Uncertain future for 400 Hull City Council workers in school roles
AROUND 400 council staff in Hull are facing an uncertain future as a new review of school support services gets under way.
More schools in the city are deciding to become academies and more governing bodies are turning to private companies to deliver services ranging from catering and grounds maintenance to IT support and health and safety advice.
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Review: John Readman, director of adult, children and family services at Hull City Council.
The city council currently provides more than 40 different services that schools pay for, administered and delivered by about 400 staff.
Now, a review is considering options including cutting some services and delivering others in different ways, with some staff being transferred to new private providers.
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John Readman, the council's corporate director of adult, children and family services, said: "The majority of schools in Hull have traditionally bought in local authority services but that has changed quite dramatically in the past few years.
"The role of the local authority is shifting to being a champion and a commissioner of services rather than being a direct provider."
Mr Readman said government funding cuts also meant the review was necessary.
He said: "Even if we weren't experiencing unprecedented change in the market, we cannot sustain the current models of delivery, so we must seize this opportunity to act.
"Changes are happening fast, so we must act now if we are going to get ahead of them and position ourselves best to support schools."
A recent independent study revealed many heads and governors in Hull believe the council's school support services involve too much red tape and bureaucracy.
Mr Readman said the study also confirmed the councils services were "significantly more expensive" than other private providers.
He said one option being examined in the new review was to encourage clusters of schools to jointly buy in services.
He said: "It makes more sense for schools to work together on procurement instead of having 85 schools setting up 85 different contracts.
"Where we might no longer be a provider, by encouraging clusters of schools we would be able to transfer staff to the new provider because the contract would be large enough to allow it.
"That would also ensure jobs are kept in the city."
The three-month review is expected to be approved by cabinet councillors next week.
A further report setting out formal options for the cabinet will be produced in June.
26 Comments
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by mollypebble
Friday, March 22 2013, 12:00PM
“You are quite correct Kilgore. Up until last year my husband was one of the IT technicians going to various primary schools across the city. He knew this would be happening this April so jumped before he was pushed. He did this for 10 years, often going in early, staying until caretakers chucked him out, going into schools on a weekend if they were having an upgrade etc etc.
He saw schools leave and take up private contracts but nearly all of the schools always ended up going back to HCC because they offered a better service for less money. And to answer someones question, one of the private companies is in Oxford, some in Hull so I think it will be a mixture of where people come from to take up the jobs. The one in Oxford has already been advertising for jobs in the HDM.
Sad, sad day when the schools IT support through HCC comse to an end. The lads who worked in IT services did a great job and really cared about their schools, jobs, staff and pupils, I know my hubby did and was very sad to leave, but he knew this would happen. I was telling everyone 18 months ago that schools budgets had been cut when central government was telling everyone it wasn't going to be cut because my hubby knew from his schools.
The buying in services won't work either as the schools simply cannot afford to pay an IT Technicians wage from their budget. It was banded about last year before my hubby left but it didn't get very far because it wasn't feasible.
And just for the record my hubby is now in private sector, earning exactly the same as he did at HCC so it blows the public sector v private sector wages theory out of the water ;)”
by arntdullinul
Friday, March 22 2013, 12:20AM
“It may be that the staff charge rates include mega on costs to cover the army of accountants and lawyers and not forgetting good old Darryl Stephenson that are not really relevant to service delivery costs and the less staff there are the more proportionately the recharge costs will increase. Not sensible and nothing the Indians can do. Just plain daft. Come on Darryl get thisen sorted n earn thi brass lad!”
by stewie219
Thursday, March 21 2013, 5:43PM
“does this include " dinner ladies"”
by stewie219
Thursday, March 21 2013, 5:42PM
“hello”
by Kilgore
Thursday, March 21 2013, 1:35PM
“Council schools IT support is cheaper than the private sector companies - and you can guarantee that when Council support is no longer available, the private companies will take the opportunity to increase their prices.”
by VicMay
Thursday, March 21 2013, 1:32PM
“"If a lot of East Riding people are using the service, it shows what an excellent service the labour councillor are providing!
I'll probably get a lot of red arrows now, but maybe it's time to extend the Hull boundaries."
Plus one green from me, couldn't agree with you more.”
by JohnEG
Thursday, March 21 2013, 12:53PM
“sorry "council"”
by JohnEG
Thursday, March 21 2013, 12:52PM
“If a lot of East Riding people are using the service, it shows what an excellent service the labour councillor are providing!
I'll probably get a lot of red arrows now, but maybe it's time to extend the Hull boundaries.”
by JohnEG
Thursday, March 21 2013, 12:47PM
“VicMay. Yes I live in West Hull. I actually work in the East Riding, so I suppose I could use the Hessle, Anlaby (or Brough?) libraries on a lunchtime. Personally I'd prefer to work in Hull so that I can use the local buses or push bike, and visit the Central library.”
by VicMay
Thursday, March 21 2013, 12:36PM
“JohnEG do you live in the city boundary? A lot of the users of the library don't, they live in the East Riding, which begs the question, is it right for Hull Council Tax Payers to subsidise a service for people in the East Riding.”