Skip to main content
Banner image for Keighley & Ilkley Conservatives

Keighley & Ilkley Conservatives

Providing strong representation across Keighley and Ilkley
Site logo

Main navigation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • Join Us
  • People
  • Contact

Bradford Conservatives question £16.2million spent on agency staff by Labour-run Bradford Council

  • Tweet
Monday, 7 December, 2020
KG1
RP1

At a meeting of the Bradford Council executive, Bradford Conservative Councillors Leader Rebecca Poulsen (Con, Worth Valley) as well as shadow spokesperson for Children and Families Kyle Green (Con, Ilkley) questioned how the council was going to achieve its ambitions in the Council Workforce Development Strategy 2021/2024 and People Strategy paper while it continues to spend huge amounts of hard working taxpayers' money on hiring agency staff.

While both Conservative councillors acknowledge the challenges of hiring experienced social workers and key front line staff and are supportive of efforts to recruit these staff, neither can understand why around 90 support staff working for children's services are agency staff. With agency staff less likely to be invested in the ethos and aims of the council as well as costing the council additional funds to hire, both councillors believe that the council must reduce the huge amount of money being wasted on agency fees.

Speaking about this Cllr Rebecca Poulsen, Leader Bradford Conservative Group stated, "As a council we must ensure we have the skills we need within our own workforce.  If we need support staff roles are we looking across the council at the staff we have and the opportunity to learn new skills rather than always spending on expensive agency staff?  Under the Workforce Development Strategy I raised the issue of succession planning and making sure we don’t demotivate existing staff by recruiting externally.  The Covid19 Pandemic has shown us that staff can relish the chance to work in different roles and learn new skills.  We need to embrace this and not waste money on expensive agency staff"

Following on from his questioning on this subject at the executive, Conservative Shadow Children and Families Spokesperson Kyle Green said, "As the council looks to improve its children's services from the 'inadequate' rating that OFSTED gave it in 2018 it is vital that staff are committed to their role and feel valued. By spending £16.2million on agency staff the council are taking money away from the vital improvements that are needed for front line work.

While I acknowledge the challenges involved in hiring experienced social workers, I implore the council to ensure it is hiring its own staff for support roles so that they can make use of apprentices and those who may have a future interest in progressing in these areas, investing money currently spent on agency staff instead on front line services and staff development".

You may also be interested in

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen

Cllr Rebecca Poulsen

District Councillor for the Worth Valley
Conservative Group Leader Bradford Council

Member in Worth ValleyCommittees:CHILDREN'S SERVICES OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (DCH)
Corporate Parenting Panel - AlternateHEALTH OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (DCh)Keighley Area Committee - alternateSOCIAL CARE OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - alt.Social Services Appeals Board Other meetings/bodies which I regularly attend:

Photo of Ilkley candidate Kyle Green, standing in fromt of the famous Cow and Calf Rocks, Ilkley.

Kyle Green

District Councillor for Ilkley

Kyle was elected as a District Councillor for Ilkley in May 2019. He is a resident of Ben Rhydding and is environmentally conscious (so much so he has all his campaigning materials printed on recycled cardstock).

  • Local News

Your priorities are our priorities

Wednesday, 4 January, 2023

Show only

  • Articles
  • Local News
  • National News
  • Opinions

Join or Renew

Help us take action on local issues and build a better Britain.

accepted-payment-cards

Keighley & Ilkley Conservatives

Footer

  • About RSS
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • About Us
  • Get A Postal Vote
  • Get involved
ConservativesPromoted by Kyle Green on behalf of Keighley & Ilkley Conservatives, both at Churchill House, North Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 3AF.
Copyright 2023 Keighley & Ilkley Conservatives. All rights reserved.
Powered by Bluetree