Growth and development.pdf

North AyrshireStaff6. StaffingVacanciesWTE1999actualWTE1999per 1,000Managers & central staff 96 0.7 2 94 0.7 2Frontline staff 614 4.4 3 714 5.1 2Other 196 1.4 2 165 1.2 2Total 906 6.5 2 973 7.0 2Vacancies2000 % Vacancies2000Quartile1999% Vacancies2000ScotlandWTE2000actualWTE2000per 1,000Vacancies2001 % Vacancies2001Quartile2000% Vacancies2001ScotlandSWs with adults 0 0 7.8 1 7.4 10.9SWs with children 1 2.2 7.4 6 15.8 10.7SWs with offenders 1 4.5 7.5 1 5.6 7.2Generic workers 1 7.1 8.0 1 7.7 12.7Total 3 2.9 7.7 9 11.6 10.5There is a relatively high rate of staff, whose total number has increased between 1999 and2000 – mainly in frontline staff. The rate of managers and central staff is relatively low. Staffvacancies are lower than average in all areas, except children’s services, where they are high.Major problems have emerged in the recruitment and retention of childcare staff in fieldworkteams. A high sickness level has placed further pressure on workers.To address these problems the Council has used social work assistants to take on tasks that donot require qualified workers. It supports assistants whose aim is to qualify as social workers.It may sponsor students through the local college with guaranteed employment on qualification.Further staff problems are foreseen as community care expands in response to the findings ofthe strategic review of older peoples' services.To help retain staff, the department is creating senior practitioner posts, with appointment tothe grade made on the basis of experience and qualification, as an outcome of the personaldevelopment review process. A bid has been made to the Society Of Directors Of Personnel InScotland for consultant resources to find solutions to staff retention problems and to establisha work/life balance.7. Modernising servicesThere is a small ethnic minority population, in which the largest groups are Asian and Chinese.Race equality is considered within an equal opportunities policy framework adopted by theCouncil in 1997. A racial incident monitoring group has been established for North Ayrshire.The Council has formed a working group to develop a race equality plan.New technology is being used to improve the information flow between the Council and itscitizens. Early successes, including the development of reception services, a telephone callcentre and the Council’s website, are to be followed by a second phase introducing citizenaccounts and online processes. Social work has been closely involved in a detailed analysis ofbusiness processes able to be deployed on the Council’s information systems.183