Stress and mental health-related staff absence at Warwickshire County Council continues to surge but a director insists: "We have got a grip."

The long-standing issue of rising sickness rates prompted a detailed report for councillors on the resources, fire and rescue overview and scrutiny committee. Broadly, they were satisfied with the efforts of the council's senior officers to address the matter but the numbers are still stark. 

The average number of sick days per year taken by a full-time equivalent council employee is 10.62, a gradually increasing figure from the 8.99 recorded in June 2023. 

Alongside that overall rise, the proportion of those absences attributed to stress and mental health remains significant – it was 28 per cent in 2022-23 with this recent review stating it is currently responsible for 46 per cent of absences of four weeks or longer. 

The average number of days per full-time employee taken for stress and mental health alone stands at 3.86, up from 3.45 a year ago and now more than 50 per cent above the council's target of 2.5. 

A number of measures have been brought in including preventative work and return to work interviews following time off. 

Particular focus has been on those absent for nine months or longer, 18 of which have been listed as "closed". How they have been handled is not detailed but it is highlighted that absence figures include those who have left the council during the past 12 months, "including those who have left as a result of an absence management process". 

The report adds: "Removing data relating to leavers brings average absence figures for our current workforce to 8.78 days, which is more in line with target performance targets. This is due in part to active management of those for whom a return to work was not possible."

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Bal Jacob, Warwickshire County Council's director of workforce and local services, highlighted the difference leavers had made during her introduction.

She said that "the leading measures show more traction" than referring only to data across a 12-month period, "particularly when you look at the long-term cases we have dealt with and the figures when people have left the organisation during the period of time".

Having heard that councillors were generally satisfied by what they had seen, Ms Jacob added: "It is pleasing to hear that we have given you the assurance that we have got a grip. 

"We are working on making sure we can do whatever we can to support all our employees because ultimately, the impact is on the people who are left at work trying to carry on. We recognise that so we are proactively looking to support everyone in the organisation, not just those who are off sick."

However, committee chair Cllr Adrian Warwick made the case for the matter to stay on the radar. 

"This should remain a priority," he said. 

"Our number one priority and resource at this authority is our workforce and we need to make sure they are looked after so they can continue delivering what we want to ensure Warwickshire is the best place it can be."