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Social work staffing expenditure

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To whom it may concern,

This request concerns the Council's social work provision for both children and adults for the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 budget years.

Should the following questions exceed your time and budgetary restrictions, we ask that as per Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act you kindly assist us in formulating our request before the statutory 20 days waiting time. We are available to discuss this over the phone on 07940074548 if more convenient.

First, please provide a basic definition for permanent social workers and a definition for agency workers (i.e. staff who are used temporarily to cover shortfalls in permanent staffing levels).

Then for each of the three years separately, please detail:

Wage:
a) the average annual salary for permanent social workers in the team, and the annual salary for the most junior level of permanent social worker you employ.
b) The hourly equivalent of these annual salaries, based only on working hours and not on allotted annual leave, bank holidays, development days etc. (i.e. annual salary divided by contracted work hours)
c) the average hourly wage for agency staff.
d) the agency fee, and how this works, i.e. is it a one off up-front cost or an hourly commission for each agency staff member? If it is the latter, please highlight whether this is included within the hourly agency staff wage or is an additional cost on top.

Hours:
a) the total number of annual contracted hours for permanent social workers. Please divide this into working hours, and non-working hours (i.e. annual leave entitlement, bank holidays, development days etc.).
b) the actual number of permanent staff hours worked in total across the whole team.
c) the actual number of agency staff hours worked in total.
d) The percentage of total agency hours that covered permanent staff vacancies, rather than maternity or sick leave.
e) the average timeframe that individual agency staff members worked within the service (i.e. how long do they normally stay?).

Benefits:
a) Any additional benefits offered/given to permanent staff members including pension contributions (and the total cost of these), and any additional benefits offered/given to agency staff members, including pension contributions (and the total cost of these).
b) Any costs that permanent staff members can claim back, but which agency staff members have to absorb themselves - for example travel/petrol costs. In such cases, please detail the total cost of these permanent staff claims.
c) Any incentives you offer as part of the recruitment of social workers, either to social workers themselves or recruitment consultants, for example relocation packages (and the cost of these).

Total Cost:
a) The total cost of permanent staff members and the total cost of agency staff members.

Then, looking at the current situation:
- How many permanent full time equivalent staff members are currently employed?
- How many full time equivalent agency staff are currently employed covering permanent positions (not maternity or sick leave)?
- What are the names of the agencies used by the council to provide temporary social workers?
- What was the number of applications you had for the last five permanent social worker roles that were advertised (and over what time-period this was)?

If there are questions for which you do not hold the information, please tell us why this is, where this information can be found, and who to contact.

Please provide all information in a machine readable format, i.e. an Excel spreadsheet or similar, and not in a scanned pdf format.

Yours faithfully,

M. Richards and A. Charles

Freedom of Information, Bristol City Council

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References

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No Reply @ Bristol, Bristol City Council

Dear M Richards 
This is a courtesy email to let you know your Public Information
Request has been received on : 11/06/2018. 
Your unique reference number is "CRN00172164 ". Please keep this
number safe, as you may be required to provide it in the future. 
If you need to add further information concerning your case or
require an update about your response date, please email
[email address
Regards,
Customer Relations Team

"Customer Relations Team" <complaints.feedback@bristol.gov.uk>, Bristol City Council

You sent us a Freedom of Information request on 11/06/2018

Your request number is CRN00172164

We’ve looked at your request and you should receive a reply on or before 09/07/2018 This will be 20 working days since your original request.

The request

From: M Richards [mailto:[FOI #490240 email]]
Sent: 09 June 2018 01:05
To: Freedom of Information
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Social work staffing expenditure

To whom it may concern,

This request concerns the Council's social work provision for both children and adults for the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 budget years.

Should the following questions exceed your time and budgetary restrictions, we ask that as per Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act you kindly assist us in formulating our request before the statutory 20 days waiting time. We are available to discuss this over the phone on 07940074548 if more convenient.

First, please provide a basic definition for permanent social workers and a definition for agency workers (i.e. staff who are used temporarily to cover shortfalls in permanent staffing levels).

Then for each of the three years separately, please detail:

Wage:
a) the average annual salary for permanent social workers in the team, and the annual salary for the most junior level of permanent social worker you employ.
b) The hourly equivalent of these annual salaries, based only on working hours and not on allotted annual leave, bank holidays, development days etc. (i.e. annual salary divided by contracted work hours)
c) the average hourly wage for agency staff.
d) the agency fee, and how this works, i.e. is it a one off up-front cost or an hourly commission for each agency staff member? If it is the latter, please highlight whether this is included within the hourly agency staff wage or is an additional cost on top.

