I am writing to request the following information regarding your council's use of agency labour for the financial year 2023/24 (or the most recent complete 12-month period for which data is available):

1. Financial Information
a) What was your total expenditure on hourly paid agency workers?
£7,225,927 for financial year 2023/24.

b) How many total hours were supplied by hourly paid agency workers?
133,475 hours.

c) What were your top 3-5 job roles/categories by volume of agency hours used?
The 5 Job Categories with the highest volume of agency hours were:
Social Care Qualified
Executive / Specialist
Executive
Senior Technical
Engineering & Surveying

2. Procurement and Management
• How is agency labour supply currently procured and managed? Please specify:
o Any frameworks used (e.g., ESPO, YPO, CCS, regional frameworks)
o Whether you use a master vendor, neutral vendor, or direct supply arrangements
o The number of agency suppliers you currently work with
Wokingham Borough Council have a contract in place with Matrix SCM for the supply of temporary agency workers. The contact is awarded via the MSTAR 4 Framework and operates under a neutral vend model. We currently have 37 different suppliers against active placements.

3. Cost Verification and Recovery
a) Do you have contractual provisions or audit processes in place to verify that the actual employer costs (National Insurance, pension contributions, holiday pay, apprenticeship levy, etc.) charged by agencies match the costs genuinely incurred for each worker?
Our Managed Service Provider, Matrix SCM have advised that there is an Addendum & Schedule to Supplier Agreements with detail provided. Matrix SCM also carry out random Audits every month for Wokingham Borough Council Placements to check compliance documentation and payslips.

b) If yes, please describe the verification mechanism and any recoveries made in the last 12 months
Matrix SCM have confirmed that payslip audits are carried out on a regular basis to ensure correct payment. Any concerns are picked up directly with suppliers and corrected immediately.

c) If no, are there plans to implement such measures?
Not applicable.

4. Compliance and Modern Slavery
a) What modern slavery due diligence requirements do you impose on your agency suppliers?
Matrix SCM Modern Slavery Statement: If turnover is over £36m – Matrix SCM will verify this statement is compliant with the Modern Slavery Act.
Matrix SCM Modern Slavery Policy: Matrix SCM ask suppliers to confirm they have a modern slavery policy in place and upload a copy of their current version.

b) Do you conduct working pattern analysis to identify potential exploitation indicators (e.g., multiple occupancy reporting, excessive hours, workers' wages being paid into duplicate bank accounts)?
Matrix SCM have confirmed that they conduct this through quarterly reports, which for example highlight candidates with the same address and contact details.

c) Have you identified any modern slavery concerns within your agency workforce in the past 12 months?
Matrix SCM have advised that they have identified some concerns through quarterly reports, however upon investigation they confirmed that modern slavery was not occurring in these instances.