Decision details

Prior to 1st April 23, staff would approach agencies direct to bring in agency staff to fill vacant roles or to provide additional capacity as and when required.
In 2022, a project was set up to review agency spend and several solutions were implemented, including the roll out of the Crown Commercial Services Temporary Agency Worker Framework (RM6277) which included multiple agencies across a number of job roles. This went live on the 1st April 2023.
Within the Housing and Property Services Directorate, there is a high dependency on agency staff for key roles, as the service department have been unable to recruit to the post or the role is required for a short period, to cover temporary work requirements.
A number of roles have been in place before the CCS Agency Framework was rolled out in April 2023.
Several services have also indicated that some of the more specialist roles are difficult to fill using the providers on the framework. Additionally in some cases preferential rates have been negotiated directly with the Agency, something we would not be able to do through the CCS framework.
Through a combination of continuation of role and the inability to recruit from those willing to supply staff via the framework there are some posts recruited to from outside of the framework agreement.
Finally, the Housing and Property Directorate are currently in the middle of a transformation project, called Housing Transformation Improvement Programme (HTIP), which is due to the concluded in Summer 25. As part of the project, resources within departments will be reviewed to identify what each service requires in terms of resources to support the services we deliver to our tenants and residents. While we wait for this project to be concluded, the Housing Service is looking to extend several business-critical roles to maintain the service currently being delivered.

1)To approve the extension of a number of roles, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.
2)To set aside the Council’s Commissioning and Procurement Standing Orders to extend the roles.

A number of options have been reviewed prior to agreeing the extension of the contracts which were presented to Commercial Board. These included:
- Extension of the contract which maintains service delivery while HTIP is concluded.
- Terminate roles and procure via the CCS Framework which would impact service delivery;
- Recruit to the roles permanently which is the long term solution once HTIP is concluded.
Based on the above, option 1 is the recommended solution.