Hours:
a) the total number of annual contracted hours for permanent social workers. Please divide this into working hours, and non-working hours (i.e. annual leave entitlement, bank holidays, development days etc.).
b) the actual number of permanent staff hours worked in total across the whole team.
c) the actual number of agency staff hours worked in total.
d) The percentage of total agency hours that covered permanent staff vacancies, rather than maternity or sick leave.
e) the average timeframe that individual agency staff members worked within the service (i.e. how long do they normally stay?).

Benefits:
a) Any additional benefits offered/given to permanent staff members including pension contributions (and the total cost of these), and any additional benefits offered/given to agency staff members, including pension contributions (and the total cost of these).
b) Any costs that permanent staff members can claim back, but which agency staff members have to absorb themselves - for example travel/petrol costs. In such cases, please detail the total cost of these permanent staff claims.
c) Any incentives you offer as part of the recruitment of social workers, either to social workers themselves or recruitment consultants, for example relocation packages (and the cost of these).

Total Cost:
a) The total cost of permanent staff members and the total cost of agency staff members.

Then, looking at the current situation:
- How many permanent full time equivalent staff members are currently employed?
- How many full time equivalent agency staff are currently employed covering permanent positions (not maternity or sick leave)?
- What are the names of the agencies used by the council to provide temporary social workers?
- What was the number of applications you had for the last five permanent social worker roles that were advertised (and over what time-period this was)?

If there are questions for which you do not hold the information, please tell us why this is, where this information can be found, and who to contact.

Please provide all information in a machine readable format, i.e. an Excel spreadsheet or similar, and not in a scanned pdf format.

Yours faithfully,

M. Richards and A. Charles

Additional Information (if any)

If you don’t hear from us by this time please contact us quoting your request number CRN00172164 at  [1][email address
Contact details we have for you
M Richards
[FOI #490240 email]

 

Thanks

Bristol City Council

References

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1. mailto:[email address]

HR Freedom of Information, Bristol City Council

1 Attachment

You sent us a Freedom of Information request on 9 June 2018

Your request number is CRN00172164

 

Our reply to your request is:

First, please provide a basic definition for permanent social workers and
a definition for agency workers (i.e. staff who are used temporarily to
cover shortfalls in permanent staffing levels).

For the purpose of responding to this request we have included fixed-term
contract staff with permanent staff. Permanent means the contract has no
end date; fixed term means the contract will end after a certain amount of
time or on a certain date or when something has been completed.

Agency workers are temporary staff placed through an external agency.

Then for each of the three years separately, please detail:

Wage:

a)      the average annual salary for permanent social workers in the
team, and the annual salary for the most junior level of permanent social
worker you employ.

We don’t keep records of average annual salary. However, we have provided
the salary ranges for social workers and senior practitioners, which
covers both Adult and Children.

2017/18

·         Newly Qualified Social Worker: £26,822 - £27,668

·         Social Worker: £26,822 - £32,486

·         Senior Practitioner: £33,437 - £36,379

2016/17

·         Newly Qualified Social Worker: £26,556 - £27,394

·         Social Worker: £26,556 - £32,164

·         Senior Practitioner: £33,106 - £36,019

2015/16

·         Newly Qualified Social Worker: £26,293 - £27,123

·         Social Worker: £26,293 - £31,846

·         Senior Practitioner: £32,778 - £35,662

b)  The hourly equivalent of these annual salaries, based only on working
hours and not on allotted annual leave, bank holidays, development days
etc. (i.e. annual salary divided by contracted work hours)

Our HR system doesn’t hold data on work patterns so we can’t provide this
information. However, all employees are entitled to 24 days annual leave,
rising to 29 days after 5 years of continuous employment. Employees are
entitled to all bank / public holidays. The Social Worker Career
Progression policy, which includes details of employee development, has
been attached. The hourly rates are provided below.

2017/18

·         Newly Qualified Social Worker: £13.90 - £14.34

·         Social Worker: £13.90 - £16.84

·         Senior Practitioner: £17.33 - £18.86

2016/17

·         Newly Qualified Social Worker: £13.76 - £14.20

·         Social Worker: £13.76 - £16.67

·         Senior Practitioner: £17.16 - £18.67

2015/16

·         Newly Qualified Social Worker: £13.63 - £14.06

·         Social Worker: £13.63 - £16.51

·         Senior Practitioner: £16.99 - £18.48

c)      the average hourly wage for agency staff.

