❓ Question regarding prior complaints into recruitment practices at FESA and whether a broader review of FESA recruitment and appointment and personnel practices is warranted. The answer details numerous complaints and inquiries received by the Public Sector Standards Commission.
AnsweredQoN 945Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Public Sector Standards Commission report on the appointment of David Caporn to the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) and I ask:
(1) Prior to this matter had the Commissioner received any complaints into recruitment practices at FESA; and
(a) if so, when were these received and what action was taken in response to the complaints?
(2) In light of these allegations is a broader review of FESA recruitment and appointment and personnel practices warranted?
(1) Prior to this matter had the Commissioner received any complaints into recruitment practices at FESA; and
(a) if so, when were these received and what action was taken in response to the complaints?
(2) In light of these allegations is a broader review of FESA recruitment and appointment and personnel practices warranted?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
11 August 2009
Response time
63 days
Office of Public Sector Standards Commission advises as at 1 July 2009:
(1) Yes.
To provide a comprehensive response, OPSSC advises that the following complaints [broken down as breach of standards claims, compliance inquiries and general queries] which are registered on the OPSSC data base have been received with respect to Fire and Emergency Services Authority recruitment matters since the current record keeping system was introduced in 2002. Please note these data exclude compliance inquiries and breach of standards claims against non-recruitment matters. Complaints which have been received since the tabling of Parliamentary Report Number 4 are also included in the interests of a thorough response.
(a) Complaint details [breach of standards claims and compliance inquiries]
(i) A breach of standard claim was received on 24 June 2003 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(ii) A breach of standard claim was received on 29 July 2003 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(iii) A breach of standard claim was received on 19 May 2005 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(iv) A breach of standard claim was received on 28 September 2005 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(v) A breach of standard claim was received on 12 January 2006 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(vi) A breach of standard claim was received on 3 March 2006 against the Acting standard. A conciliation agreement was reached between the agency and the claimant.
(vii) A breach of standard claim was received on 12 March 2008 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(viii) A breach of standard claim was received on 1 July 2008 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(ix) A breach of standard claim was received on 7 August 2008 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. A conciliation agreement was reached between the agency and the claimant.
(x) A compliance inquiry was received on 27 August 2008 relating to acting opportunities. The agency was found to be compliant with section 8 and section 9 of the
Public Sector Management Act 1994
. Further information on this matter is detailed below.
(xi) A breach of standard claim was received on 11 February 2009 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. A conciliation agreement was reached between the agency and the claimant.
(xii) A compliance inquiry was received on 12 February 2009 relating to the recruitment of David Caporn. The agency was found to be non-compliant and this was reported to Parliament in Parliamentary Report 4 on 6 May 2009.
(xiii) A compliance inquiry was received on 11 May 2009 regarding more widespread questions about recruitment practices at FESA. This matter was referred to the employing authority, the Public Sector Commission, for further action. This is the matter to which the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards referred during Estimates Debate on 28 May 2009.
(xiv) A breach of standard claim was received on 12 June 2009 against the Transfer standard. This is a current and active claim.
(xv) A breach of standard claim was received on 22 June 2009 against the Acting standard. This is a current and active claim.
Records dating back to 2002 show that there have been a further two breach of standards claims and two compliance inquiries on matters other than recruitment. OPSSC has also logged a range of general queries since 2002 which include calls from agency staff seeking human resource management assistance, calls from agency staff relating to potential complaints, and calls from others.
(xvi) In 2002 nine telephone calls were received about Fire and Emergency Services authority (FESA). Two were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xvii) In 2003 fourteen telephone calls were received about FESA. Seven were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xviii) In 2004 two telephone calls were received about FESA. One was a query relating to recruitment processes.
(xix) In 2005 thirteen calls were received about FESA. Three were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xx) In 2006 six telephone calls were received about FESA. Three were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xxi) In 2007 seventeen telephone calls were received about FESA. Nine were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xxii) In 2008 nineteen telephone calls were received about FESA. Eleven were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xxiii) Since 1 January 2009 ten phone calls have been received about FESA. Four have been queries relating to recruitment processes.
(2) No, not at this stage.
The compliance inquiry received on 27 August 2008 relating to acting opportunities for volunteer staff led to a review of temporary acting opportunities in the State Emergency Service and Bush Fire Services areas. The agency was found to be compliant with sections 8 and 9 of the
Public Sector Management Act 1994
. OPSSC concluded that while compliance was established, FESA should strengthen its policies to ensure better transparency and consistency in decision making processes. OPSSC understands from Parliamentary debate that the compliance enquiry detailed in Parliamentary Series Report Four is now being reviewed further by the Public Sector Commission. OPSSC has referred the compliance inquiry received on 11 May 2009 regarding widespread questions about recruitment practices at FESA to the Public Sector Commission, and has asked to be informed about the outcome of that inquiry. Of 15 formal complaints [breach of standards and compliance enquiries] since 2002, only one has been found to be non-compliant. The current complaint statistics therefore do not indicate that a second review is warranted at this stage. OPSSC keeps a watching brief on matters as they arise, and should there be further issues of concern, would take these into account.
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(1) Yes.
To provide a comprehensive response, OPSSC advises that the following complaints [broken down as breach of standards claims, compliance inquiries and general queries] which are registered on the OPSSC data base have been received with respect to Fire and Emergency Services Authority recruitment matters since the current record keeping system was introduced in 2002. Please note these data exclude compliance inquiries and breach of standards claims against non-recruitment matters. Complaints which have been received since the tabling of Parliamentary Report Number 4 are also included in the interests of a thorough response.
(a) Complaint details [breach of standards claims and compliance inquiries]
(i) A breach of standard claim was received on 24 June 2003 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(ii) A breach of standard claim was received on 29 July 2003 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(iii) A breach of standard claim was received on 19 May 2005 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(iv) A breach of standard claim was received on 28 September 2005 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(v) A breach of standard claim was received on 12 January 2006 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(vi) A breach of standard claim was received on 3 March 2006 against the Acting standard. A conciliation agreement was reached between the agency and the claimant.
(vii) A breach of standard claim was received on 12 March 2008 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(viii) A breach of standard claim was received on 1 July 2008 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. This claim was not upheld.
(ix) A breach of standard claim was received on 7 August 2008 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. A conciliation agreement was reached between the agency and the claimant.
(x) A compliance inquiry was received on 27 August 2008 relating to acting opportunities. The agency was found to be compliant with section 8 and section 9 of the
Public Sector Management Act 1994
. Further information on this matter is detailed below.
(xi) A breach of standard claim was received on 11 February 2009 against the Recruitment, Selection and Appointment standard. A conciliation agreement was reached between the agency and the claimant.
(xii) A compliance inquiry was received on 12 February 2009 relating to the recruitment of David Caporn. The agency was found to be non-compliant and this was reported to Parliament in Parliamentary Report 4 on 6 May 2009.
(xiii) A compliance inquiry was received on 11 May 2009 regarding more widespread questions about recruitment practices at FESA. This matter was referred to the employing authority, the Public Sector Commission, for further action. This is the matter to which the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards referred during Estimates Debate on 28 May 2009.
(xiv) A breach of standard claim was received on 12 June 2009 against the Transfer standard. This is a current and active claim.
(xv) A breach of standard claim was received on 22 June 2009 against the Acting standard. This is a current and active claim.
Records dating back to 2002 show that there have been a further two breach of standards claims and two compliance inquiries on matters other than recruitment. OPSSC has also logged a range of general queries since 2002 which include calls from agency staff seeking human resource management assistance, calls from agency staff relating to potential complaints, and calls from others.
(xvi) In 2002 nine telephone calls were received about Fire and Emergency Services authority (FESA). Two were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xvii) In 2003 fourteen telephone calls were received about FESA. Seven were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xviii) In 2004 two telephone calls were received about FESA. One was a query relating to recruitment processes.
(xix) In 2005 thirteen calls were received about FESA. Three were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xx) In 2006 six telephone calls were received about FESA. Three were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xxi) In 2007 seventeen telephone calls were received about FESA. Nine were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xxii) In 2008 nineteen telephone calls were received about FESA. Eleven were queries relating to recruitment processes.
(xxiii) Since 1 January 2009 ten phone calls have been received about FESA. Four have been queries relating to recruitment processes.
(2) No, not at this stage.
The compliance inquiry received on 27 August 2008 relating to acting opportunities for volunteer staff led to a review of temporary acting opportunities in the State Emergency Service and Bush Fire Services areas. The agency was found to be compliant with sections 8 and 9 of the
Public Sector Management Act 1994
. OPSSC concluded that while compliance was established, FESA should strengthen its policies to ensure better transparency and consistency in decision making processes. OPSSC understands from Parliamentary debate that the compliance enquiry detailed in Parliamentary Series Report Four is now being reviewed further by the Public Sector Commission. OPSSC has referred the compliance inquiry received on 11 May 2009 regarding widespread questions about recruitment practices at FESA to the Public Sector Commission, and has asked to be informed about the outcome of that inquiry. Of 15 formal complaints [breach of standards and compliance enquiries] since 2002, only one has been found to be non-compliant. The current complaint statistics therefore do not indicate that a second review is warranted at this stage. OPSSC keeps a watching brief on matters as they arise, and should there be further issues of concern, would take these into account.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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