The Personnel Committee of Kent Council scheduled a meeting to discuss workforce and employee relations, and to evaluate the council's people strategy. The committee was expected to review reports on workforce profiles, employee relations activities, and the progress of the People Strategy 2022/27. Some items, regarding discretionary payments, the Chief Executive recruitment update, and senior management structure, were marked as exempt and were likely to be discussed in a session closed to the public.

Annual Workforce Profile

The committee was asked to note the Annual Workforce Profile Report 2024-25, which provided information on staffing levels and demographics within the council.

The report indicated that the non-schools workforce had increased by 279 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions over the year. Rolling turnover, excluding Casual, Relief, Sessional and Supply (CRSS) staff, had also increased to 13.4%. Sickness absence had slightly decreased to 8.18 days lost per FTE.

The report also included data on agency staff, noting that there were 670 agency staff employed in non-schools as of March 2025, compared to 470 the previous year. The interim out-turn spend on agency staff in 2024-25 was £33,378,791, approximately 7.8% of the total pay bill.

Analysis of reasons for leaving indicated that the primary reason was resignation at 65.9%, followed by retirement at 11.8%. During 2024-25, 154 employees left KCC due to redundancy, with redundancy payments totalling £1,298,514.

The report also provided a breakdown of staff by equality strand, noting that the percentage of female staff remained consistent at 79.6%, while the percentage of staff from an Ethnic Minority background increased to 11.5%.

A breakdown of the non-schools workforce by salary band showed that 32.7% of contracts were in the salary band KR6 or below, with a maximum full-time salary of £26,383.

The report included detailed appendices with data on staffing levels, contract types, equalities, salaries, recruitment, sickness, agency staff, and turnover.

Annual Employee Relations Activity

The committee was asked to note the Annual Employee Relations Activity Report, which provided an overview of disciplinary, capability, resolution, and Employment Tribunal case numbers from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The report noted an increase in the overall number of formal cases supported by the HR/OD Team during 2024/25, with the highest proportion of cases managed in the CYPE (Children, Young People and Education) and ASCH (Adult Social Care and Health) Directorates.

The greatest volume of cases concerned ill health (42%), while disciplinary cases accounted for 27% of the total case activity. Resolution cases represented just over 8% of all case activity, with a small proportion related to bullying and harassment.

The number of Employment Tribunal cases had increased from the previous twelve months, with 6 claims pending and 5 claims settled.

The report also provided information on dismissal appeals heard by senior officers, noting that there were 6 appeals against dismissal that were examined through the formal process.

People Strategy Evaluation

The committee was asked to note the third-year assessment of Kent County Council's People Strategy, which outlines the council's vision and aspiration for its workforce. The People Strategy is divided into four core themes:

• Maximising organisational capacity, capability, and development
• Creating an environment for people to thrive
• Supporting our people as individuals
• Attracting, retaining, and maximising our talent

The report included twelve key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress against these themes.

The summary position for the performance of the People Strategy in 2024/5 was that in most of the indicators there continued to be a strong performance. Where there had been movement this had not been statistically significant.

Achievements and developments in the year included the development and implementation of a new grading structure, focused activity on sickness absence, and a refocus of opportunities for professional development.

The report also included a detailed analysis of the third year of the People Strategy, presenting a comprehensive look at the activity undertaken to drive the organisation forward.

Other Matters

The agenda for the meeting also included:

• Apologies and Substitutes
• Declarations of Interests
• Exclusion of the Press and Public, to discuss exempt items relating to discretionary payments, the Chief Executive recruitment update, and senior management structure.