Solihull Council has significantly reduced its workforce through a mutual early resignation scheme (MERS) and stringent recruitment controls as it grapples with budget pressures.
Last spring, all council employees, excluding school staff, were invited to apply for the MERS, which offers severance payments to those choosing to leave. This initiative, costing around £1.7 million and funded by a transformation fund supported by £10 million in exceptional financial support from the government, helped the council save approximately £2 million. The authority employs roughly 6,000 staff members in total.
Adrian Cattell, the council’s Head of Human Resources, informed the resources and delivering value scrutiny board that as of the end of September, the council’s headcount had decreased by 158 employees, equivalent to nearly 108 full-time equivalents. Notably, children’s services expanded with seven additional full-time employees.
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The data revealed 420 staff members left the council in the year leading up to September 2025, representing an increase of 49 departures compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, spending on agency workers dropped by 36.3 percent, totaling £5,643,805 during the current financial year.
When councillor Oliver Farr inquired about the nature of agency worker use, particularly if it was short-term or to cover sickness and recruitment challenges, Mr. Cattell explained that agency staff filled a variety of roles. These included temporary cover during vacancies until permanent appointments could be made, with half employed in children’s services. The council is actively reducing agency reliance as it fills permanent positions.
Sickness absence also remains a concern. The average number of sickness days per staff member rose slightly to 11.72 days during the year, a statistic described by the officer as “disappointing.” Councillor Leslie Kaye expressed concern over the worsening sickness rates despite the easing of Covid-19 impacts, suggesting that current strategies may not be effective and that a fresh approach might be necessary.
Chairman Councillor Dave Pinwell emphasized the importance of managing staff sickness proactively and welcomed the exploration of new measures to address the issue.
The scrutiny board meeting took place at the Civic Suite on Monday, January 5.