WELB teachers sickerthan other parts of NI

According to a new Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report teacher sickness absence levels ranged from a low of 5.87 days per teacher at the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) to a high of 8.16 days per teacher in WELB in 2011/12.

The auditors also said that levels at WELB - alongside Belfast and the North Eastern board - have not improved as much as other authorities since 2007/08. In 2010/11 WELB set an absence target of six days per teacher but fell short with the average absence rate of 7.90 days per teacher. And in 2011/12 it got worse. WELB set a target of 5.75 days but teachers missed 8.16 days on average. The picture for non-teaching staff here was somewhat better.

Although non-teaching staff cost the people £3,260,367 by missing 8.11 days in WELB in 2010/11 the performance was better than elsewhere.

The report shows there has been little consistency in trends across the six boards but states: “WELB has seen continuous improvement, of around 10 per cent (or nearly 1 day), in its absence rate.”

Elsewhere, an analysis of absence rates within occupational categories at individual health Trusts suggests some Trusts experience problems within particular occupational groups.

For example, the Western Trust had the highest rate of absence among the Trusts for professional and technical staff.

That said, the Western Trust has been hitting its own sickness absence targets.

From a base line of 5.8 per cent working days lost in 2007/8 it exceeded its target of 5.2 per cent and got it down to 5 per cent in 2010/11.

The Northern Ireland Comptroller and Auditor General Kieran Donnelly said: “Sickness absence in the Northern Ireland public sector results in a significant cost. I welcome the improvements that are being made.

“However, targets have not always been met and there is scope for further improvements. If absence levels could be reduced to match those in Great Britain, savings of £37 million are possible.”