A CASH-strapped council is having to spend more money on agency staff because of new regulations.

Out of the 206 agency staff Worcestershire County Council currently employs, 115 were affected by the Agency Worker Regulations which came into effect last autumn.

The new regulations mean any agency worker earning less than an equivalent county council worker are automatically entitled to an increase to take them to the same hourly pay rate, as well as increased holidays.

At the last meeting of the full council, Labour leader Councillor Peter McDonald asked whether the council, which is currently trying to cut its budget by up to £70 million as a result of reduced government funding, should employ so many agency staff because of rising costs.

Councillor David Thain, cabinet member for change and transformation, said the council had planned for the rising costs and added: “Before agency staff are employed or deployed within the county council they go through quite a vigorous vetting procedure to determine whether they are required.

“At times when agency staff are deployed it’s usually because they bring some kind of expertise which if that were brought into the council on a permanent basis would be far more expensive than using that option for a shorter period of time.”

After the meeting, your Worcester News asked the council how much more money the regulations are costing the council but a spokesman said it was not easy to quantify as it depends on how long a worker was employed for and what pay grade they were on. However, on average, agency worker pay has increased by about 2.5 per cent where applicable.

“Although there will be some additional costs, directorates will manage them as part of the normal management of budget variations – in other words we are not treating this as a major budgetary issue,” said the spokesman.

Meanwhile, just a handful of staff made redundant from their positions at the county council have been re-employed by their former bosses.

Over the last three years six people have gone back to work for Worcestershire County Council, all in relatively junior positions.

Only one has been re-employed on a permanent basis and that is a part-time home care asssitant who is working about 11 hours a week.

A temporary project assistant has also been re-hired while the council has got four previously redundant staff back on its books as casuals in junior positions on zero hours contracts.