Council aims to cut ‘duplicated’ jobs in bid to save £1m a year

If cabinet agrees there should be a reduction in the number of performance management, management information and information systems support staff by April of next year.

Currently, the support staff are spread across the councils four directorates which, says a report, has led to duplication of effort, duplication of systems and lack of standardisation.

The proposed new structure would be centralised in the Councils Business Change and Performance Management Service.

It would, says the report, better support front line staff and managers across the council, while delivering budget savings.

Affected staff and unions have already been consulted on the proposals, with many attending one-to-one meetings and team briefings.

The new structure would lead to a reduction of 31 full time equivalent posts 17 of which are currently unfilled following either redeployment or resignations.

A number of other affected employees are likely to leave through early retirement and further redeployments.

Calderdale Council’s cabinet member, Performance and Resources, Coun John Beacroft-Mitchell, (Lib Dem, Luddendenfoot), said the proposed restructure will improve the level of support to front line services, remove waste created by duplication and save the council money.

He said: “This restructure will create a flexible resource that can more effectively help the council to improve its services to residents.”

He said every effort would be made to reduce the number of employees made compulsorily redundant to an absolute minimum.

“We have already undertaken a full and thorough consultation with staff and unions and we will do everything in our power to avoid compulsory redundancies. Obviously savings have to be made and we are determined to reduce the duplication of work so it is an essential process. But we are trying to make sure that everything is being done to mitigate the impact on personnel. It’s been an uncomfortable process to go through but it is understood why we are doing it and that there will be benefits to the service that we provide as a council.

“I must say that it has been an exemplary process that we have worked through with the union and the staff concerned. It has been through the full scrutiny process and it is something that has been recognised as a good piece of work.

“It was positively received on Thursday night by the relevant scrutiny committee and any redundancies will not happen until the new financial year begins in April.”

Marion Perrett said: “There are rumours circulating within Calderdale Council that there may be plans to make posts redundant in the Children and Young People’s services but Unison has had no formal notification of this. We are not able to make a comment about what are currently only rumours but we are quite clear that if any such proposals are being discussed we must be consulted about the impact on jobs and services. We understand that all councils are having massive central government cuts imposed on them but it is vital that we work together to minimise job losses and the devastating impact of that on services and the local economy as a whole.

“There must be full and open discussion about any job losses and we will ensure that, if there are proposals for redundancies, our members and the public they serve are fully consulted about them.”

Like all councils, Calderdale has been hit hard by the cutbacks in Government grants but the council is keen to maintain its commitment to front-line services.