William Eichler 03 July 2023

Minister criticises council’s four-day week trial

Minister criticises council’s four-day week trial  image
Image: Sinseeho / Shutterstock.com.

South Cambridgeshire District Council has requested a meeting with local government minister Lee Rowley after receiving a letter from the Government urging it to stop the four-day week trial.

Mr Rowley wrote to Liberal Democrat council leader Bridget Smith asking her to ‘end your experiment immediately’. He cited concerns over ‘value for money’.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said, councils ‘need to ensure they are giving local taxpayers the best value for money and pressing ahead with the choice to remove up to a fifth of their capacity would need to be backed by clear evidence.’

However, Cllr Smith has written back expressing her surprise and pointing out that so far the local authority has reduced their annual bill by £300,000.

‘I was surprised to receive Mr Rowley’s letter and we have written to him to request a meeting with ministers to discuss this matter,’ she said.

‘This is a trial, but we have already seen strong independently assessed evidence which showed that performance was maintained, and in some cases improved, in the first three months.’

She continued: ‘At the start of our trial we were carrying a £2m annual agency bill. During the first three months of the trial, we filled four permanent posts that had previously been impossible to fill. This has reduced our annual bill by £300,000. As time goes on it is becoming increasingly clear that recruitment has been positively affected, both in terms of the quality and number of applicants, and the consequent success in filling vacant posts.’

The council’s trial has also been criticised by the local MP Anthony Browne who warned of the risk of ‘a new left-wing horror show that could sweep the country’.

If this story was of interest, then check out our feature, ‘Who’s afraid of the four-day week?’

Sign up here to receive our free daily news and jobs bulletin.

Why age alone shouldn’t define local government leadership image

Why age alone shouldn’t define local government leadership

Age should never define leadership in local government, says Graeme McDonald, Managing Director of Solace. Instead, councils should invest in inclusive, skills-based development for officers and councillors to deliver effective public services.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Head of Democratic Services, Elections & Monitoring Officer

Harborough District Council
Grade 12 £67,236 – £71,223 plus £3000pa Statutory Officer Allowance
We are looking for an accomplished and proactive leader for our vacant post of Head of Democratic Services & Elections Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Recuriter: Harborough District Council

Residential Youth Practitioner

Oxfordshire County Council
£37035 - £39513
The Move On Service provides intensive supported housing accommodation for young people aged 16 to 18 years who are in the care of the local authority, working to create individual plans for those requiring additional support for their transition towards Witney
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Locality and Community Support Worker - North

Oxfordshire County Council
£37035 - £39513
The Locality & Community Support Service in North Oxfordshire are seeking to recruit a Locality Support Worker to join their Locality & Community Support Team. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic worker who is passionate about improving outc Banbury
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Social Worker

Durham County Council
£35,412 - £39,152 (pre-progression) / £40,777 - £45,091 (post-progression)
We are looking for social workers who have completed the assessed and supported year in employment to join our Families First teams, working with our Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Social Worker

Durham County Council
Grade 9 £35,412 - £39,152 (Pre-Progression) / Grade 11 £40,777 - £45,091 (Post-Progression)
Are you a nurturing social worker passionate about supporting parents so that children can remain with their birth family?     This could be the right Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner