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.