Agenda item

The Committee considered a progress report on the contract with Matrix SCM to supply temporary agency staff for the Council, which had been in operation since January 2013.

The implementation of the new contract had a savings target for 2013/14 of £250,000.  Expenditure on agency staff from 6^th January to 31^st December 2013 amounted to £6,959,913, giving an anticipated saving of £453,024 under the formula agreed with Matrix.  Overall expenditure was lower than the estimate which was approximately £7.5m.

Joint work with the contractor and agencies had continued to develop a secure enrolment through the system for the supply of niche/professional posts.  There were now approximately 109 agencies available for social care vacancies covering both qualified and non-qualified posts.  74% of agency workers were travelling less than 20 miles to their place of work (slightly down from the 81% reported at the last meeting).  However, those staff travelling from within SL1-SL6 post codes had remained the same at 58%.

The Committee noted that the length of tenure of some agency workers continued to be an issue, although the number working for more than a year (33) had reduced since the last report.  In response to members queries about this, and in particular the temp of six years duration, an explanation of the Council’s difficulties in recruiting permanent employees, notably social workers, was given.  Some temporary social workers preferred the option to remain as temps, for financial and other reasons, rather than take up a permanent position.  Retaining temps over a longer period had advantages for the Council, however, in terms of continuity, particularly for services in adult mental health and children’s social care.  Although a premium payment to the agency was required for such temporary employees, the Council did not incur the on-costs associated with a permanent member of staff e.g. employer’s superannuation contributions.

The Committee also noted the position as regards the number of temporary staff employed via the sessional/open process, which was the most appropriate way to cover short term absences of permanent staff or peaks in workload.  It was recognised that more work needed to be done with Human Resources to find a solution to long term/permanent employment for those posts most commonly filled by temps.  Consideration could be given to reviving the process whereby Directorates were required to justify the retention of any temporary for in excess of one year.

Resolved - 

(a)  That the report be noted, including the improvements made and the reduction in overall spending on Temporary Agency Staff. 

(b)  Additional information be brought forward for the next report on a comparison between the Agency cost for a Social Worker retained over the longer term and the cost of a permanent employee on full salary plus the necessary market supplement.