The Workforce Plan is a Local Authority’s strategy for ensuring it has adequate workers and structures to meet the varied demands and supply all the relevant services. These plans must look towards the future to encompass growing populations and requirements placed upon Local Authority services.
LAPO plays an important role in the consultation with management during the process of constructing a Workforce Plan. LAPO’s involvement will help ensure that clear promotional paths are retained by maintaining reporting structures with POs reporting to Senior POs rather that administrative members of staff.
LAPO Committee Member and SIPTU NEC Member, Terri Watson, said: “Currently most POs report very large workloads and working hours. Work Planning is an opportunity to explain this issue with information clearly demonstrating which posts have duties which exceed the grade or amount a person could be reasonably expected to fulfil. During the construction of a Workforce Plan we can seek to ensure that the number and grades of the posts in each directorate and section is appropriate for their workloads.”
She added: “Professional Officers workloads, types of work and responsibilities have been increasing year of year with the pressure being felt by many LAPO members. There have been reports from numerous POs that the resulting stress has been increasing and is affecting their health. Making Local Authorities aware of the seriousness and extent of this problem is curcial. The Workforce Plan is the opportunity for staff levels to be increased to address this problem.”