Charlie Parker: ‘We can attract good people’

IT is a ‘bit of a myth’ that the government finds it difficult to attract ‘good people’ to fill front-line roles – the real problem is inadequate support once they arrive, the government’s chief executive has said.

Speaking exclusively to the JEP, Charlie Parker made the comments in response to long-standing concerns, in particular from trade unions, that the rising cost of living in Jersey was making it too difficult to bring in key workers such as nurses and teachers. Pay rises in those sectors have often failed to match inflation levels in recent years.

Mr Parker said that issues such as ‘crap accommodation’ for nurses and cumbersome laws which prevented people from updating their car registration plates were bigger problems.

The last year has seen protracted periods of industrial action take place, including several strikes, with unions representing teachers, nurses and civil servants dissatisfied at staff receiving below-inflation pay awards.

Union leaders have said that the climate has made it more difficult than ever to attract and retain staff in crucial public sector roles.

And in September, a response to a States written question revealed that there were almost 200 vacancies at the Hospital, further fuelling concerns about recruitment issues in the pubic sector. More recent figures suggest that that number has dropped to about 100 unfilled roles.

Mr Parker said that for most staff looking to work in the Island, salaries and the cost of living were not an issue that concerned them, according to data held by the government.

‘There is a bit of a myth about the fact we can’t attract good people – with teachers, we can. We tend to say we can’t, but we can,’ he said.

Mr Parker admitted that there were some challenges attracting certain types of specialist workers, but added that ‘a lot of the stuff’ that has been said about recruitment ‘is not an issue’.

‘What we are not good at is supporting people to come on board and join the Island,’ he said.

‘The accommodation we provide for nursing is crap but in the context of the capital programme in the Government Plan, we have got some investment for it, which we are dedicating to improving their offer and that makes a big difference.

‘We have had a human interest story about social workers and nurses who come to Jersey for a fixed period, bring their car over from the UK and you can’t change the number plate.

‘After a period of time they’re getting fines here because it has not been registered, so we tweaked the rules to help them and that has made a massive difference.’