Forward planning and good communication helped improve services by developing a more flexible ‘one council’ strategy which has avoided the need for staff cuts, explains Stephen Weigel
The financial pressures facing local government in recent years have forced many councils to make costly, compulsory redundancies. Tandridge DC has avoided this outcome by carefully planning for the future, including getting staff to agree to pay freezes and flexible working.
What is more, this has been achieved during a period when performance has improved.
A predominantly rural district in Surrey, Tandridge is one of the least-deprived areas of the country. The main built-up areas are Caterham, Warlingham, Oxted and Limpsfield, which straddle either side of the M25. The council serves a population of about 83,000 people and employs some 274 staff – full-time equivalents.
When I was appointed as chief executive in 2004, we decided that instead of restructuring, we would focus on the culture and stronger leadership. Our achievements have involved the whole team in good leadership, communication and securing trust between all parties.
Communication with staff through our intranet and newsletters has played an important role, strengthened by the introduction of two-monthly staff briefings by the chief executive. These are staged over two different days – with morning sessions and afternoon sessions to allow those people who work flexible hours an opportunity to attend.
A key officer forum, involving senior staff and middle management, is also used to take specific corporate issues forward. This provides an opportunity for staff to ask questions, hold senior management to account, and challenge. Clear communication channels have a vital role to play when difficult decisions are being taken.
A staff suggestions scheme encourages all members of our workforce to put forward ideas to improve performance, with winning schemes attracting a £100 ‘reward’.
Our appraisal scheme is also very clear. People can see how they are doing, and it has helped create a really positive culture which has helped us improve performance and succession planning.
And this approach has assisted us during the economic downturn. While many parts of the public sector are having to make compulsory redundancies, to date, this has been avoided entirely by Tandridge. Instead, staff were persuaded to forgo their annual pay rise last year and again this year – despite a 2.8% rise being agreed the year before as part of two-year pay deal.
The proposal was put to staff by management in return for no redundancies, and after a secret ballot, it was accepted.
The proposal also needed some staff to agree a cut in hours and pay. This has mainly been achieved by staff volunteering to reduce their working hours – particularly among senior managers close to retirement.
The authority was aware that it needed to revise its pay structures, as it had four pay structures for different groups of staff and 72 linked grades. Since April last year, all staff – including the chief executive and senior management – have been on the same pay structure covering 15 grades.
As part of an equal pay review, overlapping pay bands were scrapped, and there are now six increments in each grade. The system applies to the whole pay structure, including that of the chief executive.
Coupled with natural wastage through retirement, this has helped reduce the workforce in terms of whole-time equivalents by 15% since September 2008, when a recruitment freeze was introduced.
Our success has also been supported by the council’s senior management team, councillors and staff in developing a ‘one council’ approach. In total, savings from the decision to forgo pay and work flexibly saved the council £900,000 last year – more than 10% of its staff budget, and a further £300,000 this year on a net budget of £11.5m.
There is still much to do, with central government funding to Tandridge being cut by more than 13% for 2012/2013, and we will continue to explore collaborative and partnership working with other parts of the public sector.
One of the key avenues is through the district-borough East Surrey Improvement Partnership (ESIP) involving four councils, plus the more ambitious Surrey First, a shared services project between the county’s district-borough councils, Surrey CC and Surrey Police. So far, we have managed to save money without making compulsory redundancies at a time when performance has improved and services have not had to be cut. Let us hope that will continue in the future.
Stephen Weigel is chief executive of Tandridge DC
