In our recent podcast episode, “Navigating the Storm: Surviving Amidst Financial Challenges in Local Government,” it was a pleasure to sit down with Joseph Holmes, the Executive Director of Resources at West Berkshire Council. Our conversation covered several insightful points:
Team Focus: Joseph emphasized that no council can successfully navigate financial challenges without a cohesive team that understands the issues and is motivated to solve them.
Balancing Short and Long Term: He highlighted the importance of managing both immediate and long-term goals, likening it to spinning plates—a skill that local government professionals excel at.
External Collaboration: Joseph also stressed the value of reaching out to peers and other organizations. By bringing external insights back into the council, we can assess what strategies might be effective in our own context.
We also discussed how the council managed to halve their agency costs:
Establishment of a Financial Review Panel (FRP): Formed in July 2023, this panel includes senior officers from finance, procurement, and HR, as well as senior members like the Leader and the portfolio holder for finance.
Focused Reviews: The FRP initially reviewed all expenditures over £1,000, all recruitment posts, and all agency spend requests.
Master Vendor Strategy: A major push ensured that all agency spend went through the master vendor, providing a clear line of sight.
Team Effort: Despite the challenges, colleagues worked exceptionally well together, with strong support from HR. One staff member is even up for a couple of LGC workforce awards later this year.
Significant Savings: The council successfully reduced agency spend by £2.5 million, from £12 million, with further reductions forecasted. While there will always be a need for some agency spending, this initiative has made a substantial impact.
Overall, the episode underscored the significance of teamwork, strategic thinking, and external collaboration in overcoming financial challenges in local government.
Commentaires