Senior Information Governance Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me is fast‑paced, working three days means I pack in a huge amount which I enjoy. I advise and support access officers on complex cases, while managing a noticeable increase in AI‑generated FOI/EIR requests. I’m also developing practical guidance that strengthens the whole team and meeting with clients to ensure they’re genuinely pleased with the service they have invested in. Alongside all of this, I supervise five staff, checking in throughout the day to keep workloads on track and ensure we meet our statutory deadlines on all our requests
What do you like the most about your role?
I thrive on the variety of work this role brings every day. I love sharing my knowledge and experience, supporting access officers with confidence, and creating guidance that helps the whole team work smarter and but also look at what we need to do to improve how we work. The Access team’s collective spirit is something I really value, we all play a part in supporting each other. I also enjoy the client‑facing side of my role, making sure people feel genuinely supported and satisfied with the service they receive. I’m a people person at heart, and that part of the role really energises me
What is the most interesting or unusual FOI you have dealt with?
In 2010 request was received asking how many aliens had landed in Bradford Centenary Square, how many had left, and how many had stayed. The Council responded by confirming that, after searching its records, it did not hold any information relating to this query.
I remember this request clearly because at that same time Leicester City Council received a FOI request about a zombie attack which became the headline news on the BBC.
Name:
Sophie Mitchell
Role:
Information Access Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
As an Information Access Officer, my days usually consist of advising on Freedom of Information and Subject Access Requests. Throughout the day, I am communicating with service areas and applicants, checking drafts, making redactions, and attending meetings. I can get emails asking for urgent updates or chasers.
In the afternoon, sometimes I log incoming requests. This is an important job as both FOIs and SARs have strict deadlines that need to be adhered to, so we cannot delay in processing these requests.
What do you like the most about your role?
I find FOI interesting because of the wide and varied topics that we come across, that we wouldn’t otherwise know our clients deal with. Every case is different which means you are always learning more about the legislation and reading case studies and decision notices.
What is the most interesting or unusual FOI you have dealt with?
Some of requests I find the most interesting are the ones regarding animal licensing, one request about ‘Dangerous Wild Animal licences’ in North Yorkshire showed that there were currently licenses for 4 monkeys, and someone with 10 crocodiles.
Name:
Emily Sangwin
Role:
Information Access Officer
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day starts with checking my emails to see what has come in overnight. I will spend time reviewing drafts and communicating with clients to answer queries and move requests along. The end of the day involves dealing with any new requests that have been assigned to me and liaising with our client contacts to inform them.
What do you like the most about your role?
I like being able to assist clients with something that is a challenge, generally it is an extra task that they have to complete on top of their normal job. Being able to make it as smooth as possible is rewarding when you know you have helped them.
What is the most interesting or unusual FOI you have dealt with?
I remember an applicant requesting what contingency plans a council client had in place for dealing with a zombie apocalypse or alien invasion. It was a serious request that we had to answer but certainly not one we come across often.
Find out more
To find out more about more about our information governance services, please click here.
