In October 2022, Herefordshire Children’s Services was operating in a highly challenging environment. Like many local authorities emerging from the impact of the pandemic, it faced significant recruitment pressures, a changing workforce landscape and the need to sustain statutory services through a period of significant improvement which had seen much negative medica coverage.

As a geographically dispersed authority on the edge of the West Midlands, attracting and retaining permanent social care staff required sustained focus, creativity, and importantly a commitment to see the outcome gains from the here and now challenging decisions to be made. Against this backdrop, Herefordshire’s journey since joining the MoU demonstrates strong senior leadership and the value of steady, collective action—showing how a clear commitment to the principles of the MoU can support greater stability, reduce reliance on agency staffing and create stronger foundations for long-term service delivery.

What is particularly encouraging about Herefordshire’s progress is the way this commitment has been translated into practical action. By working with WME to develop a business plan focused on reducing agency activity and supporting cost avoidance, the service has shown a clear determination to move from challenge to grip, from a seemingly desperate employer to an employer of choice, and from grip to greater sustainability. This has not been about quick fixes, but about making a deliberate shift away from agency dependency and towards permanent recruitment, building a more stable workforce model and creating the conditions for permanency though the employee offer and support and ensuring close oversight of agency use.

WME’s role has been an important part of that journey. Working alongside Herefordshire’s recruitment leads and Director of Children’s Services, WME supported the development of the detail needed for the exemption business plan, helping to ensure that the case was robust, evidence-based, and clearly aligned to MoU principles. This support also included quarterly monitoring and sense-checking of the data, providing constructive support and challenge throughout the process alongside the region’s DCS sponsor. In addition, conversations were held with the MSP to ensure that they were also demonstrating commitment to the direction of travel and the wider aims of the MoU. That combination of local leadership, regionaloversight, market engagement, and practical partnership has helped maintain momentum and reinforce confidence in the progress being made.

Herefordshire’s progress is therefore not only a reflection of local effort, but also a strong example of how commitment to the MoU can help authorities take steady, meaningful steps towards improved stability, affordability, and service resilience.

The scale of Herefordshire’s progress becomes even clearer when the starting point is considered alongside the current position.

Herefordshire at a glance

Measure	Starting point (Q3 2022)	Current position (Q4 2025/26)	Change	Data source WME MoU regional data sets Infinistats
Agency workers	88	32	-56	Agency workforce data
Workers above cap	70	30	-40	MoU cap monitoring data
Legacy workers	-	26	-	Legacy worker tracking
Average hourly rate	£35.59	£36.38	+0.79	Rate card / spend monitoring
Actual cost	£3,131.95	£1,164.28	-£1,967.67	Finance / agency spend data

Importantly, this progress has been underpinned by a strong focus on reducing legacy agency dependence and making a visible shift towards permanent recruitment. Herefordshire also gained great engagement and commitment from a group of key long term agency staff who reduced their salary to help with our budget challenges and to move closer to cap rates. Herefordshire employed at cap rates since Dec 24, which was a significant milestone and a strong indicator of a service moving away from agency reliance with confidence towards a more stable, affordable, and sustainable permanent workforce model.

It is also important to recognise that the rates of many of the remaining workers have been influenced by wider external factors, including the difference between the regional uplift percentage of 24.6% and the DfE proposed 28.2%, as well as National Insurance increases that have been worked through by some of the region’s MSPs. Set in that context, Herefordshire’s progress is even more notable.

Taken together, this is a story of purposeful progress—showing that with local commitment, regional support and a shared belief in the MoU, meaningful change is possible. For other councils, Herefordshire’s experience offers encouragement that sustained commitment to the MoU, combined with honest partnership, practical action and a clear focus on growing a permanent workforce, can deliver real and lasting results.