Moray Council launches major project to reduce staff absence
Moray Council is taking decisive action to address high levels of staff sickness absence recently highlighted to committees.
The council has approved a new Improving Attendance Project, a “spend to save” initiative, which will initially aim to reduce absence rates among teaching and support staff and improve consistency for pupils in classrooms. The project will start with a one-year pilot in schools, backed by up to £89,000 from the Transformation Fund, and aims to deliver both financial savings and better outcomes for learners.
Moray Council has already been working on improvements and is now implementing a targeted, evidence-based plan to reverse this trend. The aim is for a 10% reduction in absence rates in the first year, saving an estimated £332,000 in supply costs; improved stability in classrooms, reducing disruption for pupils; and better support for staff wellbeing and workload management.
Moray Council Leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “While the Council acknowledges the seriousness of the issue and the notable increase in sickness absence in Moray, we should also note the national trend of rising sickness absence across all local authorities. What matters is that Moray Council now acts decisively. This project will provide dedicated support to schools, promote staff wellbeing, and ensure pupils get the consistent learning experience they deserve.
“The council will review progress after six months and, if successful, consider extending the approach to other services.”
Moray currently sees up to 15.7 days lost per staff member per year, compared to previous years where rates were significantly lower. This trend has led to increased costs for supply cover and disruption to learning.
The project will deliver:
- Two dedicated HR advisers to work directly with schools, supporting head teachers and managers to manage absence cases quickly and consistently.
- A focus on early intervention, ensuring staff get the right support and that absence procedures are applied fairly and effectively.
- Promotion of a culture of health and wellbeing across the workforce, with better access to advice and resources.
- Freeing up school leaders’ time so they can concentrate on improving teaching and learning rather than managing absence.