Posts created in Manx Care

Summary

The requester asked for the number and cost of non-clinical posts graded HEO and above created in Manx Care since its inception, specifically focusing on PSC terms at Noble's Hospital. The Cabinet Office disclosed data on new position reference numbers and FTE changes between April 2021 and October 2024 but noted it could not distinguish between genuinely new posts and amendments to existing roles.

Key Facts

• The Cabinet Office cannot distinguish between new posts created for increased work and amendments to existing posts in their HR system.
• Data was limited to Manx Care posts on Public Services Commission (PSC) terms in Pay Band 14 and above.
• Integrated Social Care posts were excluded from the response.
• The response covers the period from 01 April 2021 to 31 October 2024.
• Vacant roles are excluded from the total cost calculation as no salary is agreed upon.

Data Disclosed

• 68 new position reference numbers identified
• 53.3 FTE on 01 April 2021
• 107.5 FTE on 31 October 2024
• 54.2 FTE difference
• 10 vacant posts as of 31 October 2024
• 6 posts in Open Structure 7
• 0 Open Grade 6 posts

Original Request

I would like to request information from the Office of Human Resources as to how many non-clinical posts graded HEO and above, have been created in Manx Care since its inception. I would like to know what the cost per year of these posts is and how many are on open grade pay scales. Thank you for your email and response to my FOI request. To clarify my question regarding 'non-clinical' posts, I wish to identify the number and cost of posts created that are not working in direct patient facing healthcare professional roles, such as healthcare assistants, nurses, allied health professionals and doctors. Not staff that would be on MPTC pay terms and conditions for example. My query pertains to those only on PSC Pay terms and conditions, in pay bands 14 and above, working for Manx Care at Noble's Hospital. I can further narrow the scope of this request down to only those on substantive contracts. New posts or amendment of existing posts within the requested period (since Manx Care's formation) may both be included. I hope this helps

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

1

Government Office Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PN Telephone: (+44) 01624 686244
Website: www.gov.im/co

Our ref: 4187045 03 December 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 10 October 2024, which states:

"I would like to request information from the Office of Human Resources as to how many non-clinical posts graded HEO and above, have been created in Manx Care since its inception.

I would like to know what the cost per year of these posts is and how many are on open grade pay scales.”

We wrote to you on 29th October 2024 requesting further clarification: we asked if you could clarify what you mean by the term 'non-clinical post'? We advised that the Office of Human Resources (OHR) has advised that in respect of the creation of posts, new roles can be created in OHR's system for a number of reasons. Some examples of this could be; to accommodate new work projects, replace an existing position with another on different terms and conditions of employment hours or grade, to provide cover for a post holder on parental leave or long term absence or to enable an overlapping appointment to provide continuity of service. OHR has advised that there is no clear way to distinguish between the creation of a totally new post and the amendment to existing posts as exampled above.

You responded on 4th November 2024 as follows:

“To clarify my question regarding 'non-clinical' posts, I wish to identify the number and cost of posts created that are not working in direct patient facing healthcare professional roles, such as healthcare assistants, nurses, allied health professionals and doctors. Not staff that would be on MPTC pay terms and conditions for example.

My query pertains to those only on PSC Pay terms and conditions, in pay bands 14 and above, working for Manx Care at Noble's Hospital.

I can further narrow the scope of this request down to only those on substantive contracts. New posts or amendment of existing posts within the requested period (since Manx Care's formation) may both be included.”

2 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Cabinet Office does not hold some of the information that you have requested. New roles can be created or shown as position reference numbers new to an area in OHR's system for many reasons.

Some examples of where a role may show in our data but not be a newly created role could be because of the following:

• the transfer of posts into Manx Care from another part of IOM Government or external providers
• replacement of an existing position with another on different terms and conditions of employment hours or grade
• to provide cover for a post holder on parental leave or long-term absence
• where someone is leaving, and a new appointee starts before they have left to have a handover period

OHR captures no data to distinguish between creating a new post for increased or new work and a new role created due to amendments to existing posts or other changes, as outlined above.

As the information has been gathered by capturing the position references that existed on 31 October 2024 and didn’t exist on 01 April 2021, it may also be that posts between these two points in time have been created and subsequently closed.

To answer the request, we have limited the results to Manx Care posts on Public Services Commission (PSC) terms for grades found in Pay Band 14 and above. The question asks to limit to Nobles only; whilst the system does not capture work location for all roles to help focus the results, any post in Integrated Social Care has been excluded from the response.

I have detailed below the information that is held:

• For PSC posts at band 14 and above, 68 new position reference numbers have been identified between the data as of 01 April 2021 and 31 October 2024.

• The number of PSC posts at band 14 and above, on 01 April 2021 was 53.3 FTE and the number on 31 October 2024 was 107.5. A difference of 54.2 FTE.

• As of 31 October 2024, 10 are currently vacant.

• Of the positions identified, 6 are in the grade Open Structure 7. There were no Open Grade 6 posts.

The total pro-rata salary for the filled roles has been provided to show the cost per year. Vacant roles do not have a salary agreed upon and are excluded. Any additional costs that may be associated with the role are also excluded. The total cost for these roles is £3,520,665.46 per year.

When the Cabinet Office consulted Manx Care about the release of the information requested, as it is obliged to do under the Code of Practice on Freedom of Information 3 when third party information is requested, Manx Care advised that, as the Cabinet Office has stated, this data does not accurately reflect newly created roles to be filled by additional staff in this period but will include transfers and changes resulting in new position references in the data. In order to provide advice and assistance we would suggest that you may wish to submit a further Freedom of information request to Manx Care.

In addition, Cabinet Office and Manx Care recently answered a Tynwald question
(W-202401-1022), viewable here: https://www.tynwald.org.im/spfile?file=/business/BusinessHansardIndex2126/W- 202401-1022.pdf and a subsequent Tynwald question (W-202401-1074), viewable here: https://www.tynwald.org.im/spfile?file=/business/BusinessHansardIndex2126/W- 202401-1074.pdf regarding the headcount movement in Manx Care since its inception which provided a breakdown of all new roles created since April 2021. Of these posts, the majority are not staff on PSC terms and conditions or are lower than HEO Grade. Manx Care have identified the following six staff fall within the remit of your question (PSC roles above SEO level):

• Cost Improvement Programme Manager • MCALS Lead • Head of Information Governance • Head of Performance & Improvement • Head of Risk & Compliance • Health & Safety Advisor

The remit of all of the above posts is across all of Manx Care, not just Noble’s Hospital. As these are all individual posts, it would be inappropriate to share individual salary costs. However, the total annual cost for all of the above posts is £509,113.

From a budgetary perspective, roles are allocated funding from April 1st of each year so there wouldn’t be any new roles created in after this time.

Please quote the reference number 4187045 in any future communications.

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.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. 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.

4 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 2015; 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. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.