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Refuse workers: FoI

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Dear council team

I am looking for the number of refuse workers in your local authority area. Could you please provide the FTE number of staff employed to work in the following financial years – April 2017/18, April 18/19, April 19/20, April 20/21 and April 21/22?

As well as the number of council staff employed to collect bins and recycling, could you tell me how many agency staff your local authority has employed in the years specified.

Finally could you tell me the cost to the council of employing these agency staff.

I'm making this request under freedom of information legislation, so look forward to the response within 20 working days. Please do not hestitate to contact me if you need any clarifications. You can also call me on [phone number removed].

Yours faithfully,

Karin Goodwin

FOI, Dumfries and Galloway Council

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Dumfries and Galloway Council

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

Thank you for your request for information which was received on 27/04/2022 which we are dealing with in terms of the above legislation. We have given your request the unique reference 5327546 and we would appreciate it if you could quote this on all correspondence to us.

Under the terms of the legislation, we have an obligation to respond to your request within 20 working days from the day after your request was received. We will therefore aim to respond to your request by 26/05/2022.

However, as you will be aware the COVID-19 pandemic is having an effect on Council resources and staffing levels. These are unprecedented and challenging times and we are working across Dumfries and Galloway to respond to the situation as it develops, following official advice. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact [email address].

Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Dumfries and Galloway Council

This email, from Dumfries and Galloway Council, and any files transmitted with it, is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

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Dumfries and Galloway Council

Please find below the Council's response to your request 5327546 which was received on 27/04/2022.

Details of request: I am looking for the number of refuse workers in your local authority area. Could you please provide the FTE number of staff employed to work in the following financial years – April 2017/18, April 18/19, April 19/20, April 20/21 and April 21/22?

As well as the number of council staff employed to collect bins and recycling, could you tell me how many agency staff your local authority has employed in the years specified.

Finally could you tell me the cost to the council of employing these agency staff.

Response:

I am looking for the number of refuse workers in your local authority area. Could you please provide the FTE number of staff employed to work in the following financial years – April 2017/18, April 18/19, April 19/20, April 20/21 and April 21/22?

Waste collection operational staff are as follows:

2017/18 98.08 fte
2018/19 94.42 fte
2019/20 82.92 fte
2020/21 86.83 fte
2021/22 94.17 fte

As well as the number of council staff employed to collect bins and recycling, could you tell me how many agency staff your local authority has employed in the years specified. Finally could you tell me the cost to the council of employing these agency staff.

Agency staff costs

2017/18 £410,754
2018/19 £381,114
2019/20 £574,927
2020/21 £342,240
2021/22 £374,546

While we have been able to determine the number of FTE and the cost of Agency staff we are not able to determine the number of FTE that the Agency Staff represents. In accordance with Regulation 10(4)(a) of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, Dumfries and Galloway Council can confirm we do not hold the information requested.

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are therefore applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

Please be aware that the Council holds the copyright, where applicable, for the information provided and it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or media without requiring specific permission. This is subject to the material not being used in a misleading context. The source of the material must be acknowledged as Dumfries and Galloway Council and the title of the document must be included when being reproduced as part of another publication or service.

If you require any further clarification, please contact us. However, if you are not satisfied with the way in which your request has been dealt with, you can request us to carry out an internal review of the decision by emailing [email address] or writing to us within 40 working days of receiving this response.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision. Appeals to the Commissioner can be made online at www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal or in writing to: The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Dumfries and Galloway Council

This email, from Dumfries and Galloway Council, and any files transmitted with it, is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email (and any attachment) please inform the sender by return email and destroy all copies. If you are not the intended recipient or responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, disclosure, review, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this email is strictly prohibited. Please be aware that communication by internet email is not secure as messages can be intercepted and read by someone else. Dumfries and Galloway Council do not accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from this email or any files attached. It is your responsibility to scan this email and any attachments for computer viruses or other defects.

Any email including its content may be monitored and used by the Council for reasons of security and form monitoring internal compliance with the policy on staff use. Email monitoring or blocking software may also be used.

Any email message sent or received by the Council may require to be disclosed by the Council under the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. For further information and to view the Council’s privacy statement please go to https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/privacy

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Karin Goodwin please sign in and let everyone know.