BARNSLEY’S Liberal Democrat group have uncovered ‘alarming’ figures within Berneslai Homes after it was revealed they spent more than £1.6m on agency fees last year.
Publicly available data, sourced by the Lib Dems in the town, shows that in the 2024/25 financial year, Berneslai Homes spent a total of £1.629m on paying Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd.
It comes after the Chronicle revealed that Barnsley Council had lost £1.6m in rent due to homes being left empty for a prolonged period of time.
The Chronicle understands there are more than 300 so-called ‘void properties’ within the council’s own stock - ones which are empty and in need of repair work before they can be re-let - across Barnsley.
Coun Chris Wray, who represents the Dodworth ward, said the cash used for agency workers would have been better used elsewhere.
He said: “It was shocking to see that this Labour council under Berneslai Homes has paid £1.65m in agency wages and fees in just one year.
“Use of agency staff comes at a premium, as seen in these figures.
“Our Lib Dem councillors have had to deal with increased complaints from residents as planned work has been delayed for months or even close to a year.
“The extra cash spent on agency fees could have been used to improve social housing stock and bring empty homes up to standard.”
Barnsley Council itself has spent £12.7m on similar fees over the last 12 months.
More than £11m has gone to Reed Specialist Recruitment - the same firm Berneslai Homes have been using.
Coun Hannah Kitching, leader of the Barnsley Liberal Democrat group, added: “With budgets getting ever tighter, and value for money being more important than ever before, the significant spend on agency staff is one where the council should look at and see if it is the appropriate way forward.
“We understand that some temporary gaps, to cover long-term sickness, maternity, and similar circumstances, require filling.
“We also appreciate challenges in recruitment to some areas.
“However, at close to £13m, this seem to be plugging far more than that, and I know that taxpayers would like assurances that as much money as possible is being spent on core services.”
Ed Long, head of finance at Berneslai Homes, told the Chronicle: “We use agency staff if we’re unable to fill business-critical roles, require specialist skills, or have short-term work that’s externally funded, so that we can continue to provide essential services.
“For example, our repairs team of skilled trade operatives handle our core repairs and maintenance services, however, because the workload for our capital investment projects changes, we sometimes need to bring in agency workers to meet changing demands.
“We keep agency spending under close review, and to minimise reliance on agency staff and make sure we’re getting value for money, we use targeted recruitment campaigns and take steps to support and develop our people to improve retention.”
Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for core services, added: “Recruitment to frontline roles, particularly within social care, remains a significant challenge both locally and nationally.
“These roles are essential in supporting and protecting vulnerable children and adults across the borough, and where we are unable to recruit permanent staff quickly enough, agency workers are used to maintain safe and effective services.
"Agency staff are often used because we are unable to fill all our business-critical frontline roles or recruit individuals with specific skills required to deliver essential services.
“They are also used to deliver short-term work funded through external grants. In these instances, using temporary staff is often a more cost-effective and flexible approach that avoids creating ongoing costs for the council.
"We fully recognise the financial pressures associated with agency staffing and this is offset through vacancy management. We have also taken a range of steps to reduce our reliance on temporary workers, including targeted recruitment campaigns, investment in developing and growing our own workforce, and a wide-ranging employee benefits package to improve staff retention.
“As a result, we've already seen a reduction in several areas.
“We remain committed to providing high-quality services for the people of Barnsley while ensuring value for money and long-term financial sustainability."
