Staff and agency staff spend and budget - Find a freedom of information request

1. I would be grateful if you could please provide the following for each of the last three financial years, 2020/2021-2022/2023

(i) Total spend on staffing

(ii) Total spend on agency staff

(iii) Initial budget for spend on agency staff

(iv) Annual percentage turnover rate

(v) Annual percentage sickness absence rate
           
If possible, the above five requests also broken down by department across  Lincolnshire County Council

1.

i.

• 2020/2021 - £324,678,633.68

• 2021/2022 - £330,649,387.03

• 2022/2023 - £355,976,949.38

ii. Please see attached for your response.

iii. Please see attached for your response.

iv. Please see attached for your response.

v. Please see attached for your response.

Should you require the attachments mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.

The employee turnover data reflects the 12 month voluntary percentage. This is currently at the lowest level since 2021. The challenges within Adults and Children's remain with recruitment, but turnover is relatively stable, after a peak of 10.65% in October 2022. One factor in this has been the Council's commitment to a number of attraction and retention initiatives over the last 18 months.

The percentage of sickness absence days lost is per full time equivalent employee. The areas of the Council with the highest absence remain Adults and Children's. Mental health related absence remains the highest cause of days lost. This is not unusual and mirrors most organisational reasons for absence. The Council provides a wide range of pro-active and reactive interventions for people with mental health concerns.

The figures reflect high spend in the area of Children's Services where the model of delivery is to purchase through agency for Educational Psychologists. This is a more cost effective model compared to employing direct, due to recruitment challenges. In addition, there continues to be the normal areas of challenge within hard to recruit to roles in Children's Services, Adult Care, and specialist professionals in Legal Services and Performance (Resources.) The Council runs a corporate contract for agency staff although some roles need to be procured 'off contract' due to the difficulties in finding specialist professionals