Caerphilly Council spent over £5m on agency staff

Caerphilly County Borough Council spent over £5 million on agency staff last year to address workforce gaps. The expenditure was driven by a national shortage of social workers and sickness absences in various services.

More than half of the agency placements were for teaching assistants, with over £2 million of the total spending allocated to education. Council officials noted that while they are working to reduce reliance on agencies, certain frontline services, such as refuse collection and social care, require external staff to remain operational.

Lynne Donovan, director of people services, stated that a national shortage of senior social care practitioners and a growing preference among workers for agency roles over permanent employment have contributed to the costs. She noted that many local authorities face similar staffing challenges.