❓ Mr. Redman questions staffing level discrepancies at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison (EGRP) between March and May 2019. The Minister clarifies FTE definitions, new recruit placements, transfer requests, and vacancy rates, attributing changes to new training courses and SLA inclusions.
AnsweredQoN 5269Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the answer to Legislative Assembly Question on Notice (QON) 4963 and Budget Estimates hearings supplementary information B38, in respect to staffing numbers for the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison (EGRP), and ask: (a) Can the Minister please explain the differences between the staffing levels of uniformed officers and vacancies as described in QON 4963 (a) (i) - (b) and the agreed staffing levels for EGRP as described in the supplementary information response B38; (b) Can the Minister confirm that the agreed staffing levels, as described in the table in supplementary information B38, refers to full time equivalent (FTE) staff.: (i) If it doesn’t refer to FTE staff, what does it refer to; (c) If both QON 4963 and supplementary information B38 refers to FTE staff, can the Minister explain why it would appear there has been a substantial increase in staffing levels at the EGRP between March 2019 and May 2019; (d) Given QON 4963 (a) refers to staff vacancies, can the Minister confirm the response refers to all staff vacancies and not just uniformed officers as described in the response table; (e) Can the Minister confirm there has been a significant increase in staff seeking to be transferred from the EGRP between April (67 officers) and May (75 officers) as described in estimates hearings supplementary question B37; (f) Can the Minister confirm, as suggested by his response to QON 4963, that there are vacancies of 18 staff (presumably FTE) as at 5 March 2019, and only 3 staff as at 23 May 2019: (i) If so, how many new staff have been employed; (g) Does the substantive variance as described in supplementary information B38 refer to full time staff: (i) If not, what does it refer to; and (h) Can the Minister confirm that the staff vacancy rate has dropped substantially between March 2019 (18/139) and May 2019 (3/176) as described in both QON 4963 and supplementary information B38?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
6 August 2019
Responded by
Minister for Emergency Services; Corrective Services
Response time
1 days
(a) The agreed staffing levels of uniformed officers as described in QON 4963 are a direct reflection of the current Staffing Level Agreement (SLA) not inclusive of Vocational Support Officers (VSOs) in place at EGRP. The agreed staffing levels as described in the supplementary information response B38 are reflective of the current SLAs in place inclusive of VSOs across each prison in Western Australia.
(b) The agreed staffing levels, as described in the table in supplementary information B38 refers to full time equivalent (FTE) as relevant to the SLA (inclusive of VSOs).
(c) Two Entry Level Training Prison Officer courses commenced early 2019 placing a total of 39 new Prison Officer recruits at EGRP; 19 commenced at EGRP on 19 April and 20 commenced on 24 May 2019.
(d) 139 FTE refers to all uniformed officer ranks (custodial only) and does not include Vocational Support Officers or Public Servant staff.
(e) The number of staff placing their name on a transfer list out of EGRP under the Prison Officer Industrial Agreement (POIA) Clause 139 Voluntary Transfers has remained constant. This equates to between 65 – 75 registered officers (or approximately 50% of FTE) at any point in time, since the implementation of the new staffing agreement in 2017.
Since 2017, 136 transfers have been offered out of EGRP, and of those offers 91 have been declined and 45 have been accepted. Of those on the current transfer lists, one third have chosen to remain on the lists over the last two (2) years, and 75% of those have declined multiple transfer offers.
(f) As suggested in the response to QON 4963, there were 18 uniformed officer ranks (custodial only) not including VSO vacancies as at 5 March 2019 at EGRP.
The 3 vacancies as at 23 May 2019 refers to B38 and as noted is reflective of the current SLA in place at EGRP inclusive of VSOs.
(i) As at May 2019; 39 new recruits (not inclusive of VSO’s) commenced employment at EGRP across the period April - May 2019.
(g) The Substantive variance as described in supplementary information B38 does refer to Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff as per the current SLA.
(h) Additional information is provided below noting the drop in staff vacancies at EGRP for uniformed officer ranks custodial only not including VSO across the period March to May. Staff vacancies at the prison on a monthly basis since the beginning of the year, including 30 May 2019.
Uniformed Officers (VSO not included)
Approved FTE *
139
Substantive FTE @ 24 Jan 2019
122
Vacancies
17
Substantive FTE @ 21 Feb 2019
121
Vacancies
18
Substantive FTE @ 21 Mar 2019
120
Vacancies
19
Substantive FTE @ 18 Apr 2019
117
Vacancies
22
Substantive FTE @ 30 May 2019
147
Vacancies
(+)8 (surplus to SLA)
*reporting is based on pay period.
(b) The agreed staffing levels, as described in the table in supplementary information B38 refers to full time equivalent (FTE) as relevant to the SLA (inclusive of VSOs).
(c) Two Entry Level Training Prison Officer courses commenced early 2019 placing a total of 39 new Prison Officer recruits at EGRP; 19 commenced at EGRP on 19 April and 20 commenced on 24 May 2019.
(d) 139 FTE refers to all uniformed officer ranks (custodial only) and does not include Vocational Support Officers or Public Servant staff.
(e) The number of staff placing their name on a transfer list out of EGRP under the Prison Officer Industrial Agreement (POIA) Clause 139 Voluntary Transfers has remained constant. This equates to between 65 – 75 registered officers (or approximately 50% of FTE) at any point in time, since the implementation of the new staffing agreement in 2017.
Since 2017, 136 transfers have been offered out of EGRP, and of those offers 91 have been declined and 45 have been accepted. Of those on the current transfer lists, one third have chosen to remain on the lists over the last two (2) years, and 75% of those have declined multiple transfer offers.
(f) As suggested in the response to QON 4963, there were 18 uniformed officer ranks (custodial only) not including VSO vacancies as at 5 March 2019 at EGRP.
The 3 vacancies as at 23 May 2019 refers to B38 and as noted is reflective of the current SLA in place at EGRP inclusive of VSOs.
(i) As at May 2019; 39 new recruits (not inclusive of VSO’s) commenced employment at EGRP across the period April - May 2019.
(g) The Substantive variance as described in supplementary information B38 does refer to Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff as per the current SLA.
(h) Additional information is provided below noting the drop in staff vacancies at EGRP for uniformed officer ranks custodial only not including VSO across the period March to May. Staff vacancies at the prison on a monthly basis since the beginning of the year, including 30 May 2019.
Uniformed Officers (VSO not included)
Approved FTE *
139
Substantive FTE @ 24 Jan 2019
122
Vacancies
17
Substantive FTE @ 21 Feb 2019
121
Vacancies
18
Substantive FTE @ 21 Mar 2019
120
Vacancies
19
Substantive FTE @ 18 Apr 2019
117
Vacancies
22
Substantive FTE @ 30 May 2019
147
Vacancies
(+)8 (surplus to SLA)
*reporting is based on pay period.
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