Agenda item

 Councillor Andy Hull, Executive Member Finance and Performance and Debra Norman. Assistant Chief Executive Governance and Human Resources, were present for discussion of this item.

During consideration of the report the following main points were made –

·         It was noted that there had been a 10% reduction in agency staff in the previous year and the full time equivalent figure as at 29 September is 719.91 assignments, as compared to the 900.46 reported in June

·         Based on headcount, agency workers made up 14.7% of the workforce, based on FTE 13.09%, compared to 17.39%, as reported in June

·         This compares to an average figure of 14.5% across all London Councils in 2014/15

·         In response to a question Members were informed that the Council had a target of12% for agency staff and it is felt that agency staff of this size will always be required to cover sickness, seasonal work etc.

·         Members were informed that the employment of agency staff in HR and Legal was due to difficulties in recruitment and provision of maternity cover and implementation of the new HR system

·         Members stated that there had been significant progress in reducing the number of agency staff in Digital Services and that there would be further reductions as a result of the forthcoming merger with Camden

·         Reference was made to the fact that there should be more ambitious targets set in order to reduce the number of agency staff

·         Reference was made to qualified and unqualified healthcare staff in Children’s Services and that a high proportion of these were black and ethnic minority and young people and that if these were in house staff this would be better than employing them from agencies

·         In response to a question it was stated that in relation to children’s social work Islington had the lowest proportion of agency staff in London

·         Reference was made to Appendix 3 and that there were a high number of social and unqualified healthcare staff and in manual trades and operatives. Members expressed the view that if significant numbers of these people moved into permanent posts this was acceptable, however if they were not being permanently employed and were agency staff this needed to be looked at

·         It was stated that some staff moved to employment under the temp to perm policy and that agency staff could now apply for employment with the Council

·         Reference was made to the 183 manual staff employed in E&R and the Assistant Chief Executive HR and Governance stated that she would provide more details on these to Members

·         Members referred to paragraph 5.4 of the report – types of assignment undertaken – and that these types of role should be more clearly defined if they were not administrative or clerical roles

·         A Member enquired whether the in house agency was still a possibility. It was stated that there were always temporary/agency staff needed  available for sickness cover and seasonal work and that given that this is the case for many London Boroughs in north London, it may be worth considering creating a pool of staff that could be drawn on for such work from amongst these boroughs

·         Councillor Hull indicated that it would never be possible to reduce the number of agency staff to zero for the reasons stated, and that it is not considered viable to have an in house agency with the reductions that the Council had already achieved

·         In response to a question it was stated that the report on the feasibility of an in house agency by the Head of HR that had been considered previously should be circulated to Members

·         A Member expressed the view that young people could be offered seasonal work which would give them work experience opportunities and in addition seasonal workers could be employed on flexible hours. The Assistant Chief Executive Governance and HR stated that she would  ask for this to be considered by the Director of Environment and Regeneration

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the information be noted and that the Assistant Chief Executive Governance and HR be requested to circulate Members  the report prepared by the Head of HR on the feasibility of an in house agency and further details of the 183 agency assignments in E&R for manual labour

(b)  That  the Director Environment and Regeneration  look at the feasibility of employing young people for seasonal work to give them work experience and as a way of reducing agency staff and in addition at the use of flexible hours contracts