This report looks at the recruitment and retention pressures currently facing councils in the light of demographic and other changes. It assesses the potential risks to key services of councils failing to properly plan their workforces and it evaluates the progress councils have made. The report contains case studies of good recruitment and retention practice to help other councils improve their own workforce strategies.
Waking up to workforce issues
The following tools have been designed to help councils take forward the recommendations of our report, encourage debate among senior council staff about workforce issues, and to facilitate workshops and discussions within councils.
- Did you know? - an eye-catching presentation highlights surprising facts about workforce issues, and is designed to be shown at the beginning of a meeting or workshop to spark debate. This presentation was inspired by a presentation created by Karl Fisch, a teacher at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado. View the original (external site).
- Workshop materials - booklet containing a menu of activities which can help any council run a workshop for senior council staff to address the high-level issues raised in the national report. These can be used in a 'pick and mix' way, depending on the needs of individual councils.
The Commission would welcome feedback on these workshop materials. If you have tried them out, please let us know what worked well and what could be improved. Or if you have any other suggestions or comments, please contact Chloe Schneider.
Case studies
To help councils learn from notable practice among their peers, we have produced eleven detailed case studies to complement or expand upon those in the national report. Each case study identifies a workforce related issue, the action taken by the local authority and resources used, the outcomes of the project, and the learning from the project.