GOVERNMENT cuts have been blamed for an increased number of sick days taken by Wirral Council staff, as the organisation revealed details of how it’s attempting to turn fortunes around.

Currently, local authority staff take an average of around 11 days off per full-time equivalent per year – a figure described as “too high” by officials.

That figure has seen a rise in the past nine years, albeit consistently fluctuating around the 11 mark for the past five.

Comparing that figure to the date when the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition took power in parliament, Cllr Tom Usher said at this week’s meeting of the business overview and scrutiny committee: “It’s been around a decade since we’ve struggled with this 10 or 11-day mark.

“I can certainly think of something that happened around about a decade ago that may have increased uncertainty in local authority work forces and therefore the uncertainty around people’s jobs.”

The meeting took place at Wallasey Town Hall on Tuesday, where Cllr Jerry Williams said it was “obvious” the high levels of absence were due to austerity.

As the council’s budget was passed this week, council leader Phil Davies said the authority was battling a ninth year of cuts – totalling £200m since 2010.

Cllr Williams added: “It’s central government cuts. There are some serious issues here.”

Cllr Tony Cox responded to Cllr Williams by saying it’s been at a similar level “since I can remember”, adding: “You’ve been [a member of the council] for 30-odd years. You’re telling me that it’s suddenly increased? Have a word with yourself.”

Addressing senior HR manager Tony Williams, Cllr Cox said the cost of sick days – £4.3m – was “an outstanding amount of money that we have to find”.

He added: “High absences levels cost more and ultimately lead to Wirral residents who are impacted – and clearly that is exactly why we need to reduce it as best we can.”

He called for the authority to aim to bring the 11-days down to the public sector average – 8.5 days per year, adding: “If other places within the public sector can achieve that, why can’t we?”

Mr Williams responded by saying 8.5 “is quite ambitious from where we are now”.

He added: “We’ve been at 11 for some time. I do think we are working harder than we’ve ever done. Well-being strategies and new policies are in place we’re looking at.

“We are keeping it tight in terms of monitoring it and reporting it very, very regularly.

“It’s a multi-faceted approach [that’s needed]. There’s not one answer to resolving sickness absence.”

To combat the high number of absences, a workplace well-being strategy has been launched by the council, which includes volunteering, mental health events and activities laid on for staff including yoga, running clubs, choirs and football sessions, which are all paid for by employees. That’s alongside more training and occupational health initiatives.

The conversation also covered how mental health absences hit a new high, with the percentage of council staff taking time off for the issue at its highest since 2010, as reported by the Local Democracy Service last week.

Cllr Cox added: “Mental health absences are now at 37.2%. We have been through unprecedented change. I accept and recognise that.

“Everywhere I’ve ever been – when there’s a restructure, there’s an increase in sickness levels. People don’t like change. Uncertainty can cause stress-related issues.

“We are doing some fantastic things to support people back into work. The structures we’ve got in place are second to none.”

The report discussed by the committee said: “A significant amount of work continues to be undertaken and improvement in this area is a priority.

“The benchmarking information and research from outside the organisation demonstrates that the Council is facing the same challenge as many large organisations, particularly in the public sector and specifically in relation to levels of mental health and well being.”

A council spokeswoman added: “We are committed to promoting the well-being of staff – both as a duty of care to our workforce, and to minimise any impact on services we provide for residents.

“Our absence figures are comparable with other local authorities in the region, and for similar organisations across a range of sectors. We’re working hard to keep them to a minimum.

“We have a programme to support employee well-being, which includes volunteering opportunities, employee-led activities, and mental health ‘first aid’ training for managers.

“Managing sickness absence effectively will remain a priority. We will continue to provide well-being opportunities for staff, and address any issues responsibly.”