PSNI E-Learning

Request Number: FOI/16036

Category: Human Resources - Learning, Development and Training

Subject: PSNI E-Learning

Request and Answer: 
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold some information to which your request relates and this is being provided to you.
We further consider some of the information you seek in Question 2 exempt by virtue of Section 40of FOIA and have detailed our rationale as to why this exemption applies. We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request.

Question 1
In relation to the Learn packages which are available for Police Officers, how many learning courses are there currently ? Please could you include both mandatory and non-mandatory courses in this?

Answer 1
At the time of searching (Monday 20th October) there were 155 Live eLearning courses on Learn. This figure can change as courses are added or removed. These are courses that may be completed by Police Officers and Police Staff – not all courses are required to be completed by all personnel, it can depend on role and rank/grade.  Of those 155 courses, at the time of reporting 55 were regarded as compliance courses.

However within that 55, some courses will be ‘compliance’ for the whole organisation, others will only be ‘compliance’ for specific roles. It is not possible to break the figures down any further unless you are looking at a specific role/rank or grade.

Question 2
What is the breakdown percentage of the above Learn courses having been completed this year by Constables, Sergeants, Inspectors, Chief Inspectors, Superintendents, Chief Superintendents, Assistant Chief Constables, the Deputy Chief Constables and the Chief Constable please ?
Please include in the breakdown a differentiation between mandatory courses and non-mandatory courses.  If this is too wide a range, please can I have the breakdown for ranks of Chief Inspectors and above then?

Answer 2
Please see below table
 

Please note that some of the data for the Question 2 has been amalgamated due to low level. There is a significant risk that its detail breakdown could potentially lead to identification of individuals involved in these occurrences and breach of Data Protection regulations therefore s. 40(2) of FOI Act applies as below.

Partial exemption
Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:

(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.

The exemption/s, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:

Section 40(2) (a) (b) by virtue of Section 40(3) (A) (a) – Personal Information.

Section 40 (2) of the FOIA is an absolute exemption which means there is no requirement on PSNI to consider whether there is a public interest in disclosure. It is an interface exemption and we must consider whether release of the information would breach the General Data Protection Regulations (‘GDPR’) or the Data Protection Act 2018 (‘DPA’) Third party personal information constitutes ‘personal data’ under the GDPR (Article 4) and DPA (Part 1 s.3).

Under the Freedom of Information Act, PSNI must consider if information can be released into the public domain. We have therefore considered whether the disclosure of this personal data is subject to the exemption at Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by virtue of s40 (3)(A)(a). As information is ‘personal data’, PSNI considered whether disclosure would contravene any of the six data protection principles contained within the GDPR or DPA.

The six data protection principles are good information handling standards which PSNI must comply with in relation to how it handles personal information, including deciding whether to disclose it or not.  In particular, the first principle requires personal data to be processed in a lawful and fair manner. In considering whether it is ‘fair’ to any individual to release information about them, PSNI considered the likely expectations of those individuals and the nature of the information involved and the material you have requested. Individuals must have confidence that their information is treated sensitively and appropriately by PSNI. The PSNI has a duty to protect the personal data which includes members of the public who are contracted by the PSNI and a release of their names into the public domain could pose a threat to their personal security. Staff members would not have any reasonable expectation that PSNI would disclose such information of this nature about them. We consider it would be extremely unfair to those individuals and therefore a breach of the first principle of data protection legislation. This information is therefore exempt under section 40 (2) of the FOIA as it contravenes data protection legislation to release it.

The release of information under the Freedom of Information Act is considered a release into the public domain and not just to the individual requesting the information. Once information is disclosed by FOI there is no control or limits as to who or how information is shared with other individuals, therefore a release under FOI is considered a release to the world in general.

The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.