UNISON Response on Designing for the Future and Restructuring

Notts UNISON has made the following comments to the County Council:

i) to-date we have not been issued with detailed timescales or with information regarding the whole staffing structure, until this is available it is difficult for meaningful consultation to take place. It is our view that the ‘top down approach’ is not the most effective way of undertaking a restructuring exercise

ii) whilst integration of all resource services could potentially have a positive impact in terms of consistency of practice across the Authority there is a great danger that specialisms and experience will be lost which would clearly be of detriment to the Authority, to the services it provides and to its staff who would become de-skilled and de-motivated

iii) the Leader of the Council’s report of the 19th January 2006 states on page 20 that a KPMG review in 2001 suggested that “the Authority would need to reduce the number of staff employed in finance, IT and personnel services by approximately 100 to bring it into line with the average cost of these services across similar local authorities.” Obviously this review is now 5 years out of date and in any case provides no further information to support the findings. It would not be acceptable for “efficiencies” to translate as fewer staff taking on more work

iv) it seems clear that the restructuring is being driven by budget cuts and Gershon efficiency targets and that as a result a negative impact on the quality of services and jobs is unavoidable.

In relation to the OPM study we would suggest that it has a number of flaws, the most serious of which are that:

a) it accepts and promotes the government’s modernisation agenda with no qualification or questioning

b) it promotes outsourcing whilst recognising this is not the policy of the County Council, using examples such as Westminster City Council which has outsourced more services than any other local authority in the past 25 years

c) it promotes the County Council as a commissioner rather than a deliverer of services

d) it promotes the use of market forces in service provision together with the commercialisation of in-house services

Recommendations

UNISON recommends that the County Council:

1) Initiates a local debate about the future of local government to increase public understanding of the local government modernisation agenda and the issues raised by the Lyons Inquiry into the role, responsibility and funding of local government.

2) Makes no further reference to the three Fitness for Purpose models and instead focuses on how it can integrate strategies to continue improving the quality of services, enhancing democratic accountability and community participation whilst also strengthening its role in the local and regional economy.

3) Develops a fuller understanding of the implications of the local government modernisation agenda for County Council functions and services. The Chief Executive’s draft consultation document on Designing for the Future states that “the very nature and role of local authorities is being questioned and reviewed. All of this means that there will need to be rationing and balancing of services with the prospect that there will be many unmet expectations.” It is imperative that there is an open and honest debate about whose expectations/needs may not be met and the potential consequences. These issues must not be concealed or obscured by focusing on organisational structures – this could create further alienation and disaffection from the political process and local government.

4) Develop strategies of how the County Council will address the educational policy, service and organisational impact of the Education Bill proposals, the creation of privately owned Local Education Partnerships under the Building Schools for the Future programme and Academies. The combination of these policies and programmes is likely to have a fundamental and far reaching impact on educational provision and the Local Education Authority.

5) Further stages of reorganisation of the County Council should be based on a restatement of public service principles and values and increasing its effectiveness in meeting the needs of the people, economy and environment in Nottinghamshire.

6) The County Council should prioritise how it can build capacity - the range of skills, knowledge, experience and resources needed to achieve its corporate policies and priorities. This should be a key criteria in determining the most effective organisational structure.

7) The County Council should fully engage staff and trade unions in all stages of the discussion of organisational options and how organisational change will be implemented.