DHSC staffing

Summary

The request sought detailed staffing numbers, turnover, sickness data, and agency spending for the Isle of Man Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) from 2021 to 2024. The authority provided full staffing headcounts and agency expenditure data but refused the request for the original pre-2021 headcount agreement, citing that the information was not held.

Key Facts

• DHSC was redesigned on 01 April 2021 following Sir Jonathan Michael's Independent Review.
• No confirmed original headcount was agreed for DHSC prior to 01 April 2021.
• Total spending on agency staff, contractors, and consultants reached over £5.5 million between 2021 and 2025.
• Staffing data was provided for specific dates in 2022, 2023, and 2024, excluding the Health and Care Transformation Team.
• The request for original headcount was refused under Section 11(3)a of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 as the information was not held.

Data Disclosed

• 01/04/2021
• 01/04/2022
• 01/04/2023
• 01/04/2024
• £5,530,949.84
• £3,780,073.79
• 34 headcount (01/04/2022)
• 39 headcount (01/04/2023)
• 38 headcount (01/04/2024)
• Section 11(3)a
• Section 15

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)a of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Information not held)

Original Request

1. How many staff were there in each pay band and scale for all schemes in DHSC on: 01/04/2021 01/04/2022 01/04/2023 01/04/2024 (not including Health and Care Transformation Team that moved from Cabinet Office in 2023) 2. What was the original headcount agreed for DHSC prior to 01/04/2021? 3. What is the total number of staff that left DHSC for each of the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024 to today (not including leavers from Health & Care Transformation). By 'left' I mean for any reason e.g. moved to another department, left government, end of contract, retired etc 4. How many days sickness has there been for each of the above financial years in DHSC not including Health and Care Transformation? 5. How many people have left Health & Care Transformation since October 2023 to date using the same definitions as above? 6. How much has been spent in each financial year since 01/04/02021 on agency staff and contractors, consultants or experts at DHSC?

Data Tables (5)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Request #4232049 Doc 01 01/04/2024 01/04/2022 Grade (PSC) Headcount (inc. Casual) Total FTE Grade (PSC) Headcount (inc. Casual) Total FTE AO 1 1 AO 2 2 D 500 7 5 D 500 7 5 D 506 1 1 D 506 1 1 D 507 1 1 D 507 1 1 D 600 1 1 EO 4 4 EO 2 2 HEO 9 8.61 HEO HTNSP 1 1 JESP 9-13 3 3 JESP 9-13 3 3 OS7 3 3 OS7 1 1 Personal Secretary 1 1 Personal Secretary 1 1 SEO 2 2 SEO 1 1 Contract (other) 1 0 Contract (other) 5 5 Total 34 30.61 Total 25 23 01/04/2023 01/04/2024 Grade (PSC) Headcount (inc. Casual) Total FTE Grade (PSC) Headcount (inc. Casual) Total FTE AO 2 2 AO 1 1 D 500 6 5 D 500 8 6 D 504 1 1 D 504 1 1 EO 5 4.95 EO 4 3.95 HEO 9 9 HEO 9 8.54 JESP 9-13 3 3 JESP 9-13 3 3 OS6 1 1 OS6 1 1 OS7 5 5 OS7 4 3.81 SEO 1 1 SEO 1 1 Contract (other) 6 0 Contract (other) 6 0.4 Total 39 31.95 Total 38 29.7

Freedom of Information Request #4232049, Document 02

Doc 03 - Answer to question 6. (4232049) Type 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Total Agency - Staff/Consultant £7,965.71 £47,322.97 £33,165.80 £11,879.57 £100,334.05 Expert/Consultant - Legal £154,676.09 £846,963.01 £3,522,333.05 £10,044.64 £4,534,016.79 Expert/Consultant - Doctor £12,810.00 £83,190.09 £1,626.19 £46,208.91 £143,835.19 Expert/Consultant - EQR £0.00 £9,500.00 £222,948.75 £130,563.91 £363,012.66 Expert/Consultant - Financial £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £22,100.00 £22,100.00 Expert/Consultant - Nursing £29,994.21 £0.00 £0.00 £337,656.94 £367,651.15 TOTAL(S) £205,446.01 £986,976.07 £3,780,073.79 £558,453.97 £5,530,949.84

Chief Officer: Paul Richardson Freedom of Information Team First Floor Belgravia House Circular Road Douglas IM1 1AE

Our ref: 4232049 28 November 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 1 November 2024, which states:

"1. How many staff were there in each pay band and scale for all schemes in DHSC on:

01/04/2021 01/04/2022 01/04/2023 01/04/2024 (not including Health and Care Transformation Team that moved from Cabinet Office in 2023)

1. What was the original headcount agreed for DHSC prior to 01/04/2021?

2. What is the total number of staff that left DHSC for each of the financial years 2021- 22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024 to today (not including leavers from Health & Care Transformation). By 'left' I mean for any reason e.g. moved to another department, left government, end of contract, retired etc

3. How many days sickness has there been for each of the above financial years in DHSC not including Health and Care Transformation?

4. How many people have left Health & Care Transformation since October 2023 to date using the same definitions as above?

5. How much has been spent in each financial year since 01/04/02021 on agency staff and contractors, consultants or experts at DHSC?"

The Department of Health & Social Care (the Department) have provided the following answers with regards to the individual questions asked.

1. The Department would like to direct you to the attached document titled Doc 01 where the information you have requested has been provided.

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department is unable to provide the information that you have requested. This is in line with Section 11(3)a of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (the Act), as a practical

refusal reason applies; namely we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested.

Under Section 15 of the Act (Duty to provide advice and assistance), the Department redesigned on 01 April 2021 as a direct result of Sir Jonathan Michael’s Independent Review of the Isle of Man Health and Care System. As part of the redesign, there was no confirmed original headcount agreed for the Department – please refer to the information supplied in Doc 01 for confirmation of the Department’s headcount as at 01 April 2021.

1. The Department would like to direct you to the attached document titled Doc 02 where the information you have requested has been provided. Where “Leaving Type” states, “Left Organisation”, this is where someone has left the Department as a result of leaving the Isle of Man Government (the Government) as a whole, whether that is from retirement, resignation or end of a contract. Where “Leaving Type” states, “Left Department”, this is where someone has left the Department as a result of directly transferring positions from the Department to another Department, Board or Office of the Government or where they have left all their positions within the Department (whilst maintaining an existing position within another Department, Board or Office of the Government). As with our response to Question 1, we have included headcount and FTE. For the period starting 01/04/2024, we are only able to provide information up to 30/09/2024. The information does not include those leaving the Department as a result of their position being moved to a different Department, Board or Office of the Government.

2. The Department would like to direct you to the information below where a breakdown of days absent for each financial year up to 31 March 2024 and from 01 April 2024 to 30 September 2024.

Due to the functionality of the reporting system used, we are currently unable to provide information beyond September 2024.

01/04/2021-31/03/2022 379 01/04/2022-31/03/2023 418.5 01/04/2023-31/03/2024 363 01/04/2024-30/09/2024 327.5

1. The Department can confirm that between 01 October 2023 and 30 September 2024, there have been two leavers reported from the Transformation Team. During this period, one person has left at the completion of a Limited Term Contract and a second has left through resignation.

2. The Department would like to direct you to the attached document titled Doc 3 where the information you have requested has been provided.

To provide advice and assistance, the Department has funded Subject Matter Expert consultation to the various independent bodies and boards that sit under its umbrella where these bodies and boards have required such assistance. Those bodies and boards are available here.

Please quote the reference number 4232049 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.

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.