TREASURY AND RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
DECEMBER 2005 Manpower Report
1. Purpose of the report
1.1 To seek the approval of the Minister for Treasury and Resources to lodge the States Manpower Report for the year ended 31st December 2005.
1.2 To seek the approval of a request, received by the Social Security Department, to extend twelve contract posts to the 30th September 2006.
1.3 To note that the Prison Service has included an additional 1.5 f.t.e and two headcount on its return as at 31st December 2005, for which no approval has been given.
2. Background
2.1. The attached report is the Department’s six monthly manpower report to the States of Jersey for the year ended 31/12/2005. The report is based on information provided by departments in their six-monthly manpower returns.
3. COMMENTS
3.1 The December 2004 figures have been restated to include 75 additional headcount within the Education, Sport and Culture Department headcount cap. The Education, Sport and Culture Department reviewed the multiple part time roles undertaken by individual support staff in June 2005. These were previously accounted for as one headcount per individual; however they should have been recorded as one headcount per post regardless of whether one person undertakes the multiple roles. This review increased the Department’s headcount by 75 as at June 2005. For the purpose of providing comparable statistics the December 2004 figure is restated to include 75 headcount. There is no increase in the f.t.e. of the department.
3.2 The Minister is also asked to approve a request received by the Social Security Department to extend twelve contract posts to the 30th September 2006. The posts actually expired on 31st December 2004 and the posts were not included on the June 2005 return, however staff remained employed against the posts. The contract posts were due to expire on completion of the Business Transformation project, however workloads are said to have increased substantially over the life of the project due to demographic changes and new policy initiatives. The new system has caused some savings in some areas, but additional staff in others, for example, the new scanning function. The Department is now requesting the extension of the posts until the 30th September 2006 to enable a review of the business model and to identify any improvements or efficiencies in order to establish an appropriate baseline manpower compliment. However, because the contract posts expired in December 2004 and a request for an extension should have been made prior to this date the Department is requesting that the approval is applied retrospectively.
3.3 The Minister should also be aware that the Social Security Department has, in addition to the above, exceeded its manpower limit by 1.34 f.t.e for the period ended 31 December 2005 and has advised that it will ensure the Department’s manpower level is reduced by this amount within the next period.
3.4 The Prison Service has increased its established limit by an additional two headcount and 1.5 f.t.e. as at 31st December 2005 and has advised that these posts relate to an additional Chaplin and psychologist at the Prison however no approval for these posts has been sought and no justification provided.
4. Recommendations
4.1 To approve and submit the attached manpower report for presentation to the States.
4.2 To approve the extension of twelve additional contract posts requested by the Social Security Department to the 30 September 2006.
4.3 To inform the Home Affairs Department that the additional 1.5 f.t.e and 2 headcount for the additional posts required at the Prison must be accommodated from within existing vacancies elsewhere within the Home Affairs Department.
5. REASONS FOR DECISIONS
5.1 The manpower report is required to be lodged with the States on a six monthly basis.
5.2 The extension of the 12 contract posts will give sufficient opportunity for the Social Security Department to review the business model and establish an appropriate baseline manpower requirement.
5.3 The Home Affairs Department has not sought approval for any additional posts or provided any justification or indication of how the posts will be funded.
States Treasury