The Consultancy Saga

Posted Fri, 19/03/2010 - 14:33 by Ray Oldroyd

UNISON was surprised to learn of an article published in the Yorkshire Post that claimed Barnsley Council “was the biggest spender on consultancy in the region paying out more than £9m, since April 2008, compared with York which spent £442,782”.

We were annoyed that despite many formal requests from us, the Council had not provided us with the information we had sought on the use of consultants, but had been able to provide information to the press after a Freedom of Information request.

 UNISON raised this with Elected Members and the Council’s Leader at January’s JECC meeting. We were told by the Leader that we “should not believe all that we read in news papers” because the Council did not provide the Yorkshire Post with any information and they do not know where this came from. It seems strange as the Yorkshire Post quote a Barnsley Council spokesman as saying “A significant proportion of the consultancy costs relates to major projects that the council is currently involved with, including Building Schools for the Future.

The Leader and the Assistant Chief Executive (Human Resources) assured us that work was ongoing to establish accurately what is being spent on consultants across the council and we would have that information in the near future.

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The Saga Continues - Over £3.5m Spent!
At long last the unions have finally been provided with some data regarding the Council's use of consultants.
Was it worth the wait? - NO
All we have received is a vague list of project names along with cost, the total of which amounts to over £3.5 million.
 
We had asked for details of who they are, where they are, what are the projects, who monitors their performance and costs, how were they appointed/selected, how long is their contract and when does it end.
 
None of this information is included, so we will continue to raise this issue at every Employees Relation Forum meeting and every JECC meeting until the Council get sick of hearing us and provides the information to shut us up!
Posted by Ray Oldroyd on Fri, 19/03/2010 - 12:57
Agency Workers and Consultants
I agree that it doesn't say much for the Council's accounting system - never have so many waited so long for so little information! The worrying point for me is the long-term use of "consultants" to do work that could (and should) be done by established BMBC employees. Consultants should be used for short-term, one-off tasks where the expertise does not exist within the Council's workforce, not for on-going routine work. Have the Council's own procedures been applied in appointing these long-term consultants or has it just been an expedient way of sorting a problem?
Agency workers too are necessary when used appropriately but there is no justification from keeping them on apalling terms and conditions, with little job security and benefits, for more than a short period of time. After, say, six months the work should be converted into a proper job..
Posted by Malcolm Clements on Wed, 07/04/2010 - 12:35

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