Case study

St Helens Council

Age Positive Champion

St. Helens Council is the largest employer in St. Helens with approximately 8,000 employees.

Being Age Positive has had an extremely positive impact on our ability to meet our client’s needs. Some candidates felt they couldn’t get a job because they’re over 50 - but that’s just not the case. Their skills are needed. All employers, no matter what size, should start implementing age friendly policies.

Vicki Wignall, Human Resource Officer at St Helens Council.

OUR AGE POSITIVE GOOD PRACTICE:

We are committed to eliminating age discrimination. The use of age and age-related criteria is challenged in every aspect of employment and decision-making, for example advertising, short-listing, recruitment, selection for training, career development, promotion, retention and re-training. We make sure our employment policies and procedures offer equality of access to all.

Internal initiatives include an equal opportunities policy that includes age and the introduction of flexible working arrangements supported by flexible benefits to enable employees to choose benefits that suit their circumstances.

There are 37 people who are employed over the usual retirement age (65). The oldest employee is 76 years old and the youngest 16 years old. Over 32 % of the workforce are aged over 50.

Job advertisements do not refer to age, nor do they use language that might dissuade an older applicant from applying. Applications do ask for a date of birth. However, this is not considered in the recruitment process but is used solely for monitoring purposes.

At interview all applicants are asked a similar set of questions in order to minimize any potential for discrimination. The focus is on the skills required to do the job.

Work already completed

Reviewed job application forms and information packs to ensure that they are free from any reference to age.

Reviewed all policies and procedures, including recruitment and retention.

Developed an Older Workers policy – although the normal retirement age continues to be 65, employees have the option to continue work dependant on the needs of the services. 37 employees have taken up this option across a diverse range of occupations.

Introduced a flexible working policy for all employees; making it accessible to everyone including older workers.

Developed a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme to attract younger people into the organisation. At present 76 16-19 year olds have participated in the Scheme.

Analysed information from exit interviews including specific reference to age issues.

Introduced a training programme on the principle of equalities within the whole process of staff appointments.

Next steps

Raise awareness of age diversity to employees through our newsletter.

Continue to attract older workers into the workplace ensuring Managers and Human Resource personnel are aware of the issues involved.

Introduction of Age Monitoring forms for diversity and equalities monitoring process to be applied to the recruitment and selection process.

EMPLOYEE EXAMPLES:

Kerrie Gregory, the youngest ever assistant to Chief Executive, was appointed after previously joining the Council on a youth training scheme. Kerrie was made Clerical Assistant to the Chief Executive’s PA and three years later was seconded as secretary to the Policy Unit. She was later seconded to be secretary to the Head of Public Affairs and ten months later promoted to her present role. Now aged 22, Kerrie is mentoring other newcomers.

Rosie Silcock (16) works as a clerical assistant in Benefits and Housing after coming to the Council on an Entry to Employment Placement last year. Rosie came to us on a placement and has done extremely well. One thing we want to promote within the Council is that placements with young people really do work.

June Gray (59) is a key member of our information technology troubleshooting team. Working on the helpdesk on the IT support as the first point of contact with users of the IT systems.

John Wales, an ICT Programme Manager, was recruited by the Council in 1998 aged 58. The position was created to deal with the National Grid for Learning; this involved installing new Internet links for schools. John was initially attracted by the advert, as it seemed exciting and interesting. He was concerned that his age would put him at a disadvantage when applying for the position. However our age-neutral policy removes age limits on recruitment and allows older employees to apply for any position.

Beryl Horrocks (62) is an Administration Assistant within the Education and Leisure Department. Beryl says, “I asked for reduced hours when I reached 60 as I decided that I did not want to continue to work full time. I am now working 18 hours per week; this is helping me adjust to the prospect of retirement. My daughter has recently had a baby and I am now able to spend more time at home with my grand child, however I still enjoy the contact I have with people when I come to work”.

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