PART 1
ITEM NO.
(OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC)
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL SERVICES
TO THE
QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
ON 23RD OCTOBER, 2000
REPORT ON THE COUNSELLING SERVICE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Service operating now for 6 months
82 employees have received counselling in the first 6 months
Reason for counselling split fairly evenly between work and personal issues
Level of absence due to stress related absence has fallen 1.6% in the first
quarter of the financial year.
98% of users would use the service again
FURTHER DETAILS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM
Howard Taylor
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES PLEASE
CONTACT
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
(Available for public inspection)
Howard Taylor Ext: 3508
Working papers and analysis
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1.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.1
THAT the report be noted.
2.
PURPOSE
This report details the usage of the Counselling service which has occurred
during its first 6 months of operation i.e. April – September, 2000.
3.
DETAIL
3.1
Having previously operated a Counselling Service on an ad hoc basis and with
an increasing level of sickness absence due to Stress/Anxiety and related
illness a decision was taken in late 1999 to expand the service on offer to
employees.
3.2
Account was also taken of the increasing ligitigation in this area from
employees of organisations where no attempts had been made to deal with the
problems. The prime Local Government cases being those of Walker v
Northumberland County Council and Lancaster v Birmingham City Council.
3.3
A working group had been operating amongst Safety Officers regionally at
North Western Provincial Council level and a Counselling Firm BDMA had
been identified as a potential provider who had experience within Local
Government.
3.4
Following discussions with and presentations by BDMA and comparisons
with other service providers it was agreed with Directorates that they would
fund the provision of the service on a per capita basis of £4 per employee. In
addition the Lead Member for Personnel also agreed that the service should be
made available to Elected Members. The service has been made available to
other organisations to whom we provide services and indeed has recently been
used by the Lowry Centre.
3.5
Attached as Appendix 1 are details of the usage in the first 6 months of
operation from which it will be seen that 82 employees from all Directorates
have received Counselling. Appendix 2 details the reasons for the first 3
months in relation to the problems, age groups, gender ratio and effects on
work which have been given. As Members will see reasons are split fairly
evenly between Work Related and Personal issues (more than 1 reason can be
given). The Counsellors would expect that the home/work split will vary with
the time of year and the gender proportion of the client workload. Men
usually report more workplace and less personal reasons.
3.6
In addition a 24 hour help line is provided but no record is kept of the number
of calls which are received.
-2-
3.7
Because of the anonymity of the service care has to be taken in obtaining
feedback from clients on the value of the service. However, all clients receive
a questionnaire at the close of their sessions and the initial feedback is
attached at Appendix 3.
Whilst up to 6 sessions would normally be provided the normal average
number of sessions is 2.8%. As the service has only been operating for 6
months we do not have a Salford figure yet. Those employees who have
shared with managers their experience of the service have indicated that they
find it useful.
In response to a BDMA questionnaire 98% of users have indicated that they
would use the service again and 97% would recommend the service. 62%
reported a positive or very positive effect on job performance and 87% the
same effect on their employment of life.
3.8
One positive measure of its effectiveness may be the level of sickness absence
due to stress related illness which has fallen from 15.29% in 1999/2000 to
13.60% in the first 3 months of this year. The overall sickness figure itself
also shows a slight fall. However, great caution must be exercised in using the
figure for one period. In addition it is not possible to tell whether or not
without the service the absence level would have risen due to the level of
pressure and change and uncertainty which is around due to changes in the
way we work.
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