Mar 28 - Government Reveals ‘True’ Figures for Care Agency Staff Turnover

Written by YGTV Team on 28 March 2014.

GSD Spokesperson for Health, Isobel Ellul-Hammond’s original claim that a number of Care Agency resignations recorded during the GSLP/ Liberals’ time in office suggests a low morale within the Agency has sparked a further response from the Government. Mrs. Ellul-Hammond this week told YGTV that many employees, former staff members and union representatives believe that there is a lack of empathy ‘coming from the leadership within the Agency, [and] their concerns are not being listened to.’

Minister with responsibility for Social Services, including the Care Agency, Samantha Sacramento has insisted that ‘no how many press releases [the GSD] issues, this will not alter the facts’. Minister Sacramento notes that the staff complement of 74 people that have resigned in the past 2 and a half years represents the entire Care Agency, including Elderly Care services.

A No.6 statement on the matter said, ‘Mrs. Ellul-Hammond insists on misleading the public by taking that figure but calculating the percentage on the figures relating only to Social Services even though it has been clearly explained to her that this is not the case.

‘The problem is that because she continues to use the wrong figures, the new percentage turnover figure of 12.2% the opposition now assumes is still wrong. The correct calculation is in fact 3.4%.’

Staff turnover for the whole of the Care is as follows; 2010 – 72 (complement of 507 = 14%), 2011 - 81 (complement of 509 = 16%), 2012 - 23 (complement of 588 = 4%), 2013 - 35 (complement of 610 = 6%).

The statement goes on to reveal the figures of staff relating to the Social services department of the Care Agency; 2010 – Complement 180 – staff turnover 25 – 13.8%, 2011 – Complement 190 – staff turnover 20 – 10.5%, 2012 – Complement 190 – staff turnover 9 – 4.7%, 2013 – Complement 214 – staff turnover 14 – 6.5%.

The Minister is taking action to tackle issues that have been raised, has engaged in a review of the service and is working to improve the Agency as a whole. There will also be a further independent review of the Agency in the future.

Commenting on the issue, the Minister said that it is not up to Mrs. Ellul-Hammond to decide what needs to be done in Social Services.