North West Local Authority Implements Changes to Stay Within Social Care Budget

A major regional employer

This North West Local Authority is one of the biggest in the region, providing services to hundreds of thousands of people. Comensura has a very well-established working relationship with the Authority, providing it with temporary and contingent staff over the last few years.

Local authorities nationwide under financial pressure

At present, most if not all local authorities in the UK are facing severe financial pressures, hit by a 'perfect storm' of higher inflation, prices and rising demand for their services. To alleviate the strain on their budgets, local authorities are looking at how best to make savings, including staffing costs, without damaging the levels of service they provide.

Social care brings added sensitivity

This is especially pertinent when it comes to social care services — no local authority wants to make cuts which put the vulnerable people they serve at risk.

“Building my relationship with Comensura has allowed us both to deliver a fast and efficient service for the provision of temporary staff authority wide. Solutions have been sought and delivered to fill difficult roles and support was outstanding during the provision of a temporary Chief Executive. At a time when many local authorities are struggling with budget constraints, Comensura fully supported our request to reduce internally inflated rates against a key role — this was unknown territory but was received well.

By reducing costs in this area, it allowed us to retain higher numbers of temporary staff, so we are able to continue delivering a much-needed service. As an authority working hard to manage tight budgets, we have instigated additional processes to manage recruitment, and these have been met with understanding and support. I fully appreciate the support, expertise and actions from Comensura on a daily basis.”

“Naturally, there were doubts about how effective the changes to salary would be, but it was implemented very professionally and positively. The Authority continues to employ good quality social workers.

Managing their budgets is a focus of almost every local authority in the country at the moment. It can be challenging, but it is in the best interest of everyone to ensure that services are not affected, particularly in social care. That trust between worker and vulnerable person can't be broken. This is so much more than money — it's about the value social workers bring to their communities.”