Fife Council leader admits plan to axe 80 management posts will put more pressure on staff left behind
Fife Council is to cut around 80 management posts in a move which will save £3.2 million a year.
- By Claire Warrender
- Published in the Courier : 12.07.11
- Published online : 12.07.11 @ 11.48am
The job losses, designed to meet a savings target of 8% per annum, follow a redesign of the management structure in the local authority's performance and organisational support service.
Council leader Peter Grant said the posts would go through "natural wastage" and there would be no compulsory redundancies.
The reorganisation is part of the SNP/Lib Dem council's attempt to make £33.8 million in savings this financial year, and Mr Grant said senior officers had been asked to look at ways to make cuts without affecting frontline services.
He conceded, however, that the loss of such a large number of posts would place increased pressure on those left behind.
The affected jobs will be in legal and democratic services, human resources, policy and communications, IT and resources management. Management posts in other services will also be looked at in the coming months.
The move has the support of Labour, the council's largest opposition party, but group leader Alex Rowley warned care would be needed to ensure services were not left over-stretched.
Chief executive Ronnie Hinds said the operation of the council's support services had changed considerably in recent years.
"In revenue terms, support services are planning on the assumption of reducing revenue spend by 24% over the three year period to 2013/14," he said.
'Transformational'
Mr Hinds added that the local authority was currently engaged in "significant transformational work" affecting every service. He said the emphasis was on efficiency and flexibility and allowing the public to access more services online.
He added, however, "Implementation of reductions on this scale is not without risk and indeed the council's need for high-quality advice and support in areas such as legal, HR, change management and IT is not diminishing.
"The proposals do involve redesign of structure, organisation and processes which will potentially mitigate risk but implementation will need to be carefully managed. The changes have been the subject of consultation and are being managed consensually."
Mr Grant told The Courier the vast majority of Fife Council's budget savings this year involved changes which would place significant demands on staff. However, because they did not have a huge impact on the direct delivery of frontline services, they did not technically have to be agreed by the council.
"Directors are paid to manage savings as well as they can," he said. "That is part of the remit of the director. We delegate significantly more authority to our senior officers than most other councils and I take the view that if someone can come up with a way of saving £3 or £4 million a year without the public noticing a difference in service then let them get on with it.
"This does mean we are really asking a lot of the people left behind because they are having to pick up the work of colleagues who are not going to be replaced. We are having to think a lot more clearly about how people are spending their time."
Labour leader Alex Rowley said he supported ways of cutting the council's overall management cost.
"The issue in some senses is the way Fife Council are going about this which, I think, could land them in trouble," he said. "I think it can be done but they have to be careful they don't end up weakening their position by cutting too many people from one area."
05.35pm - 12.07.2011 Mike Stirling - Forfar, Scotland, nuclear free with SNP. Report This
Aw no!! This means the non-jobs will actually have to earn their keep by doing a decent day's work! poor dears; there, there!
07.14pm - 12.07.2011 Frances - Glenrothes, Scotland Report This
You couldn't make it up. Rowley has been banging on about getting rid of the 'suits' for months and is now that it is happening, he is expressing doubts about too many being cut 'in some areas'. Usual hypocracy from Labour.
06.38pm - 15.07.2011 Caroline (former client of the service) - Lochgelly, Scotland Report This
It's not just the 'suits' that are going. They're even hoping to move their key services out into the voluntary sector. Fife Council has an award winning money advice service and they're more than happy to get rid of it to save money!!!!!
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