Staff information survey results carried out by Water Industry Commission for Scotland team: FOI Review

Information requested

Original Request: 202500470680

Please can you give details around the results of a staff information survey carried out by the Scottish government team responsible for the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.

I believe this was carried out in August 2024 and completed anonymously.

Please can all answers be provided as a percentage of respondents and the actual number of respondents in each category (yes, no, don't know).

• The first question in the survey was - Are you proud to work for WICS? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• The second question was - Do you feel able to voice your views, opinions and put forward ideas at WICS? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• The third question was - Have senior managers proactively (formally and informally) communicated the values and codes of conduct and do you feel their behaviour exemplifies these - do they 'walk the talk'? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• Question five was about barriers to the implementation and values and the code of conduct. What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• Question 7 was - Are you aware of the processes in WICS for raising issues about behaviour i.e. grievance, whistleblowing etc? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• The eighth question was - Where this has arisen do you feel these issues have been taken seriously? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?

Response

I have now completed my review of our response to your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA):

“Please can you give details around the results of a staff information survey carried out by the Scottish government team responsible for the Water Industry Commission for Scotland. I believe this was carried out in August 2024 and completed anonymously. Please can all answers be provided as a percentage of respondents and the actual number of respondents in each category (yes, no, don't know).

• The first question in the survey was - Are you proud to work for WICS? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• The second question was - Do you feel able to voice your views, opinions and put forward ideas at WICS? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• The third question was - Have senior managers proactively (formally and informally) communicated the values and codes of conduct and do you feel their behaviour exemplifies these - do they 'walk the talk'? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• Question five was about barriers to the implementation and values and the code of conduct. What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?
• Question 7 was - Are you aware of the processes in WICS for raising issues about behaviour i.e. grievance, whistleblowing etc? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared
• The eighth question was - Where this has arisen do you feel these issues have been taken seriously? What were the results? If anonymised written answers are given can these also be shared?”

Following a review of the information you requested, I have concluded that the original decision should be modified.

While section 30(b)(ii) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FoI(S)A) was initially cited, I find that this exemption was incorrectly applied. The public interest test should also have been explicitly addressed in the original response.

However, I have determined that the Scottish Government is justified in withholding the anonymised written responses, but under a different exemption—section 38(1)(b) of FoI(S)A (personal information). This exemption applies because the responses contain personal data, including detailed reflections and references to third parties. Disclosure would breach data protection principles under Article 5(1) of the UK GDPR and section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. As this exemption is absolute, the public interest test does not apply.

Survey participants were assured that responses would be fully anonymised and untraceable. Releasing the written responses would compromise this assurance and result in the disclosure of third-party personal data.

I have also considered whether disclosure is necessary to meet your legitimate interests and whether less intrusive alternatives exist. I conclude that your aims can be met through other sources, such as the final Scottish Government publication from the audit process, without infringing on the rights of data subjects.

Regarding the statistical elements of your request, I have assessed whether this data constitutes personal information. Although the survey includes small sample sizes, I do not believe there is a realistic risk of identification. Therefore, I have decided that it is appropriate to release the statistical data.

Question 1 – Are you proud to work for WICS?

	Number of responses	Percentage*
Strongly agree	5	29%
Agree	2	12%
Neutral	3	18%
Disagree	2	12%
Strongly disagree	5	29%
Total	17	*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding

Question 2 - Do you feel able to voice your views, opinions and put forward ideas at WICS?

	Number of responses	Percentage*
Strongly agree	3	18%
Agree	7	41%
Neutral	3	18%
Disagree	1	6%
Strongly disagree	3	18%
Totals	17	*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding

Question 3 - Have senior managers proactively (formally and informally) communicated the values and codes of conduct and do you feel their behaviour exemplifies these - do they 'walk the talk'?​​​​​​​

	Number of responses	Percentage*
Strongly agree	2	12%
Agree	6	35%
Neutral	2	12%
Disagree	1	6%
Strongly disagree	6	35%
Totals	17	*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding

​​​​​​​Question 5 - Are there barriers (real or perceived) to the implementation of values and the code of conduct?

	Number of responses	Percentage*
Strongly agree	4	24%
Agree	2	12%
Neutral	4	24%
Disagree	3	18%
Strongly disagree	4	24%
Totals	17	*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding

​​​​​​​Question 7 - Are you aware of the processes in WICS for raising issues about behaviour i.e. grievance, whistleblowing etc?

	Number of responses	Percentage*
Strongly agree	4	24%
Agree	7	41%
Neutral	5	29%
Disagree	0	0%
Strongly disagree	1	6%
Totals	17	*Percentagesmay not total 100 due to rounding

​​​​​​​Question 8 - Where this has arisen do you feel these issues have been taken seriously?

	Number of responses	Percentage*
Strongly agree	1	6%
Agree	3	18%
Neutral	4	24%
Disagree	2	12%
Strongly disagree	7	41%
Totals	17	*Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.