FOI Team

Summary

The requester asked four questions regarding the staffing, responsibilities, and records management duties of the Department of Health and Social Care's Freedom of Information team. The department disclosed that two staff members act as FOI Co-ordinators within the broader Information Governance Team, which shares responsibilities with a separate Records Management Team for patient data.

Key Facts

• There are two staff members responsible for managing FOI requests, known as 'FOI Co-ordinators'.
• The FOI Co-ordinators are part of the Department Information Governance Team, not a standalone FOI area.
• The Information Governance Team focuses on data protection, confidentiality, information security, and corporate information.
• A separate Records Management Team handles the management of all patient and service user records.
• The Information Governance Manager ensures compliance with records retention schedules.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-09-01
• 2017-09-29
• 20 September 2017
• 01 September 2017
• two members of staff
• IM-1011194I
• 01624 642621
• IM1 3QA

Original Request

FOI Team!

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Health and Social Care

Rheynn Slaynt as Kiarail y Theay

Page 1 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01/PE

Chief Executive: Malcolm Couch

Freedom of Information Team Department of Health & Social Care Chief Executive’s Office Crookall House Demesne Road Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 3QA Tel: Email: Website: Date: FOI Reference: (01624) 642621 foi.dhsc@gov.im www.gov.im/dhsc 20 September 2017 IM-1011194I

Dear

REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2015 (“the Act”) Thank you for your request to the Department of Health and Social Care, dated 01 September 2017 Your request You asked the following:

“All most 70 questions have now been answered by DHSC and the time that obviously goes into them is a lot:”

Question 01: “How many staff are on your Freedom of Information Act Area for DHSC?” Question 02: “Are the area just to deal with FOIA requests in DHSC?” Question 03: “If not........What other responsibilities do the FOI Area have in DHSC?” Question 04: “Do the FOIA Area Team also have responsibility for records management? ...... and for medical records?” Response to your request We are pleased to be able to provide a response to your request with answers to your questions: Question 01: How many staff are on your Freedom of Information Act Area for DHSC? In response to Question 01, There are two members of staff who are responsible for the overall management of any Freedom of Information requests submitted to the Department, these two members of staff are known as ‘FOI Co-ordinators’, once a request is received by the Department, it is the role of the FOI Co-ordinator to establish if the

Page 2 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01/PE request is valid, once established, the request is forwarded to the specific service area in question to answer. Question 02: Are the area just to deal with FOIA requests in DHSC? Please find the Department’s response to Question 02 No, the two FOI Co-ordinators form part of the Department Information Governance Team, full details of the role of Information Governance may be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/health-and-social-care/records- and-information-governance/ Question 03: If not, what other responsibilities do the FOI Area have in DHSC? Please find the Department’s response to Question 03 As per Question 2 Question 04: Do the FOIA Area Team also have responsibility for records management? And for medical records? The Information Governance Manager is responsible ensuring the Department compliance to applying the correct records retention schedule to a particular type of record. Different records standards and rules are so varied and complex, the Information and Records Management Team split up their work. The Information Governance Team focus on data protection and confidentiality, information security, information quality, and corporate information; the Records Management Team focus on the management of all the patient and service user records for the entire Department. The work between each team overlaps and they often work together to provide advice and practical support to our colleagues in and out of the Department, as well as fulfilling our responsibilities to Tynwald, Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner, but most importantly, ensuring that patient/service user information is held securely and for the correct amount of time.
To provide further advice and assistance, the Cabinet Office, Freedom of Information Team, populate a wealth of Freedom of Information resources within the public domain, accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/freedom-of- information-responses/#menu Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your Freedom of Information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post to the FOI Co-ordinator, Department of Health & Social Care, Chief Executive’s Officer, Crookall House, Demesne Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 3QA. An electronic version and paper version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website www.gov.im/about-the-government/freedom-of-information/how-to- make-a-freedom-of-information-request/ .

Page 3 of 3 FOIA/DHSC/rvsd/01/PE Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on:

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
   In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.
   Further information about Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at: www.inforights.im/information-centre/freedom-of-information. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours Sincerely

Freedom of Information Team Department of Health and Social Care