HEADQUARTERS
Calton House
5 Redheughs Rigg
EDINBURGH
EH12 9HW
Rachel Humphreys
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Our Ref
FOI HQ 18257
31 December 2018
Dear Ms Humphreys
Thank you for your request dated 5 December 2018 under the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA). This gives a statutory deadline for responding by 8 January
2019. For reference I have copied your request below. You asked for:
Request for Information
RFI 1 Could you please provide me with the current number of officers at pay Bands C, D
and E?
RFI 2 Can you tell us the average amount of time spent in Band C before promotion to Band
D and at Band D before promotion to Band E?
RFI 3 Is direct entry to Band D or E possible and if so, under which circumstances?
RFI 4 Can you provide data on the educational and experience requirements for promotion?
We have now completed our search for the information you request, and note the detail
below.
For the purpose of this request we have interpreted the term Officer to relate to Operational
Officers at Pay Band C, Operational Residential Officers at Pay Band D, Officer Instructors
at Pay Band D and Operational First Line Managers at Pay Band E i.e. those staff involved
in regular prisoner facing activities
RFI 1 Response
No.of C, D and E Band Operational employees
Operational Grade
No. individuals
C
969
D
1926
E
398
RFI 2 Response
We do endeavour to provide information whenever possible. However, in this instance the
costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper
cost limit. At present there is no formal recording of average length of time spent in role prior
to promotion therefore, retrieving this information would necessitate a search of all
Operational personnel files, for current and previous employees.
Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for
information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost
limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12.
RFI 3 Response
At present there is no direct entry to Operational Residential Officer D Band or Operational
First Line Manager E Band however, the organisation has on occasion (when unable to recruit
to a role internally) undertaken external advertising for Officer Instructor specialisms such as
Catering Officer and Officer Instructor (relevant Trade specialism).
RFI 4 Response
Example Person Specification criteria for Residential Officer, Operational First Line Manager,
Catering Officer and Officer Instructor (Plumbing) attached.
If you are unhappy with this response to your request, you may ask us to carry out an internal
review, by writing to The Chief Executive, Calton House, 5 Redheughs Rigg, Edinburgh,
EH12 9HW. Your request should explain why you wish a review to be carried out, and should
be made within 40 working days of receipt of this letter, and we will reply within 20 working
days of receipt. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right
to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Information Commissioner.
Yours sincerely
Lyndsey Moug
Corporate Communications Manager
Scottish Prison Service