Environmental Health Service: Transfer from Health and Social Services to Environment Department

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A decision made on 3 May 2016:

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2016-0039
Decision Summary Title:	Transfer of Environmental Health Service from HSSD to the Department of the Environment.		Date of Decision Summary:	26th April 2016
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Decision Support		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title:	Transfer of Environmental Health Service from HSSD to the Department of the Environment.		Date of Written Report:	26th April 2016
Written Report Author:	Head of Decision Support		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: The transfer of service responsibility for Environmental Health Services from the Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) to the Department of the Environment with effect from 1st January 2016.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the transfer of £680,200 from the HSSD revenue head of expenditure to the Department of the Environment revenue head of expenditure together with the transfer of 11.0 Full Time Equivalent staff (FTE’s) with effect from 1st January 2016. The Minister additionally approved the adjustment of the Departmental savings targets and cash limits for both HSSD and the Department of the Environment to reflect the impact of this transfer for the remaining years of the MTFP period 2017 to 2019.
Reason(s) for Decision: Article 18(1)(c) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states all or any part of the amount appropriated by a head of expenditure may, with the approval of the Treasury and Resources Minister, be transferred from one head of expenditure to another. To comply with P67/1999, which charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States. A decision was signed by the Minister for Health and Social Services Department (MD- HSS-2016-0027) on 18th April 2016 and by the Minister of the Environment (MD-PE-2016-0053) on 18th April 2016.
Resource Implications: The HSSD revenue head of expenditure will decrease by £680,200 and the Department of the Environment revenue head of expenditure will increase by £680,200 on a recurring basis. The HSSD FTE limit will decrease by 11.0 FTEs and the Department of the Environment FTE Limit will increase by the same amount. The transfer of 3 lease vehicles and one van is included in this realignment as is the specific equipment associated with the Environmental Health Department. This decision does not result in any overall increase or decrease in the net expenditure or manpower of the States, as approved in the MTFP2 Part 1 2016. This to take effect from 1 January 2016.
Action required: Head of Decision Support to advise the Director for Environment and the Assistant Director – Health and Social Services once this decision has been approved.
Signature:		Position: Senator A J H Maclean, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Environmental Health Service: Transfer from Health and Social Services to Environment Department

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Treasury and Resources

Ministerial Decision Report

Decision to transfer resources and budget of the Environmental Health Team and to realign their functions with those of the Department of the Environment.

Purpose of Report

The transfer of service responsibility for Environmental Health Services from the Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) to the Department of the Environment with effect from 1st January 2016.

Background

Following discussions between the Health and Social Services Department (HSSD) and the Department of the Environment (DoE) a realignment of departmental resources and staff is beneficial and achievable. This forms part of the wider regulation review, a work stream of Public Sector Reform (PSR) and ties into future redesign thinking for HSSD.

This process will see the team known as Environmental Health (EH), currently based within the HSSD structure, being transferred in respect of its resources and budget, to the Department of the Environment.

The realignment can take place immediately (April 2016) but it is proposed that for accounting purposes the change takes effect from 1st January 2016. This is a notional date to aid administration but it is recognised that changes, and discussions about what changes are required, will be organic and that this proposed realignment is the start of a process.

An Independent Inspection and Regulation Commission will sit outside the HSS structure and its wider use is a focus of the regulatory review under PSR.

The need for the EH team to report in the same way through the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) to the HSS structure is diminished and while a link in some areas of legislation to the MOH and the Minister for Health and Social Services remains necessary this will be reflected in a Memorandum of Understanding between DoE and HSSD.

There are many natural synergies at both strategic and operational levels between the work of the DoE and EH. The wide ranging nature of the work of the DoE spans eight operational directorates, many of whose work streams interlink with the specialist work streams of the EH function. In bringing EH closer, it is expected that teams will work together more effectively and efficiently and this will help to deliver services differently as part of the 23% net budget reductions in DoE.

The public often confuse the work of the two departments and with some areas already closely aligned it is sometimes easy to see why. By bringing together the work of the two bodies there is therefore not only the opportunity to find operational efficiency but to clarify to these stakeholders what work is being done to protect the natural and built environment from wider influences, and the public from environmental factors.

Staff from DoE and EH are currently located at Howard Davis Farm, Maison Le Pape, South Hill, the Airport, and La Collette. In the short term it is proposed that these staff stay in place to effect operational efficiency afforded by locations. It is proposed that EH remain housed at Maison Le Pape as the majority of their business is relatively close to

these offices.

The longer term strategic aims of the Office Modernisation Programme must be considered when optimising the use of States office space.

Current proposals see some operational DoE staff remaining at Howard Davis Farm while more “desk-bound” staff might be located at a new town centre office.

Realignment would require the re-profiling of line management of the Environmental Health team comprising a Head and Deputy Head of service, 3 no Environmental Health Officers, one trainee Environmental Health Officer, one food safety officer and 3 senior Environmental Health Technical Officers. These staff will be required to retain distinct powers under the Health legislation and have political oversight in this respect from the Minister for Health and Social Services. The more technical staff would benefit from training to facilitate cross warranting with this and environmental legislation as currently administered by the DoE; vice versa, the technical DoE staff should be similarly cross warranted to ensure optimal practical potential in the field. The proposed budget transfer from HSSD to the Department of the Environment is £680,200 with 11.00 FTEs. This includes the removal of the 2016 savings targets and Safely Removing Cost (SRC) savings identified in 2015.

The MTFP 2016 - 2019 sets out the principles of a planned introduction of Health Charges. The intention is that over time the Environmental Health Function will move to become a cost-recovery operation through the introduction of user pays charges as part of this initiative. Any further savings associated with increased revenues brought about by the combined DoE / EH teams will be reflected in revised DoE cash limits.

3. Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve the transfer of £680,200 from the HSSD revenue head of expenditure to the Department of the Environment revenue head of expenditure together with the transfer of 11.0 Full Time Equivalent staff (FTE’s) with effect from 1st January 2016.

The Minister additionally approved the adjustment of the Departmental savings targets and cash limits for both HSSD and the Department of the Environment to reflect the impact of this transfer for the remaining years of the MTFP period 2017 to 2019.

4. Reason for Decision

Article 18(1)(c) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states all or any part of the amount appropriated by a head of expenditure may, with the approval of the Treasury and Resources Minister, be transferred from one head of expenditure to another.

To comply with P67/1999, which charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States.

A decision was signed by the Minister for Health and Social Services Department (MD- HSS-2016-0027) on 18th April 2016 and by the Minister of the Environment (MD-PE-2016-0053) on 18th April 2016.

5. Resource Implications

The HSSD revenue head of expenditure will decrease by £680,200 and the Department of the Environment revenue head of expenditure will increase by £680,200 on a recurring basis. The HSSD FTE limit will decrease by 11.0 FTEs and the Department of the Environment FTE Limit will increase by the same amount.

The transfer of 3 lease vehicles and one van is included in this realignment as is the specific equipment associated with the Environmental Health Department.

This decision does not result in any overall increase or decrease in the net expenditure or manpower of the States, as approved in the MTFP2 Part 1 2016. This to take effect from 1 January 2016.

Report author : Head of Decision Support	Document date 26th April 2016
Quality Assurance / Review : Head of Decision Support	File name and path: L:\Treasury\Sections\Corporate Finance\Ministerial Decisions\DS, WR and SD\2016-0039 - Environmental Health Realignment
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