The effect of sickness absence in further education goes much wider than cost. Staff shortages can disrupt students’ learning, with the report highlighting some cases where such disruption has led to students leaving courses.  There are, therefore, clearly benefits to be gained from reducing sickness absence levels.

The Auditor General’s report found weaknesses in the way institutions implement and manage sickness absence policies. Fewer than 80 per cent of sickness absence cases were correctly certified by staff. Also, at the nine institutions which reported that they carry out return to work interviews for every absence, only 16 per cent of staff reported actually having an interview following their most recent absence.

There was also widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of occupational health services provided: in some cases it took three months for staff to get an appointment. The report points to weaknesses in the type of data institutions collect, resulting in colleges missing issues which should be tackled. For example, the Wales Audit Office’s own analysis showed that a third of one-day absences were on a Monday.

However, some examples of good practice were identified and, while the overall staff sickness rate in further education colleges in Wales is higher than the private sector
(7.8 days), it is comparable with maintained schools in Wales and lower than other areas of the public sector, such as the Assembly (where the level is 10.6 days). 

The Auditor General calls on FE colleges to introduce improved sickness absence policies and procedures, with regular monitoring and target setting. He also recommends that ELWa identifies and promotes best practice across the sector.

The Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman, said today:

“It is good that the level of sickness absence in further education in Wales is lower than other parts of the public sector.  However, my report shows that there is scope for institutions to tighten up their management of sickness absence and so to reduce it further. Aside from the savings for the public purse through reductions in absence, implementation of my recommendations will also lead to more appropriate and sensitive treatment of staff; less disruption for students and help improve the quality of learning in further education in Wales.”

Notes to Editors:

• This report examines the management of sickness absence in the 25 further education institutions in Wales.
• In total, the further education sector employs over 15,000 people, over half of whom are part time. The total salary costs of these staff was some £238 million in 2003-04, 67 per cent of total institution expenditure. 
• The overall level of sickness absence in Wales’ further education colleges is 8.9 days.  This is about the same as teachers in maintained schools in Wales, but lower than averages elsewhere: 10 days for the UK-wide civil service, 10.6 days for the Assembly, 12 days for local government in Wales and 15.6 days for the NHS in Wales.
• The Wales Audit Office (WAO) is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure.
• The WAO was created on 1st April 2005 following the passing of the Public Audit (Wales) Act, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staffs from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.

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