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

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A decision made on 18 April 2016:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2016-0053
Decision Summary Title:	Transfer of Environmental Health Service from HSSD to the Department of the Environment.		Date of Decision Summary:	7 April 2016
Decision Summary Author:	Deputy Chief Officer, Department of the Environment.		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:
Written Report Author:	Deputy Chief Officer, Department of the Environment.		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Agreement to the transfer of service responsibility for Environmental Health Services from HSSD to the Department of the Environment with effect from 1 January 2016 .
Decision: The Minister approved the transfer of service responsibility for Environmental Health Services from HSSD to the Department of the Environment with effect from 1 January 2016 as detailed in the Written Report. The Minister requested the Treasury and Resources Minister to transfer £680,000 from the HSSD revenue head of expenditure to the Department of the Environment revenue head of expenditure and 11.0 FTEs with effect from 1 January 2016. The Minister requests the Treasury and Resources Minister to adjust 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. Financial Direction 3.6 – Variations to Heads of Expenditure states transfers between revenue heads of expenditure are allowed only where approved by the States or relevant Ministers (via Ministerial Decision), as appropriate.
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. The HSSD FTE limit will decrease by 11.0 FTEs and the Department of the Environment FTE Limit will increase by the same amount. 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. 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.
Action required: The Treasury is requested to transfer the sum stated above from the HSSD revenue heads of expenditure. HSSD Finance to process the budget transfer from the HSSD revenue head of expenditure.
Signature: Deputy S Luce		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

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

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

Category: Public

It is proposed, following discussions between the Departments of Health and Social Services (HSS), and Environment (DoE) that 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 HSS.

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

When will this happen?

The realignment can happen 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.

Why should things change?

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 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 HSS.

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. By 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.

How do we go about realignment?

Realignment can be undertaken by mutual Ministerial agreement and will be formalised by three Ministerial Decision Documents, to be signed by the Ministers for the Environment, Health and Social Services, and Treasury and Resources.

Reporting mechanisms to the MOH and Minister of Health will be detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding.

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 MLP as the majority of their business is within striking distance of 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 HDF while more “desk-bound” staff might be located at a new town centre office.

FINANCIAL AND MANPOWER IMPLICATIONS: Who is involved?

Realignment would require the re-profiling of line management of the Environmental Health team comprising a Head and Deputy Head of service, 3 no EHOs, one trainee EHO, one food safety officer, and 3 senior environmental health technical officers. These staff will be required to retain distinct powers under Health legislation and have political oversight in this respect from the Minister for Health and Social Services, and 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 HSS to the Department of the Environment is £680,200 with 11.00 FTEs. This includes the removal of the 2016 savings targets and SRC savings identified in 2015.

The MTFP 2016 to 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.