Town hall set to privatise front line as budgets cut

Wakefield Council is considering offering many of its services to outside providers, with the authority overseeing standards but not actually delivering the service.

The council believes it is one of the first major public bodies in the region to evaluate nearly all of the services it provides in this way, with only departments such as children’s services not being considered.

Chief executive Joanne Roney said she wanted to take a positive approach to tackle the economic crisis, and warned that if the council does not make radical changes the future will be bleak, with more cuts to staffing levels and front-line services suffering.

Ms Roney denied the council was simply outsourcing services and moved to quell fears the changes would mask additional jobs cuts or private companies putting profits ahead of standards.

She said the authority would only relinquish control of delivering a service if the proposed change was an improvement for ratepayers.

“We would only do this if it generates investment in the service and sustains – or improves – the quality,” she said.

“Clearly we are doing this as a result of the financial context, but what we have said is that our primary purpose is to improve services.

“If we don’t do something radical, all I know for certain is that we will be forced to cut services, cut jobs which could hit service quality.”

A report to be considered by the council’s cabinet next Tuesday describes the aim of becoming a “Catalyst Council” and outlines nine different options for running the services, ranging from public private partnerships and outsourcing to employee or community-controlled companies.

Ms Roney said: “The only services not being considered would be those where the risk of changing to an alternative model are too great, such as children’s services.

“This is not about cutting jobs, we want those staff doing those jobs, whether or not they are employed by the council.”

The report states a number of possible “packages” of services which could be delivered externally, including “public realm, highways, environmental, neighbourhood and trading services”