We only hold this data for 2017/18:

£29.11 is average hourly wage for agency staff in 2017/18

d)      the agency fee, and how this works, i.e. is it a one off up-front
cost or an hourly commission for each agency staff member? If it is the
latter, please highlight whether this is included within the hourly agency
staff wage or is an additional cost on top.

The fee payable is calculated by taking the hourly/daily pay rate agreed
(together with any additional charge for tax, national insurance or
holiday pay which will be applicable for PAYE workers) and applying the
appropriate mark-up as agreed between Bristol City Council and Guidant.

Hours:

a)      the total number of annual contracted hours for permanent social
workers. Please divide this into working hours, and non-working hours
(i.e. annual leave entitlement, bank holidays, development days etc.).

Our HR system doesn’t hold data on work patterns so we can’t provide this
information. We will hold work patterns from 1st April 2019 onwards, which
will then enable us to collect this data.

b)  the actual number of permanent staff hours worked in total across the
whole team.

Our HR system doesn’t hold data on work patterns so we can’t provide this
information. We will hold work patterns from 1st April 2019 onwards, which
will then enable us to collect this data.

c)  the actual number of agency staff hours worked in total.

We only hold this data for 2017-18:

5,027.5 agency staff hours worked in 2017/18

d)      The percentage of total agency hours that covered permanent staff
vacancies, rather than maternity or sick leave.

76%

e)      the average timeframe that individual agency staff members worked
within the service (i.e. how long do they normally stay?).

50 weeks

Benefits:

a)      Any additional benefits offered/given to permanent staff members
including pension contributions (and the total cost of these), and any
additional benefits offered/given to agency staff members, including
pension contributions (and the total cost of these).

We don’t hold historical data in a retrievable format. Currently, employer
pension contributions are 23%. The forecast expenditure for 18/19 is
approximately £2,606,437 for social workers (including senior
practitioners).

Approved Mental Health Practitioners (Adults) receive a £3,700 market
supplement.

b)      Any costs that permanent staff members can claim back, but which
agency staff members have to absorb themselves - for example travel/petrol
costs. In such cases, please detail the total cost of these permanent
staff claims.

None – agency staff can claim expenses such as travel costs.

c)      Any incentives you offer as part of the recruitment of social
workers, either to social workers themselves or recruitment consultants,
for example relocation packages (and the cost of these).

None.

Total Cost:

a)      The total cost of permanent staff members and the total cost of
agency staff members.

2017/18

·         Adults

o   Permanent: £7,007,661

o   Agency: £1,410

·         Children

o   Permanent: £7,794,869

o   Agency: £102,291

2016/17

·         Adults

o   Permanent: £7,000,529

o   Agency: £131,809

·         Children

o   Permanent: £7,451,420

o   Agency: £504,186

2015/16

·         Adults

o   Permanent: £6,431,138

o   Agency: £187,220

·         Children

o   Permanent: £7,236,488

o   Agency: £41,219

Then, looking at the current situation:

How many permanent full time equivalent staff members are currently
employed?

Adults:

Social workers (including senior practitioners): 174.63

Children:

Social workers (including senior practitioners): 183.84

How many full time equivalent agency staff are currently employed covering
permanent positions (not maternity or sick leave)?

3.38 FTE

What are the names of the agencies used by the council to provide
temporary social workers?

·         Guidant

·         HCL Social Care

·         LSG Recruitment

·         Nonstop-Care

·         Randstad

·         Seven Social Care

What was the number of applications you had for the last five permanent
social worker roles that were advertised (and over what time-period this
was)?

Our last five permanent social worker roles attracted a total of 59
applications. The jobs were posted on: 16 April 2018; 20 April 2018; 25
April 2018; 7 May 2018; 6 June 2018.

This response should answer your request in full.

If you’re not satisfied with our response, or if you want to appeal
against any exemptions:

Email: [1][Bristol City Council request email]

Write to: Customer Relations (100TS), PO Box 3176, Bristol, BS3 9FS

If you’re still not satisfied with our response:

You can complain to the Information Commissioner.
Find out how to do this on the [2]Information Commissioner Office website

Copyright

You do not own the copyright to any of the information we give you.
Copyright may be owned by the council or by a third party.

You are not allowed to:

•        make a copy of the information

•        use the information commercially

If you want to copy or use the information in any way you should ask us
for permission in writing first. We can’t give permission if it is from a
third party.

Kind regards,

Bristol City Council

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References

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2. http://ico.org.uk/concerns

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are M Richards please sign in and let everyone know.