Councils, working individually with agency providers, often struggle to address the underlying issues of poor quality within the temporary workforce, a shortage of skilled workers and rising costs. This fragmented approach has led to fierce competition between councils, further inflating costs without effectively resolving the root problems. If left unchecked, these issues are poised to worsen, particularly in light of national shortages.

Research highlights expenditure on temporary workers among local councils has been rising year on year. However, satisfactory outcomes remain elusive with continued lack of quality cited in the labour supply, particularly evident in crucial areas such as adult and children's social services, coupled with a shortage of workers in key roles like IT, finance and engineering.

To deliver tangible improvements and efficiencies we need collaborative interventions among councils and agencies themselves. Only then will we be able to address the major issues regarding costs/quality of candidates and improve the management of our temporary workers, which will give us a chance of retaining talent in our sector.

The WMTemps framework, created by WME for and on behalf of councils across the West Midlands, tackles some of these systemic issues. It combines a regional strategy with a regional agency solution, delivered by Opus People Solutions, to also support broader workforce management objectives. These include employee retention and the shift from temporary to permanent roles, with 25% of all temporary placements made permanent to date.

Michelle Leith, Director of HR at Walsall Council, says: ‘Opus and WME's commitment to workforce planning and innovation is refreshing. Their forward-thinking strategies have not only resulted in instant and significant cost savings but have positioned us for sustained success.'

Brad Sinclair, Group Managing Director, at Opus People Solutions says: ‘Temporary workers are an essential resource in the future of public sector recruitment. Acquiring talent is just the first step – we need to constantly be working together to look for ways to utilise their skills in the right way and retain them in the sector.

‘As a Managed Service Provider we are working in strategic partnership with our agency supply chain and councils, supporting recruiting managers and candidates, investing in career pathways and breaking down barriers. We are not only unlocking new strategies to improve recruitment and retention but also changing the narrative on the use of temporary workers.'

One of the major factors that led to Telford and Wrekin Council using the WMTemps framework was the fact we work as a strategic partner with councils in order to address wider talent issues and actually focus on reducing agency spend.

David Sidaway, Chief Executive at Telford and Wrekin Council, says: ‘The WMTemps framework goes beyond simply recruiting temporary workers. The team understand our workforce management challenges and they are actively helping us address them, assessing future talent needs, and supporting broader workforce objectives. This collaborative approach is fortifying our workforce, positioning our region for greater strength and resilience.'

Sue Hanley, Chief Executive of Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council, says: ‘We have found it really positive that the team behind the WMTemps framework have shown dedication and commitment to enhancing workforce management practices, and thereby ensuring that the quality of services offered by agencies are enhanced.

‘There has been a relationship of trust and confidence built for both candidates and agencies, which helps facilitate sound recruitment practices. We have been really reassured to work with a partner team committed to making a positive difference in the recruitment landscape.'

The WMTemps framework aligns agency requirements with council priorities, providing better control over agency staff expenditure, improving workforce planning, reducing reliance on agency staff, increasing quality, facilitating transfers to permanent positions, and streamlining recruitment processes for managers.

If you would like to find out more about how WMTemps is reshaping the landscape of local government workforce solutions and acting as a catalyst for positive change in the West Midlands please visit https://wmemployers.org.uk/what-we-do/wmtemps/

Rebecca Davis is chief executive of West Midlands Employers

In just over 18 months since its go-live, seven councils, representing 22% of authorities in the West Midlands, have signed up for the service. These include the following Councils: Wyre Forest District, Bromsgrove & Redditch, Walsall, Telford & Wrekin, Rugby and Newcastle Under Lyme.

We are seeing real transformation in terms of the quality and improved recruitment experience of candidates:

• One council achieved £250k savings in the first 3 months after WMTemps went live.
• Another council achieved 69% decrease in active temporary workers, since the launch of WMTemps, through improved quality and increase in the number of temporary placement being made permanent.
•  Bromsgrove and Redditch Council – successfully transitioned 100% of previous off-contract suppliers to on-contract from day one.

This article is sponsored content for The MJ