Request to increase the Prison establishment by two and a half Civil Servant posts.

Information about the publication of Ministerial Decisions

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

Ministers are elected by the States Assembly and have legal responsibilities and powers as “corporation sole” under the States of Jersey Law 2005 by virtue of their office and in their areas of responsibility, including entering into agreements, and under any legislation conferring on them powers.

An accurate record of “Ministerial Decisions” is vital to effective governance, including:

demonstrating that good governance, and clear lines of accountability and authority, are in place around decisions-making – including the reasons and basis on which a decision is made, and the action required to implement a decision
providing a record of decisions and actions that will be available for examination by States Members, and Panels and Committees of the States Assembly; the public, organisations, and the media; and as a historical record and point of reference for the conduct of public affairs

Ministers are individually accountable to the States Assembly, including for the actions of the departments and agencies which discharge their responsibilities.

The Freedom of Information Law (Jersey) Law 2011 is used as a guide when determining what information is be published. While there is a presumption toward publication to support of transparency and accountability, detailed information may not be published if, for example, it would constitute a breach of data protection, or disclosure would prejudice commercial interest.

A decision made (10/08/2007) regarding: Request to increase the Prison establishment by two and a half Civil Servant posts.

Subject:	Request to increase the Prison establishment by two and a half Civil Servant posts
Decision Reference:	MD-HA-2007-0056	Exempt clause(s):
Type of Report (oral or written):	Written	Person Giving Report (if oral):
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?		Report File ref:		Educ/estab/Aug07
Written Report – Title:	Request to increase the Prison establishment by two and a half posts	Written report – Author:		Steven Guy-Gibbens Prison Governor
Decision(s): The Minister approved the request to increase the establishment of the prison by two and a half to deliver education at HM Prison, La Moye.
Reason(s) for decision: The approval of these two and a half posts will enable the recommendations highlighted in the Training Needs Analysis to begin to be put into effect offering prisoners a positive learning environment in which to address attitudinal, educational and vocational deficits.
Resource Implications:
Action required: Steven Guy-Gibbens, Prison Governor, to arrange for this decision to be communicated to the Treasurer.
Signature: (Minister/ Assistant Minister)			Date of Decision: 10 August 2007

Request to increase the Prison establishment by two and a half Civil Servant posts.

REQUEST TO INCREASE THE PRISON ESTABLISHMENT

1. The Purpose of the Report

1.1 The report seeks the Minister’s approval to increase the establishment of the prison by two and a half full-time, permanent Civil Servants.

2. Background

2.1 The Learning and Skills Needs Analysis undertaken by John Griffiths in August 2006 recommended that 2.5 Basic Skills and Education Tutors were required at the Prison, in addition to the Head of Learning and Skills and the Deputy.

2.2 At this early stage of the development of the education programme the Prison would be seeking to recruit to the equivalent of one of these posts in the first instance and the remaining one and a half posts at a later date once the precise need has been correctly identified. .

2.3 The Prison would be looking to employ two staff, each working 18.5 hours. One to teach English for Speakers of Other Languages and the other to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills.

3. The Issue

3.1 Basic Skills

An individual with a poor level of basic numeracy and literacy will have severe difficulties in accessing vocational courses that can provide skills training and they will find themselves excluded from all but the most basic employment. Poor basic literacy and numeracy skills make it extremely difficult to cope with all aspects of modern living.

3.2 ESOL

The need for an ESOL teacher at 18.5 hours is based on an assessment by the ESOL and Modern Foreign Languages Lecturer and Course Coordinator from Highlands who recently came in and completed assessments on 44 ESOL prisoners at La Moye.

3.2 Following recent assessments of prisoners, 27 have a level of English that makes them what could be termed as functionally illiterate; another 17 have some basic verbal fluency but possess very poor written skills.

3.3 In the short term the Prison has responded to this obvious need by employing a tutor from Highlands for 9 weeks at 12 hrs per week to teach ESOL across the Prison. The short term contract with Highlands has allowed us to support the identified ESOL need quickly. If the Prison can employ an ESOL tutor by direct contract from the autumn on a fixed 18.5 hour contract then we would be able to offer more lessons at a much lower cost.

3.4 To be effective the education programme will need to enable transferable skills to be provided within the vocational training programmes: these will become established over the coming year, hence the future need as recommended by the Needs Analysis

4. Recommendation

4.1 The proposal is that permission is sought to obtain the additional posts for the prison to enable the recommendations highlighted in the Learning and Skills Needs Analysis to be put into effect. We recommend employing both tutors on a Civil Service rate of pay which in regard to the ESOL post will be more cost effective for the Prison than employing someone through Highlands College.

4.2 The Minister is asked to agree to these additional posts so that a recommendation can be forwarded to the Treasurer of the States.

Steven Guy-Gibbens

Governor