Human Resources and Communications

Request

Dear FOI officer,

I would like to make three Freedom of Information Requests. Please lump them together or treat separately as you see fit. I would like to hear back via email at this address if possible.

1. HR Performance management. Please provide details on how frequently the performance of all staff has been assessed over the last financial year for which figures are available and what format is used (i.e. 360 degree feedback, informal meetings etc), and whether this policy is still in effect. Please provide details of whether performance management is outsourced (either wholly or in part), providing the name of the supplier, their remit, and the costs associated with this for the last financial year for which figures are availble.

2. Recruitment agencies. Please provide details of whether your organisation has used recruitment agencies over the past three financial years for which figures are available (defined as any organisation or company separate to your institution that is responsible, either wholly or in part, for the recommending of future staff, the administering of recruitment, or the undertaking of any part of the selction process). Please provide the names of the suppliers involved, the number of individuals successfully recruited by recruitment agencies/consultants and the total costs associated with this in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available.

3. Communications.

a. Please provide details of how many people in your organisation currently work within your Communications Department (by this I mean anybody whose job description, either wholly or inpart, involves liaising with press, handling internal communications, drafting press releases, or monitoring the media). I would be grateful if you could provide a Full Time Equivalent figure for this, but am happy to take a headcount figure if that is all you have.

b. Please provide the total cost of salaries for individuals who currently work within your Communications team (you do not need to include expenses, or benefits such as pension contributions etc - just the total salary bill including any overtime/bonus payments).

c. Please provide the total budget allocated to your communications team in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available.

d. Please provide the total number of Social Media Officers currently employed by your organisation and the salaries of these individuals. By Social Media Officers I mean any individual whose job description, either wholly or in part, involves the interaction with or monitoring of social media websites (such as twitter and facebook etc). Please could you detail the titles of those individuals. I would be grateful if you could provide a Full Time Equivalent figure for this, but am happy to take a headcount figure if that is all you have.

Our Response

I refer to your email requesting information in respect of Human Resources and Communications.

I can confirm in accordance with S.1 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) that we do hold the information that you have requested.  I will address each of your requests in turn:

1. HR Performance management. Please provide details on how frequently the performance of all staff has been assessed over the last financial year for which figures are available and what format is used (i.e. 360 degree feedback, informal meetings etc), and whether this policy is still in effect. Please provide details of whether performance management is outsourced (either wholly or in part), providing the name of the supplier, their remit, and the costs associated with this for the last financial year for which figures are available.

• All staff are required to have at least one performance appraisal in the previous 12 months. One component of the appraisal is to review objectives set in the previous year. The line manager has the option to rate this performance. Compliance with this target was last undertaken on March 31 2011 and levels of 88% overall are being reported to the Board.

• Staff have the option to undertake 360 degree feedback and this has been encouraged for our senior management teamin the last three months.

• There is no outsourcing of performance managementalthough Right Management hold the contract to manage feedback reports for the NHS Leadership Qualities Framework. This costs £65 per person.

2. Recruitment agencies. Please provide details of whether your organisation has used recruitment agencies over the past three financial years for which figures are available (defined as any organisation or company separate to your institution that is responsible, either wholly or in part, for the recommending of future staff, the administering of recruitment, or the undertaking of any part of the selection process). Please provide the names of the suppliers involved, the number of individuals successfully recruited by recruitment agencies/consultants and the total costs associated with this in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available.

• NHS East Midlands has used the private recruitment agency Odgers Berndtson http://www.odgersberndtson.co.uk/gb/home/ to recruit to the following permanent position during the period 2009-10 as follows:-

Role

Director of EQIPP Leadership/Top Leaders Programme (permanent role)

• This is a joint role to run the East Midlands Leadership Academy (EQIPP) on behalf of all NHS organisations in the East Midlands and the National Leadership Council’s Top Leaders Programme.

 Cost

• £11, 682.97 - (DH Funding)

3. Communications.

a. Please provide details of how many people in your organisation currently work within your Communications Department (by this I mean anybody whose job description, either wholly or inpart, involves liaising with press, handling internal communications, drafting press releases, or monitoring the media). I would be grateful if you could provide a Full Time Equivalent figure for this, but am happy to take a headcount figure if that is all you have.

• 7.3  (of which 1 is on maternity leave)

b. Please provide the total cost of salaries for individuals who currently work within your Communications team (you do not need to include expenses, or benefits such as pension contributions etc - just the total salary bill including any overtime/bonus payments).

• The total annual salary cost of the Communications Team is £342,535.  This includes the salary re-charge for our interim Director of Communications.

c. Please provide the total budget allocated to your communications team in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available.

• 09/10 £1,017,684

• 10/11 £ 852,261

• 11/12 £ 727,333

d. Please provide the total number of Social Media Officers currently employed by your organisation and the salaries of these individuals. By Social Media Officers I mean any individual whose job description, either wholly or in part, involves the interaction with or monitoring of social media websites (such as twitter and facebook etc). Please could you detail the titles of those individuals. I would be grateful if you could provide a Full Time Equivalent figure for this, but am happy to take a headcount figure if that is all you have.

• We do not employ Social Media Officers.

I hope that this information is of use.  If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you can ask us to review our decision by writing to:-

Mr Moosa Patel
Director of Corporate Affairs
NHS East Midlands
Octavia House
Interchange Business Park
Bostock's Lane
Sandiacre
Nottingham
NG10 5QG

If at the conclusion of any review you remain dissatisfied you may complain to the Information Commissioner who can be contacted at:-

The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF