Warwickshire County Council will turn to more apprenticeships and career development to overcome staffing crisis

Instead, more apprenticeships and career development are seen as the right ways to combat the issues, some of which stem from workers rethinking their priorities following the pandemic.

Chief executive Monica Fogarty outlined some of the problems facing the council when speaking at the latest cabinet meeting [September 8] at Shire Hall.

She said: “We are taking stock of the pressures in each of the service areas. In some of them, such as highways development control and children’s social workers, we are experiencing significant difficulties in recruitment and a degree of difficulty in retention.

“It is not all about pay, some of it is about the fact that post pandemic, people have reappraised their life balance and choices. There is a whole rump of the workforce that has just not come back to work.

“We are trying to stop this competition that is going on with poaching workers or having to use agency staff which causes the market to spiral upwards and cost everyone more within the public sector.”

She was responding to a debate on a council performance report for the first three months of the local government year from April.

That report stated: “Given the anticipated increasing retention challenges, priority has been given to reviewing our approach to reward and recognition. This will include focusing on attracting and retaining staff, maximising our use of apprenticeships, and identifying opportunities for career development and progression.”

It added that there would also be a focus on colleague engagement and improved communication with staff.

Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Con, Stour and the Vale) added: “What I think is really important in the [local authority] system is for us all to value neighbouring authorities.

“I don’t think it is helpful for any one of us to get into bidding wars, golden hellos or rush to try and pinch people from another authority. I don’t think it is good for the system and I personally don’t think it is good for the individual involved.”

“I generally believe development and opportunity are key factors in retaining people so that they want to work within the area. Valuing equality is important as well and being a good employer and the employer of choice is our preference.”