Hinds launches free recruitment website to combat costly agency fees

To combat excessive recruitment agency fees, Education Secretary Damian Hinds has announced a free website to advertise vacancies, which currently costs schools up to £75 million a year. It will include part-time roles and job shares.

Many schools rely on supply teachers to cover short and longer term vacancies, or pay for adverts to recruit the staff they need. Some agencies charge schools finder’s fees if headteachers want to make supply staff permanent and do not set out how much they are charging on top of the basic wages paid to supply staff.

Hinds will also launch a new nationwide deal for headteachers from September 2018 – developed with Crown Commercial Service – providing them with a list of supply agencies that do not charge fees when making supply staff permanent after 12 weeks.
The preferred suppliers on the list will also be required to clearly set out how much they are charging on top of the wages for staff. This will make it easier for schools to avoid being charged excessive fees and reduce the cost burden on schools of recruiting supply teachers through agencies.