A huge bill for agency staff amid severe social worker shortages is adding strain to Sefton Council’s already-stretched finances.
A report presented to a meeting of Sefton’s cabinet at Bootle Town hall revealed the extent of the council’s overspending on agency staff, which has reached £6.5m over the past year.
More than half of that figure is being spent on “managed teams” – which are entire teams of social workers and managers contracted as a whole from agencies to run parts of the council’s social services functions.
READ MORE: Thomas Cashman trial updates as mum says 'I couldn't shut the door' before Olivia Pratt-Korbel shot
Alongside many councils across the country, Sefton is facing a huge shortage in social workers – a situation it is attempting to resolve by the development of a social work academy to recruit, train and retain newly qualified social workers.
The council is also in the process of recruiting from overseas, with interviews set to take place with a view to bringing dozens of social workers from South Africa to meet some of the strain in the borough.
The report, which details the council’s current financial position, states that significant unplanned rises in children’s service and adult social care spending are contributing to a budget black hole with a £2.2m overspend forecast.
With a month-on-month increase in overspending for children’s social care, the report states “there is a significant risk that this position will worsen further in the remaining three months of the year.”
As a result of previous remedial actions taken from overspends earlier in the year, the report states there is “no flexibility left” to cover the deficit from general balances.
This means the council may need to dip into reserves to cover the year’s overspend, according to the report.
Presenting the report at a meeting of the cabinet today, officers said the council was “hopeful the various mitigating actions” put in place, including a recruitment freeze, preventing any further overspending and reviewing and preventing non-essential expenditure, would ensure “as much as possible there won’t be much call for general balances.”
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT
Thomas Cashman trial updates as jury told of moment mum realised Olivia Pratt-Korbel had been shot
Person dies after being found on tracks at station
Mum shouted ‘after my fella are you?’ as she stabbed neighbour in the face
Live updates as snow hits Merseyside ahead of Met Office weather warning
M&S shoppers swoon over 'expensive looking' £35 jeans that are selling fast
