Dear Mr Gallacher

Our Ref: 028/18

We are in receipt of your request for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and will respond by 4 June 2018.

Kind regards
FOI Team

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Dear Mr Gallacher

Our Ref: 028/18

As of 1 October 2012, Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and
Stevenson College merged to create a single college called Edinburgh
College.

We refer to your request for information dated 01 May 2018. The College
has considered your request as a request for information under section 1
of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”):

028/18 (1): Please advise over the period (1 April 2014 to 31 March 2017),
the number of staff who listed stress as one of the reasons for sickness.
For clarity, I would be grateful if you could supply figures broken down
separately year on year for the following time periods (1 April 2014 to 31
March 2015, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 and 1 April 2016 to 31 March
2017).

  Total no of No of support No of lecturers No of staff
staff listing staff listing listing stress earning over
stress as a stress as a as a reason for £70,000 PA
reason for reason for sickness listing stress as
sickness sickness a reason for
sickness
1 April 2014 36 21 15 0
– 31 March
2015
1 April 2015 36 26 10 0
– 31 March
2016
1 April 2016 52 33 19 0
– 31 March
2017

028/18 (2): Of these staff identified above, how many were subsequently
discovered to be related to work? For clarity, I would be grateful if you
could supply figures broken down separately year on year for the following
time periods (1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016
and 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017).

  Total no of No of support No of lecturers No of staff
staff (work staff (work (work related earning over
related related stress) £70,000 PA
stress) stress) (work related
stress)
1 September 2016 4 2 2 0
– 31 March 2017

Please note, we are unable to provide figures against earlier dates as
work related stress was recorded as a separate option from 01 September
2016 onwards.

028/18 (3): How many days were lost as a result of any kind of stress? For
clarity, I would be grateful if you could supply figures broken down
separately year on year for the following time periods (1 April 2014 to 31
March 2015, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 and 1 April 2016 to 31 March
2017).

  Total no of No of support No of lecturers No of staff
days lost to staff (days (days lost to earning over
stress lost to stress) £70,000 PA (days
stress) lost to stress)
1 April 2014 633.5 279 354.5 0
– 31 March
2015
1 April 2015 719.5 525 194.5 0
– 31 March
2016
1 April 2016 664.5 368.5 296 0
– 31 March
2017

028/18 (4): How many days were lost as a result of workplace stress? For
clarity, I would be grateful if you could supply figures broken down
separately year on year for the following time periods (1 April 2014 to 31
March 2015, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 and 1 April 2016 to 31 March
2017).

  Total no of No of support No of lecturers No of staff
staff (work staff (work (work related earning over
related related stress) £70,000 PA
stress) stress) (work related
stress)
1 September 2016 133 31 102 0
– 31 March 2017

Please note, we are unable to provide figures against earlier dates as
work related stress was recorded as a separate option from 01 September
2016 onwards.

028/18 (5): How many individual stress risk assessments have been carried
out by the College? For clarity, I would be grateful if you could supply
figures broken down separately year on year for the following time periods
(1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 and 1 April
2016 to 31 March 2017).

Please note, there is a stress risk assessment available and managers do
undertake them. However, stress risk assessments are not currently
recorded other than locally for the information and action for the
individuals involved. We are therefore unable to provide you with the
requested figures.

028/18 (6): How many occupational group risk assessments have been carried
out by the College? For clarity, I would be grateful if you could supply
figures broken down separately year on year for the following time periods
(1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015, 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 and 1 April
2016 to 31 March 2017).

0

Please note, risk assessments are carried out on specific hazards and not
occupational groups.

028/18 (7): Do you have a specific stress Policy and/or procedure? If so,
please attach.

Please find the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Policy attached.
The stress procedural guidance document is currently being developed and
will be submitted for consideration at the Health & Safety Committee in
the next Academic Year.

028/18 (8): Do you have a specific stress workgroup? If so, please attach
minutes/action points for last year.

No.

Please note, the college prioritises the health and wellbeing of all of
its staff and students. An all staff conference has been scheduled for
late June to support, inspire and empower all employees under the theme
‘Working Well: Putting wellbeing and positive mental health first’.  A
short-life working group will be set up following the conference to put in
place further initiatives throughout Academic Year 2018-2019.

For each point, could you please provide the information broken down into
numbers for support staff/lecturers and staff earning over £70,000 PA for
each of the time periods listed above?

Edinburgh College is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA) 2002. If you are dissatisfied with this
response, you may ask the college to review this decision. To do this,
please contact the Head of Corporate Development at the postal address
below or e-mail the Head of Corporate Development at
[1][email address] describing your original request and
explaining your grounds for dissatisfaction. (Please include in your
review request, your name and home address for correspondence).

You have 40 working days from receipt of this letter to submit a review
request to:

Head of Corporate Development

4th Floor

Edinburgh College (Milton Road Campus)

[2]24 Milton Road East

Edinburgh

EH15 2PP

When the review process has been completed and if you are still
dissatisfied, you may ask the Scottish Information Commissioner to
intervene.

The Commissioner’s online appeal service is available from their website:
[3]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

The  online appeal service is available 24/7 and offers you real time help
and advice about your appeal.

You must appeal to the Commissioner within six months of receiving the
review decision.

You also have the right to appeal to the Court of Session on a point of
law following a decision of the Commissioner.

Regards

FOI Team

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