Agenda item

Temporary Agency Staff - Progress on Implementation and Baseline Monitoring

Minutes:

The Service Lead People and the Director of Finance & Resources summarised a report that updated the Committee on the temporary agency staff contract with Matrix.

 

The total spend between April to December 2017 was £4.1m and a breakdown of spend in each directorate was noted.  Members commented that the figure appeared to be high, and that the net spend was likely to be higher in 2017 than in the previous two years, however, it was highlighted that the total cost of placements through Matrix as shown in the report did not reflect that the costs would often be met through existing staffing budgets and that the placements were covering for existing posts.  It was therefore agreed that future reports include more contextual information showing the a more accurate net cost of using temporary agency placements against existing staffing budgets.

 

(Councillor Qaseem joined the meeting)

 

The Committee discussed a number of other aspects of the report including the number of long term placements.  There were various reasons why temporary agency staff may be with the authority for an extended period of time, for example, hard to recruit roles such as qualified social workers or occupational therapists and some interim management posts such as the Monitoring Officer and Director of Place & Development.  Members requested a breakdown of the placements exceeding two years in the Chief Executive’s department.  Assurance was provided that the Council was actively trying to permanently recruit temporary workers where appropriate and the benefits of centrally managing agency staff through a single contract with Matrix reduced maverick spend and increased internal controls.

 

At the conclusion of the discussion, the report was noted.

 

Resolved –  That details of the report be noted.

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