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Technical Notes 2026, Issue 92 - Care at Home – Use of Overtime

  • Report by:

    Ann Davie, Chief Executive

  • TN Number:

    092-26

  • Subject:

    Care at Home – Use of Overtime

  • Responsible Officer:

    Derrick Pearce, Chief Officer, East Dunbartonshire HSCP

  • Publication:

    This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.

Details

  • This Technical Note has been prepared in response to questions raised at the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee on 4 June in relation to use of overtime in Care at Home and other registered social care services operated by the HSCP
  • There has been an overspend in overtime costs within the HSCP in house Care at Home budget – as reported in relation to period 12 actual spend
  • The 2025/2026 overtime budget for Care at Home was set at £189,325. Period 12 actual spend on overtime was reported at £579,549
  • Our Care at Home service, in common with all social care services registered with the Care Inspectorate must operate with safe staffing levels, matched to customer need, and in line with the Health and Care (Safe Staffing) Act 2019
  • Our Care at home service has had difficulties in recruiting to their full established numbers of frontline care staff. This challenge in recruitment is replicated across other comparable Clyde Valley services. Recruitment and retention is recognised as being a national issue in adult social care
  • Third and independent sector care at home services are dealing with this shortfall in staff by recruiting overseas workers via sponsorship arrangements
  • Rolling recruitment has been approved for EDC HSCP Care at Home posts to attempt to maintain the stability of the service and deal with shortfalls in staffing
  • There is no set national rate of pay for care workers and all Local Authorities can and do set their own rates of pay for employed staff. Neighbouring local authorities do remunerate at a higher level for frontline care staff compared to East Dunbartonshire (North Lanarkshire and Glasgow specifically) and this can result in competition and market forces in recruitment and retention
  • As of 8 June 2026, there were 22 fte vacancies in EDC HSCP Care at Home. Vacant posts need to be covered by overtime payments to existing staff to maintain our levels of care and support
  • Costs for 22 vacant grade 5 posts equate to £573,281 per year (net of oncosts)
  • Additional overtime is also required to cover sickness absence in the service
  • Care at Home staff absence is generally long term in nature and consistent with trends seen in predominantly female and aging workforces. Progress has been made in moving on long term absences via capability processes
  • Our Care at Home absences fluctuate throughout the year but our most recent absence was 9.01%. The service reached an absence figure of 12.02% in January 2026, but absences tend to vary between 8.5% - 9.5%
  • In comparison, the most recent figures collated re absence across comparator HSCPs and Councils, indicate an average of 11.42% absence across other Clyde Valley care at home services
  • Vacancies and absences, therefore, explain the need for the use of overtime to maintain service provision. The costs of overtime in the in house care at home service and largely matching turnover underspend from vacant posts. Efforts remain live, however, to maximise resourcing through filing vacancies and actively addressing absence from work.