Freedom of Information Request - Staff / volunteer / contractor accommodation
Date: 30 October 2024
Our ref: SIR177387/A4789507
Information Request – Staff / volunteer / contractor accommodation
Your Request
Under the FOI act please provide the following information:
The number of bed spaces owned or leased by NS A copy of the policy on the provision of accommodation to NS staff/contractors / volunteers The number of NS staff provided with accommodation The locations at which NS offers accommodation to staff / volunteers The protocol/policy on the standard of accommodation provided The number of shared rooms provided by NS and the policy on the sharing of rooms including the policy/protocol on mixed sex room sharing.
Our Response
Table 1
1. The number of bed spaces owned or leased by NatureScot (NS).
2. The locations at which NS offers accommodation to staff / volunteers.
3. The number of shared rooms provided by NS.
Location | Number of bed spaces | The number of shared rooms |
---|---|---|
Isle of May (Principal and Assistant Keeper’s cottages) | fourteen bed spaces | Five bedrooms have two bed spaces in it, one bedroom has four bed spaces in it Generally, two per room but not mixed sex |
Beinn Eighe (Field Station and Hostel) | fourteen bed spaces | Seven beds in each dorm. We do call them single sex dorms |
Creag Meagaidh (Aberdarder farmhouse) | nine bed spaces | One four bed dorm; one two bed dorm; and three single rooms (one of which is used by mountain rescue in the winter). Each dorm utilised as per the gender and number of the male/female volunteers at any given time. |
Rum (Whitehouse 1), Permanent staff accommodation | two bed spaces | Unit occupied by two staff, each with their own private bedroom. |
Rum (White House 2), Volunteer and visiting staff accommodation. | eight bed spaces | Four shared rooms. Max of four volunteers at any one time. No strict male or female only dorms, as the rooms that are used depend on how many volunteers (and staff) at any time and their preferences (in discussion with them before arrival) |
Kinlochewe (Ialtag Cottage) | three bed spaces | No shared rooms (three private bedrooms) |
Noss (Warden’s accommodation) | three bed spaces | No shared rooms (three private bedrooms) |
4. A copy of the policy on the provision of accommodation to NS staff/contractors /volunteers
5. …the policy on the sharing of rooms including the policy/protocol on mixed sex room sharing
NatureScot does not have a specific written policy on the provision of accommodation for NS staff/contractors / volunteers.
Where accommodation is offered, NatureScot must adhere to the relevant legal requirements. Under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, a Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) agreement should be issued for staff and long-term paid placements that pay rent to occupy their own bedrooms in accommodation with access to shared facilities. Staff housed prior to this are still occupying accommodation under a Short-Assured Tenancy Agreement.
Staff with their own homes elsewhere but staying in accommodation on a temporary basis, as well as volunteers and contractors with their own homes, are not required to be issued with a tenancy agreement. In these cases, we offer accommodation based on a Service Occupancy (staff on the Isle of May, as required by their contract of employment) or by granting licence to occupy, which can exist as a verbal agreement or an email confirmation that they have permission to be there.
Guidance relating to volunteer accommodation is attached separately, including our booking protocol for Rum.
6. The number of NS staff provided with accommodation
- Three members of NatureScot staff currently have short-assured tenancy agreements in place –two on Rum and one at Ialtag, Kinlochewe.
- Four members of staff also occupy nature reserve accommodation seasonally on the basis of Service Occupancy - two on Noss and two on the Isle of May.
- Other staff will only use the accommodation on a temporary basis, e.g. if visiting sites for work purposes or attending training courses hosted on site.
7. The protocol/policy on the standard of accommodation provided
The accommodation offered to occupants residing in NatureScot accommodation under Tenancy agreement, Service Occupancy or licence to occupy is met under legal obligation - The Repairing Standard of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.
Although the Repairing Standard applies to the Keepers’ cottages on Isle of May, additionally, a Short-term Let licence is issued by the local authority when they receive satisfactory evidence of compliance with the mandatory conditions for short-term lets, see (d) Mandatory Conditions.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).