A workforce crisis is threatening vital local services, with more than nine in 10 councils experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties, an LGA survey has revealed.
The LGA’s 2022 Local Government Workforce Survey found that:
- more than 8 in 10 councils were having difficulties recruiting children’s social workers and almost three-quarters (72 per cent) were having problems retaining them
- 57 per cent were struggling to retain and 71 per cent to recruit adult social care workers
- 58 per cent were struggling to recruit planning officers
- 22 per cent were experiencing recruitment difficulties for HGV drivers
- 45 per cent were having difficulties finding environmental health officers
- 43 per cent struggled to recruit building control officers.
Significant staff shortages in local government risk having a serious impact on councils’ capacity to deliver services – from protecting vulnerable children to caring for older and disabled adults to ensuring buildings are safe – the LGA has warned.
It is also restricting councils’ ability to help government meet key pledges, such as building more homes, boosting and levelling up economic growth, and reforming adult social care.
Cllr James Jamieson, LGA Chairman, said: “Local workforce shortages are adding to the challenges facing our local services.
“In the coming years, some services are likely to continue to see a significant increase in demand that they will not be able to meet without an increase in the supply of skilled staff.
“Government investment in local government and its workforce is key to ensuring services are protected and to delivering its own policy agenda.”