Almost 30 council department staff have been off with stress

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

There are concerns over the wellbeing of Powys council staff after it was revealed that a shocking number have been off work with stress in one department along over the past year.

During the last year, there were 29 staff from the Highways, Transport and Recycling (HTR) department off work due to stress, the council has revealed.

Last month, senior councillor Gareth D Jones (Powys Independent – Llanfair Caereinion & Llanerfyl) submitted a number of questions on staff absences due to stress in the department that looks after the roads and collects the recycling and rubbish in Powys.

This follows HTR coming in for criticism for missed recycling and waste collections due to the new collection routes, as well as the state of pothole-riddled roads in the county.

Cllr Jones asked how many staff are currently, and over the last year have been, absent due to work-related stress in HTR and asked for the numbers to be broken down separately across the three service areas.

He also asked what the job vacancy levels are, as well as what help is available to support staff with their “wellbeing and resilience”.

Head of Highways, Transport and Recycling, John Foresey, said that one member of staff in the highways department is “currently” absent.

But over the last year, Mr Foresey said that 24 members of staff in highways, three in recycling and two in transport had been absent due to work-related stress.

Mr Foresey explained that calculating the number of vacant jobs is not as “straightforward” as it seems, as vacancies can occur if a worker receives a promotion.

Their role may be “temporarily” covered by others who are paid an “honorarium” to do so while management decides whether to recruit or “consider” whether the role can be done in a different way.

Mr Foresey said: “In practical terms, recruitment challenges within HTR are concentrated in a small number of operational areas, most notably waste and recycling HGV drivers.”

He explained that if the council is unable to recruit to a vacant HGV driver position, agency staff may need to be brought in to cover that role.

Mr Foresey said: “We are currently recruiting three waste and recycling operatives, professional engineering roles, quantity surveyors and suitably qualified HGV technicians.”

Moving on to staff absences, Mr Foresey said: “Across HTR, we apply the corporate sickness absence management policy, which enforces a supportive role for managers to manage staff that are on sick leave.

“There is particular reference to dealing with stress at work in the policy and how this should be managed, which is slightly different and more responsive compared to other reasons for absence.”

He listed a number of channels that can help staff, including an employee mental health action plan, referral to occupational health, and “Vivup”, which is part of the council’s employee assistance programme and includes a confidential counselling service.

A list of organisations that can help with mental health and wellbeing, such as MIND and the Samaritans, is also made available.

Mr Foresey said: “All line managers are expected to attend the sickness absence training, which includes a specific section on how to manage stress-at-work sickness and non-work-related stress absence.”

He added that he and all HTR senior management have taken, or are booked on to take, Mental First Aid courses.

On a political level, the Powys Independents group have lodged a motion of no confidence in Cllr Jackie Charlton (Liberal Democrat – Llangattock and Llangynidr), the cabinet member for HTR.

It was revealed at the council’s annual meeting last week that a motion of no confidence had been blocked from being discussed in case it prejudiced the Senedd election pre-election period.

Councillors from both the Powys Independents and Conservative groups are calling for an extraordinary meeting to debate the motion, which asks council leader Cllr Jake Berriman (Liberal Democrat – Llandrindod North) to sack Cllr Charlton.