FOI Frontline Officer Sickness (887-2023/24)

Request

I would like to file a Freedom of Information request for the following data, held from September 2019 - September 2023. Most data points are requested for specific month/year-to-month/year periods.

Q1. Total number of frontline/response police officers, including those recorded as 'in probation' by each year (total figure as at Sept 2019, Sept 2020, Sept 2021, Sept 2022, Sept 2023), including those on short-term and long-term periods of leave and those on restricted duties. [Example: As at September 2022, there were X number of police officers assigned to frontline or response roles, including those on probation.]

Q2. Total number of frontline/response police officers (category specific) that took any period of sickness absence within each period as follows: Sept 2019-Sept 2020, Sept 2020-Sept 2021, Sept 2021-Sept 2022, Sept 2022-Sept 2023. NB: Figures requested by number of officers that recorded any absence – not by total number of absences. [Example: Between September 2021 - September 2022, there were X number of officers assigned to frontline or response roles that took at least one period of sickness absence.]

Q2b. From total number, a breakdown of officers by length of service, as: less than 1 year of service, less than 3 years' service, less than 5 years' service, greater than 5 years' service, within each period. If unavailable, any other length of service statistics that can categorise accordingly.  [Example: Between September 2021 - September 2022, of X number of officers that took at least one period of sickness absence, X number held fewer than 1 year of service, X number less than 3 years' service, etc.]

Q3. Total number of frontline/response officers with absences within each period* (as above) reported as resultant of mental ill-health, trauma exposure, stress and stress-related conditions, or psychological injury; or where any of the aforementioned is co-reported alongside any other reason for absence. *Sept 2019-Sept 2020, Sept 2020-Sept 2021, Sept 2021-Sept 2022, Sept 2022-Sept 2023. [Example: Between September 2021 - September 2022, of X number of officers that took at least one period of sickness absence, X number of officers reported at least one absence as resultant of the reasons herein mentioned.]

Q3b. From total number, a breakdown of officers by length of service, as: less than 1 year of service, less than 3 years' service, less than 5 years' service, greater than 5 years' service, within each period. If unavailable, any other length of service statistics that can categorise accordingly. [Example: Between September 2021 - September 2022, of X number of officers that took at least one period of sickness absence resultant of the reasons herein mentioned, X number held fewer than 1 year of service, X number less than 3 years' service, etc.]

Q4. Number of frontline/response officers who, for the total period covering Sept 2019 - Sept 2023 (not by year), took more than one period of absence resultant of mental ill-health, trauma exposure, stress and stress-related conditions, or psychological injury; or where any of the aforementioned is co-reported alongside any other reason for absence. [Example: Between September 2019 - September 2023 inclusive, X number of officers took more than one period of sickness absence resultant of the reasons herein mentioned.]

Q5. Number of occupational health referrals made for frontline/response officers within each period* for mental ill-health, trauma exposure, stress and stress-related reasons, psychological injury; or where any of the aforementioned is co-reported alongside any other health concern. *Sept 2019-Sept 2020, Sept 2020-Sept 2021, Sept 2021-Sept 2022, Sept 2022-Sept 2023. [Example: Between September 2021 - September 2022, X number of officers assigned to frontline/response duty were referred to occupational health due to absences or requests to be referred for the reasons mentioned herein.],

Q6. Total number of officers (not limited to frontline/response) registered or flagged with occupational health (inclusive of awaiting and continuing registrations and treatments) for mental ill-health, trauma exposure, stress and stress-related reasons, psychological injury; or where any of the aforementioned is co-reported alongside any other health concern, as at Sept 2019, Sept 2020, Sept 2021, Sept 2022, Sept 2023. [Example: As at September 2023, X number of officers across all roles and duty assignments were registered with occupation health resultant of the reasons mentioned herein.]

Response

Extent of Searches to Locate Information

Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police to locate relevant information. 

Decision

I am not obliged to provide you with a response to your request pursuant to Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please note that when one part of your request falls under Section 12, we are not obliged to review the rest of the questions and the whole request is therefore exempt.

Section 12(1) applies to your request as the cost of complying with your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of identifying and retrieving any relevant information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Due to the nature of our recording systems the information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format. The questions posed in relation to ‘front line / response officers’ length of service, periods of sickness, probationary status and occupational health status are not held in such a way that can be automatically searched for within our HR system.

In order to retrieve the requested information, it would be necessary to manually review every personnel file within the timeframe requested to determine which, if any are relevant to your request. This would involve thousands of files, which would exceed the time limit allowed under the Act. 

Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

Pursuant to Section 16 of the Act I am required to offer you advice and assistance with regarding to refining your request to within the ‘appropriate limit’ (time/cost limit). However, due to the information provided above I am unable to suggest how you may refine your request and still receive the information within the cost threshold.  If you wish to discuss this please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.