Council launches voluntary redundancy scheme to make further savings

Non-teaching staff at Shropshire Council are being given the opportunity to apply to take voluntary redundancy as the council looks to reduce its workforce.

More Government funding cuts mean the council needs to save £80 million over the next three financial years, on top of the £80 million of savings already implemented between 2010/11 and the end of the current financial year.

The council is changing the way it works in a number of innovative ways, including the introduction of a new zero-budgeting approach for all departments – meaning managers need to produce a business case outlining the budget they need to provide a service rather than being given a set amount of money each year.

Redesigning services is also a major part of the new-look council, working with local people and organisations to identify and meet their needs, cutting down on bureaucracy and duplication.

As the council continues to change, there will be a need for fewer staff, with services being commissioned through other organisations rather than being provided directly by the council.

A new voluntary redundancy scheme was launched on Monday 22 July 2013, which means for the first time every member of non-teaching staff may apply for redundancy.

Each application will be considered individually, ensuring that statutory services can continue to be delivered effectively, and any payments will be based on the existing redundancy policy.

Council leader, Keith Barrow, said:

“The fact is that councils are now a very different place to work than they were five or ten years ago, and as we continue to commission more services we will need fewer and fewer staff on the payroll.  We are absolutely committed to keeping compulsory redundancies to a minimum, and by offering everyone the chance to apply for voluntary redundancy we hope to significantly reduce our workforce without the need for compulsory redundancies.

“It’s clear to me that the vast majority of council staff work here because they still believe in the ethos of delivering services to the public, which is to be applauded.  Our staff have had to adapt to a huge amount of change in recent years, and I would like to thank everyone for their commitment in what have been very difficult times.”

A joint statement from the GMB and Unite unions added:

“A voluntary redundancy scheme has been discussed with the trade unions, and while we don’t object to the roll-out of such a scheme we would need to be clear how the scheme will be funded and that the authority will still be able to deliver statutory services effectively.”