Assistant Assurance Officer

Schools’ Choice; Walsall; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Schools’ Choice is seeking an Assistant Assurance Officer on a hybrid basis, with 3 days per week on-site. The role supports a busy team handling SARs and FOI requests, ensuring compliant disclosures and timely responses under information governance standards.

The ideal candidate has solid FOI/SAR experience, strong knowledge of data protection legislation, meticulous record-keeping, and the ability to manage competing deadlines in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Experience handling Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
• Strong understanding of Data Protection legislation, including Subject Access Requests (SARs).
• Experience reviewing, redacting, and preparing sensitive information for disclosure.
• Knowledge of applying exemptions under FOI and data protection legislation.

Responsibilities

• Review records and documentation in response to SAR and FOI requests.
• Apply appropriate exemptions and redactions in line with legislation and organisational policies.
• Prepare records for quality assurance checks prior to disclosure.
• Assist with reducing and clearing backlogs of information requests.
• Manage and respond to Freedom of Information requests within statutory timescales.
• Ensure all responses comply with relevant data protection and information governance requirements.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders to gather and review information required for disclosures.
• Maintain accurate records and audit trails throughout the request handling process.

Skills

FOI requests

SARs handling

Data protection

Information governance

Backlog management

Attention to detail

Job description

Assistant Assurance OfficerLocation: Hybrid Working (3 days per week on-site) Contract: 2 Months Rate: £21.78 PAYE or £30.00 Umbrella per hour IR35 Status: Inside IR35OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Assistant Assurance Officer to support a busy team in managing a backlog of Subject Access Requests (SARs) and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate with a strong understanding of data protection legislation, FOI processes, and information governance who can hit the ground running and contribute immediately to service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Review records and documentation in response to SAR and FOI requests.
• Apply appropriate exemptions and redactions in line with legislation and organisational policies.
• Prepare records for quality assurance checks prior to disclosure.
• Assist with reducing and clearing backlogs of information requests.
• Manage and respond to Freedom of Information requests within statutory timescales.
• Ensure all responses comply with relevant data protection and information governance requirements.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders to gather and review information required for disclosures.
• Maintain accurate records and audit trails throughout the request handling process.

Essential Requirements

• Previous experience handling Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
• Strong understanding of Data Protection legislation, including Subject Access Requests (SARs).
• Experience reviewing, redacting, and preparing sensitive information for disclosure.
• Knowledge of applying exemptions under FOI and data protection legislation.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to work with confidential information.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.

Desirable

• Experience working within a public sector or regulated environment.
• Background in information governance, compliance, assurance, or records management.