Our challenging times ahead

Oldham Council Cabinet meeting

CABINET members have seen case studies showing how repositioning Oldham as a “championing council” will help residents and staff.

They were given an update on Oldham Council’s plans to provide fewer services directly and commission more from private companies and organisations such as co-operatives, social enterprises and voluntary groups as it creates a leaner organisation to save money.

The council aims to change from being the local provider of services to promoting and maintaining the well-being of Oldham.

So far, a Repositioning Oldham Programme Board has been set up and a communication and engagement plan created. A “People Team” will now be created.

Case studies given on how the new approach will improve things include a councillor of two years who currently says they have few dealings with what goes on at the Civic, feel remote from what’s happening at the council and get a lot of their information from the Oldham Chronicle.

In 18 months time it’s envisaged that they can access officers easier, while an improved website will help them access information and constituents will be able to get information from one local access point.

More people will be involved in influencing what goes on in their locality with services based in the neighbourhood.

A case study on the council’s catering service shows it developing into a co-operative organisation with staff having a say on how it’s run. It could expand to provide meals to neighbouring authority schools, elderly persons’ homes and a park cafe. Another example of a resident struggling with snow shows how they could be helped by a council-trained volunteer snow patrol.

Council leader Howard Sykes (pictured) said: “We are living in an area where we are going to have to improve services to citizens and do it for less money, which is a challenge.”


Parker power to axe
CHIEF Executive Charlie Parker has been given the power to wield the axe to the senior management structure to save £1million.

Cabinet granted him authority to redesign the structure and cut jobs. Work is already underway to reduce the number of senior officers by seeking volunteer redundancies or early retirement.

The axe is hanging over 800 posts at the authority to save £45million over two years. There were plans to save more than £2million with six directors reduced to four and 26 assistant directors becoming 16 assistant executive directors, while management tiers will be halved from 10 to five.

But Lib Dem/Tory leaders want the chief executive to go even further to save at least another £1million.