Speak up Guardian appointment (FOI)

Request

In the response to a recent Freedom of Information request concerning the appointment of the Speak Up Guardian for Health and Community Services, it was stated that the process was:

"An Expression of Interest for a six-month secondment opportunity was sent out to registered health and social care professional Health and Community Services (HCS) staff. Applications required a current CV and covering letter. All applicants were shortlisted and invited to the assessment process. The assessment process involved a focus group panel and an interview panel. In addition, interviewees were required to deliver a 10-minute presentation. 

An advertisement using Government of Jersey and National Health Service platforms inviting applications for the permanent Freedom to Speak Up Guardian post will commence in early January 2023"

Could you please advise:

A

Who constituted the focus group panel? (Names and roles please)

B

In Hansard from the quarterly scrutiny meeting with HCS, The Minister for Health states that "I think it is also, just on that point, what I had asked officers to do was to make sure that staff themselves had a view and a say in what they wanted from the speak-up guardian. I think that is important. This is not being done to them but there has been a discussion and involvement of staff in that process."

Please provide a copy of the email which was sent to all staff asking them this question and the date on which it was sent? 

C

Who was responsible for sending that message as requested by the Minister?

D

If for any reason, no such message was sent to staff, who made the decision that this should not happen?

E

On whose authority did that person act?

Also in Hansard from the same meeting, the Associate Director of People, Health and Community Services stated that the advertisement for the role was sent out across the whole of Government but the FOI states that it only went to employees of HCS. The Associate Director HCS also states that there will be a wider process for the permanent role, which will go out Nationally and Internationally. 

Also the FOI response mentioned above it states that the full time advertisement will commence in early January 2023.

F

Has this permanent role been advertised yet?

G

If so where and when was it advertised?

H

If it has not been advertised yet - why not?

I

Will preference be given to a local candidate?

J

Will full Terms of Reference be written BEFORE the role is advertised?

K

If not, why not?

L

Are ALL staff offered and encouraged to partake in a leaving interview when leaving the employment of HCS?

M

If not, why not?

N

Who undertakes such interviews?

O

Are staff offered a truly independent interview with an outside agency for the purpose of data collection?

P

If not, why not?

Response

A

Employee names constitute their personal data. Government of Jersey employees below Tier 1 and Tier 2 are protected from identification for the purposes of Freedom of Information disclosure, and therefore, Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. The roles held by all individuals on the interview panel have been provided.

• Business Partner, Cabinet Office
• Disability Inclusion Officer, Customer and Local Services 
• Team Lead Medical Records, Health and Community Services 
• Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, Health and Community Services 

B

The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian secondment post involves engagement with Health and Community Services (HCS) staff through a range of forums including team meetings, professional forums, pop-up sessions across HCS sites, messages and drop-in sessions to hear HCS staff views and enable them to have a voice in the development of the role. No all-staff email has been sent as these other methods have been used to involve staff in the development of the role.

C

Not applicable. Please see response to question B.

D

As noted above, a range of methodologies to enable HCS staff to voice their views about the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role.

E

The methods by which the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian engages with HCS staff have been determined by the independent Guardian themselves, in consultation with their line manager, the Assistant Chief Executive.

F

The permanent post has not been advertised yet.

G

Not applicable. Please see response to question F.

H

The Guardian started their full-time secondment to the role on 30 January 2023 and there is a need to allow the function to be more fully established before advertising the substantive role later in the year.

I

The opportunity will be offered locally in the first instance.

J

The Jersey Freedom to Speak Up Guardian Policy will be published shortly, covering the purpose, scope and activities for the work of the Guardian.

K

Please see response to question J.

L

All staff are offered an online process to complete the exit interview. In addition, staff in HCS are offered a face-to-face interview.

M

Not applicable. Please see response to question L.

N

Online exit interview forms are centrally stored with People and Corporate Services. Face-to-face interviews are with the Government of Jersey Human Resources team.

O

The Human Resources team is part of People and Corporate Services and not within HCS line management.

P

Not applicable.

Article applied

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.