Increased number of sickies is ‘challenge’ for social services

Bosses in bid to improve attendance as absences rise

Jack Thomson Local Democracy Reporter

The number of workers taking time off sick has proved “a challenge” for Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP).

The absence rate for NHS staff stands at 5.1 per cent for the period of April to September, which is above the public body’s target of four per cent.

Despite the figure decreasing from the 5.5 per cent rate reported in March, HSCP senior managers are working with the NHS and Renfrewshire Council to improve attendance.

HSCP social work staff recorded an average of 4.64 days lost per full-time equivalent employee, compared against a target of 1.79.

A performance management midyear report for 2018-19, says: “Sickness absence remains a challenge for the HSCP.”

The service will take action to address the situation by working with management teams to identify areas in need of greater support and finding ways to support employees to return to work.

It also plans to continue “rigorous monitoring” of long- term absence and deliver attendance management training.

Performance across the HSCP varied between April and September, with success reported in the number of children being seen for speech and language therapy within four months.

Almost 100 per cent of children were seen within 18 weeks, compared against the 73 per cent recorded for the last period.

There has been a reduction in the percentage of low birth-weight babies, from seven per cent in March to 6.2 per cent.

The rate of pregnancies for those under the age of 16 has also declined.

During 2017- 18, it stood at 3.1 per 1,000 in the population but this has further fallen to 2.4 in the first quarter of 2018-19.

However, a decrease in performance has been seen in other areas of the service.

The percentage of patients seen within 18 weeks by Renfrewshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service fell from 100 per cent to 94.7 per cent.

The report noted that “staff vacancies and sickness absence” had impacted on waiting times.

The number of complaints the HSCP responded to within 20 days has dropped from 76 per cent in March to 53 per cent by September.

Officers said the need for more time was down to the partnership “receiving a number of complaints which have been more complex in nature”.

The performance management report will be discussed at Friday’s Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Integration Joint Board.