Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive, People, which provided performance information on the use of agency workers procured for the Quarter (Q)1 period and Interim Manager and other agency worker spends for the same period.

The report indicated that during this quarter, the supply contract with Pertemps ended on 24 June, 2018 with the new supplier, Reed, starting on Monday 25 June, 2018. As the new supplier has only supplied for one week during this quarter, the report related only to the agency worker spend with Pertemps during the period up to 24 June. Reported spend with other suppliers is for the full quarter. The Q2 report of spend within the agency worker contract will therefore include an additional week of spend, commencing 25 June, 2018.

A table in the report shows comparative expenditure in Q1 2018/19 and Q4 2017/18 and indicated an overall decrease in total spend although this did include the reduction in one week in the period. The Master Vendor Contract covers all agency workers required by the core Council as the Pertemps contract does not cover agency workers in schools.

The report provided detailed information on the following service areas:-

Children’s Services:- John Gregg, Director of Children’s Services, attended the meeting and provided the Cabinet Member with a comprehensive update on work currently being undertaken to minimise agency spend on social workers, including recruitment and retention work and the establishment of a Social Worker Academy. The Cabinet Member recognised the challenges relating to the recruitment of social workers, which was a national issue, and indicated that he would be monitoring this issue to see the impact of the work done in this regard. 

Adults Services – The number of agency social workers in adults is unchanged and are required to cover vacancies to ensure statutory duties are met and to meet the increased demand during the winter period in order to minimise the need for hospital admissions and to facilitate hospital discharge.

Streetscene and Regulatory Services – Waste Services use of agency staff has significantly reduced and Streetpride spend is expected to reduce as the service has been actively and successfully recruiting to a number of vacancies.

Finance and Corporate Services – Cover was required for maternity and long-term sickness absence.

Planning – Due to a significant increase in workload, a business case has been approved for 2 additional planning officers so agency officers are required to fill the gap until recruitment.

The report also provided a comparison of expenditure outside of the Pertemps contracts Q1 2018/19 with Q4 2017/18 and highlighted the following areas:-

  Children’s Services

  Education

  Customer Services

The report highlighted work undertaken to find alternative solutions to agency staff, particularly in relation to specialist recruitment in Highways, Traffic and Transport.

In response to concerns raised by the Cabinet Member at a previous meeting regarding the need for managers to ensure that the process of filling vacancies was undertaken at the earliest opportunity, the report confirmed that this message had been communicated to senior management teams and that this had been reflected in the process to be used for the new contract, together with the requirement that all engagement of agency staff be approved by senior management. In response to questions at the meeting, officers provided information in relation work undertaken to target recruitment and to encourage people to work for the City Council.  

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources:-

(1)  Notes the agency/interim spend for Q1 and the corresponding numbers of agency workers

(2)  Notes the work done on providing in-house solutions as an alternative to agency and interim workers