Contingent Labour within Children's Services Departments - Find a freedom of information request

Vric Consulting is carrying out research into the effective use of contingent labour within Children's Services Departments across England and Wales. This is predominately focussed on operational level Social Work staff but also covers staff in other front line positions such as Children's Residential and Youth Work. The eventual output of this research is to identify the breadth of usage of agency staff and the efficacy of existing arrangements to deliver against needs and requirements of the service.

This is the initial data capture and will allow for the provision of contingent labour for Children's Services to be correlated by model, region, proportion of overall agency spend and also proportionality of off contract spend. We will seek to provide high level conclusions from our research to all councils and trusts which may help inform future procurement decisions. We are requesting the answers to the following questions under the Freedom of Information Act but if they can be more easily answered or explained via other methods we are more than happy to accommodate this. Where you have a contracted agency provider most of these organisations should be able to provide you with most of the management information.

A matrix is attached for ease and consistency of return.

1. For all contracts that presently provide temporary labour please provide the following information:

a. Title of contract.

b. Date the contract commenced

c. The organisation (s) that were awarded the contract

d. Delivery Model (Master Vendor, Vendor Neutral, Preferred Supplier List, Hybrid, Other)

e. The high level classifications of staff provided. (please detail if this includes professional staff to Children's Services)

f. Was this contract procured via a framework (if so provide details)

g. The length of any initial term of this contract

h. Any possible extensions that may be enacted

i. Details of any extensions enacted to date.

j. Level of spend in 2019/20

k. Level of agency spend at the authority / trust not via this contract

l. Contact details for the lead officer for managing this contract

m. Contact details of the lead officer for future procurement (or, where undecided, for the head of procurement)

n. The next review date on any forward plan for this contract to discuss extension / renewal.

2. Please provide a breakdown of the following information on temporary staff provision to Children's Services Departments by job type for financial year 2019/20 or other specified recent 12 month period - where possible it would be beneficial to receive this by job type.

For the purposes of clarity, 'on contract' refers to business conducted via the arrangements listed against question 1. 'Off contract' is any business conducted outside of arrangements listed in question 1.

1.

a. Number of 'on contract' hours

b. Total of 'on contract' spend

c. Number of 'off contract' hours

d. Total of 'off contract' spend

e. 'Off contract' agencies used. Example job types: Head of Service, Team Manager, Asst Team Manager / Senior Practitioner, Senior Social Worker, Social worker, Other Children's Services operational staff (Residential / Youth work)

3.

A Please provide the name of the authority completing this survey

B: please include email details of those that wish to receive a copy of the final report.

a-l. Section 43(2) exempts information whose disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (an individual, a company, the public authority itself or any other legal entity).

j. £4,292,150

k. £1,275,375

n. The information is on the contract register which is available to the public.

The link to the information is:

Contracts register - Search results (due-north.com)

2.a.

• Advanced Practitioner - Childrens 6,185.5
• Educational Psychologist 369.5
• Independent Chair - Childrens 2,069.5
• Local Authority Designated Officer 740
• Practice Supervisor 4995
• Residential Care Officer Level 1 - Childrens 30,266
• Residential Care Officer Level 2 - Childrens 131
• Social Worker - Level 1 - Childrens 480
• Social Worker - Level 2 - Childrens 14,471.75
• Specialist Teacher SEST 6.5 Grand Total 59,714.75

b.

• Advanced Practitioner - Childrens £227,853.22
• Educational Psychologist £205,139.25
• Independent Chair - Childrens £96,440.41
• Local Authority Designated Officer £33,455.40
• Practice Supervisor £203,844.59
• Residential Care Officer Level 1 - Childrens £442,796.10
• Residential Care Officer Level 2 - Childrens £1,966.02
• Social Worker - Level 1 - Childrens £18,990.03
• Social Worker - Level 2 - Childrens £517,045.96
• Specialist Teacher SEST £2,682.42
• Grand Total £1,750,213.40

c. Information not available

d. £1,167,582 unable to report by job type

e. Section 43(2) exempts information whose disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (an individual, a company, the public authority itself or any other legal entity).