Council / Absences and overtime up in health and social care as pressures remain
AN INCREASE in sickness absence among local health and social care workers could be an outcome of staff working under “sustained, significant pressure” over the last two years.
That was one message contained in a report presented to councillors on Monday, with staff vacancies also remaining a key part of the jigsaw.
Figures show that in the community health and social care directorate the number of overtime hours being carried out by staff has increased.
In the fourth quarter of 2021/22 this stood at 2,511 hours, while in the first quarter of 2022/23 it more than doubled to 5,392.
Meanwhile across the whole of the council the sickness percentage for quarter one of 2022/23 was 5.5 per cent; in the same period in the previous year it was 3.5 per cent.
NHS Shetland’s planning, performance and projects officer Lucy Flaws told a meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee on Monday that absences and an inability to fill vacant posts exacerbated the overtime figures.
This meant there have been fewer options for cover, resulting in existing staff working more.
She said this was a “worry” for services.
The meeting also heard discussion over the continued recruitment difficulties experienced by the council.
This has been an ongoing issue across many of the local authority’s departments, leading to an increase in the number of more expensive agency staff being taken on to fill the gaps.
For example, community care resources is expected to be overspent by around £1 million this financial year due to the anticipated agency costs resulting from recruitment and retention difficulties.
The projected overspend is actually £1.626 million but there is an estimated underspend of £346,000 due to vacancies.
Recruitment problems have also affected the delivery of services, including ferries and refuse collection.
There continues to be anecdotal evidence that the availability of local accommodation remains a barrier to some considering moving to Shetland for work.
HR manager Denise Bell said there were 42 listings currently advertised through MyJobsScotland.
However, ten of these involved multiple posts, so the number of jobs up for grabs is higher.
Bell admitted that “recruitment is becoming more and more complex” but said the council was trying to streamline the process where possible.
Particular attention is already being given for example on reviewing job profiles in social care workers.
Meanwhile Shetland South member Robbie McGregor questioned whether the council could investigate recruitment adverts on national TV, which local authorities in the central belt have done.
“Is this a cost effective way of recruiting members of staff?” he asked.
Bell said it is something that could be looked into, but stressed that positive results have already been achieved through collaboration with Promote Shetland.
It comes after a warning was also made in the agenda papers that resources issues in the council’s corporate services remains a “key challenge”.
The service includes departments like finance and human resources.
Shetland West councillor Liz Peterson said one example of human resources being under pressure was the story of a youngster who only received his SIC contract after he completed his summer job and had returned to college.
Monday’s meeting also heard that shortage of key staff has been prioritised higher in the council’s risk register.
Its likelihood has increases from ‘likely’ to ‘almost certain’, with its impact moving from ‘minor’ to ‘major’.
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