Cardiff West Community High School
How CoverStaff is helping to slash agency spend whilst still providing high-quality supply staff
The Challenge
Cardiff West Community High School had reduced their supply spend from over £1million in 22/23 to £571k in 23/24. Mike Tait wanted to keep bringing this figure down, and was open to a partnership with CoverStaff to help achieve this effectively. The school was also experiencing difficulties with finding good-quality supply staff; alongside poor advert responses, this had dampened the effectiveness of their permanent recruitment. Gaynor shared the difficulties with permanently recruiting with the CoverStaff team; having to use a lot of agencies to find good supply staff, all with expensive charge rates and different terms, made the situation even more complex.
At Cardiff West Community High School, the challenge was clear: reduce the excessive costs of agency supply while building a more sustainable, school-led recruitment process. We aimed to deliver a bespoke solution via CoverStaff, that works as a truly effective and mutually-beneficial partnership whilst demonstrating that the standard agency middleman can be cut out of the picture.
The Solution & The Results
CoverStaff provided a tailored solution that not only cut agency margins by over 50% but also empowered the school to take greater control over its supply staffing. Rather than relying solely on agencies, we worked closely with the school to build their dedicated resource of supply staff through CoverStaff, ensuring a steady flow of quality candidates while boosting their permanent job adverts to attract long-term talent. By leveraging the Eteach platform and ATS (Applicant Tracking System), we saw a significant increase in applications, helping the school secure more direct hires and further reduce reliance on costly agencies.
- In term one alone, Cardiff West Community High School saved £2,183 on their agency supply spend.
- With projections taken into account, in year one – assuming all bookings were made via CoverStaff – they could save a staggering £85,500 (up to 70%) from what they would have spent on agency margins!
By working alongside the school, increasing visibility for job adverts, and actively growing the pool of available staff, we’ve helped drive long-term cost savings and supply recruitment success. To ensure high-quality supply staff, we’ve partnered with TLC to look at funding for upskilling candidates, also speaking with the TA Academy about offering additional training and support while also working with schools to improve pay rates - making roles more attractive and ensuring a wider pool of supply staff are available.
The priority is clear: utilising CoverStaff first means instant cost savings, increased candidate earnings, and a more sustainable recruitment approach. Thanks to referrals from Cardiff West Community High School, we’ve also onboarded even more vetted candidates, allowing schools to book reliable staff as soon as they are cleared for work.
“I am using it more and more, finding good staff and saving us some money.”
- Donna Frowen– Cover Manager
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