Item 6-Appendix 3
West Dunbartonshire Council · 5 March 2025
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 5 March 2025 and its agenda
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Amanda Graham Saving Ref: CCF04 Saving Title Review Facilities Management Operating Model Summary of Savings Proposal The Facilities Management service has circa 600 staff and provides a range of services across educational and operational premises including access, building cleaning service and nutritionally balanced breakfasts, lunches and snacks for pupils. Service operations have not been reviewed in over 10 years and there have been significant changes in the landscape, particularly in terms of statutory requirements which have increased provision of school meals including for an increased number of primary school pupils and all pupils within early years settings. The operating model no longer meets the needs of the Council, service or the employees. A new model will be introduced to create a more effective, efficient and resilient service which will respond to current and future demand. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: A new delivery model is required to respond to these changes, to build resilience and create a more efficient and effective service which is sustainable for the future. The service supports every education premise and engagement will be undertaken with education and colleagues in other services on the operating model. People Risk: This proposal offers opportunity for service improvement and efficiencies, however, may result in a reduction of some posts. It is anticipated this reduction will be achieved by voluntary means. Reputational Risk: Given circa 600 employees are employed within the service there is a risk of reputational impact. Employee feedback received through all staff survey, back to the floor and working groups is being incorporated into the new delivery model. In addition, there has been early and ongoing engagement with Trade Unions. Engagement will continue throughout. Saving 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 300* TBC 400* TBC 400* TBC *Subject to any job evaluation and to implementation date of 1 July 2025 which is dependent on conclusion of consultation exercises across workforce. Note that some of the posts may come from vacancies, still tbc. Note that the FTE Impact is an estimate – if the saving option is approved then the Chief Officer will assess the most effective way of delivering the saving target. Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1106 APPENDIX 3
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Laura Mason Saving Ref: EDU16 Saving Title Reduce Secondary School Clerical Staff Summary of Savings Proposal Across the Council’s five mainstream secondaries there was a mix of working patterns including term time and 52-week contracted staff. A review of staffing has been undertaken which will deliver a consistent approach to staffing ratios; reduce the number of 52-week staff; and increase the number of term time staff. Policy guidance on the protocol for term time / non term time has also been reviewed taking into consideration the strengths and negatives of the staffing rota (term time/non term time). This will deliver a saving of £120k by aligning the work contracts and staffing ratios in all mainstream secondaries. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk – Minimal, the proposed model is already established in one of the large secondary schools. People Risk - It is anticipated that staffing reductions will be managed through current vacancies and the ending of fixed-term contracts. Reputational Risk - There is a potential for negative perception as the reduction may increase the workload of remaining staff. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 80 4 120 4 120 4 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 4 Note that the FTE Impact is an estimate – if the saving option is approved then the Chief Officer will assess the most effective way of delivering the saving target. Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 667
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Laura Mason Saving Ref: EDU19 Saving Title Reduce Education Support (ELC) Summary of Savings Proposal Currently four Link Officers provide improvement and quality support to 29 Council Early Learning and Childcare Centres and 11 partner settings. The four officers each support 10 settings in West Dunbartonshire and also lead on specific aspects of early learning. A vacancy has recently arisen in the team and under this proposal. 0.5 FTE would be deleted creating a saving of £26,872.50. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk - With the reduction of 0.5 FTE, the remaining ELC central team would be required to provide support to more ELC settings and the strategic aspects of their roles would also require to be devolved. This would reduce the time and support available to settings. People Risk – None. Saving would be delivered through deleting 0.5 of vacant post. Reputational Risk - None Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 27 0.5 27 0.5 27 0.5 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 0.5 Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1049
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Victoria Rogers Saving Ref: PT05 Saving Title Review of Printing Summary of Savings Proposal In 2023/24, £86,600 was spent on external printing services. Under this proposal spend on external printing would be reduced by £10,000 per annum. Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: Transitioning to digital solutions, including digital documents, may incur initial costs for new software, hardware, and training. Each area of spend would require justification and any security element of digital documents considered. Digital documents may not meet the same quality standards as printed materials, especially for specific formal or legal documents. People Risk: None Reputational Risk: Not all stakeholders may have equal access to digital tools, potentially leading to communication barriers. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 10 0 10 0 10 0 Equality Impact Assessment Completed: No EIA No: 1182
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Victoria Rogers Saving Ref: PT13 Saving Title Right Size Employer Benefit Savings Summary of Savings Proposal A management adjustment was processed in 2024/25 for £30,000, rising to £50,000 in 2025/26 in relation to estimated savings to be generated via use of the Vivup platform and My Money Matters. A review has been carried out to assess actuals savings generated against that initial estimate and it has been determined that a further budget adjustment of £10,000 can be processed. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: N/A People Risk: N/A Reputational Risk: N/A Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 10 0 10 0 10 0 Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No:787
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Laurence Slavin Saving Ref: RES02 Saving Title Right Size NDR Budgets Summary of Savings Proposal The latest Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) revaluation took place in April 2023 and reflected the reforms introduced by the independent Barclay Review of NDR. These reforms were to ensure property values more closely aligned with property market conditions in Scotland. Where a property occupied by a public body is subject to a successful proposal or appeal, the financial benefit from the reduction in rateable value will result in a downward re-determination of revenue allocations. The Council is in the process of engaging with its assessor to ensure property values are accurate. The reduction to the Council’s NDR liability because of ongoing appeals to the assessor is £103,000. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: None People Risk: None Reputational Risk: None Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 103 0 103 0 103 0 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 0 Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1207
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Gail Macfarlane Saving Ref: RN14 Saving Title Review Footway Gritting Operational Method Summary of Savings Proposal Footway gritting is undertaken through the use of footway tractors during working hours as detailed within the winter plan. The tractors are hired at a cost of £60,000 for the winter season. It is proposed to move to a hand spreading treatment model which facilitates increased gritting at areas of greater need. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: Footway gritting may take longer to complete routes and there is a risk the service is unable to grit the same extent of the network during working hours People Risk: NA Reputational Risk: It is anticipated it may take more time to treat the footway gritting routes however areas such as town centres and schools will continue to be prioritised. In addition, grit bins are available at key locations and a map detailing these is on the Council website. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 60 0 60 0 60 0 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: NA Note that the FTE Impact is an estimate – if the saving option is approved then the Chief Officer will assess the most effective way of delivering the saving target. Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1184
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Alan Douglas Saving Ref: RR10 Saving Title Combine Dog Warden and Pest Control Posts Summary of Savings Proposal As a result of a vacancy, an opportunity exists to combine the Dog Warden and Pest Control Officer roles maintaining full geographic and daily cover for this statutory post. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: The Dog Warden service will be reduced to a statutory level and the changes may also reduce the capacity for Pest Control. People Risk: The Dog Warden post is vacant. Two retained Pest Control Officer roles will require to be reviewed of to determine if any changes to grading of those posts are required. Reputational Risk: There is a risk the service is not able to respond to reports as quickly as they do currently. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 38 1 38 1 38 1 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 1 Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1213
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Alan Douglas Saving Ref: RR11 Saving Title Lead Planner Replaced by Basic Grade Officer Summary of Savings Proposal The planning service is facing considerable challenges in the form of large-scale developments. There is a national shortage of qualified planners at all levels however the Council has found recruiting to this first “management” level particularly difficult. The Council is currently attempting to recruit a lead planner. If unsuccessful the Council will look to recruit to the basic grade planner post to provide capacity to resource an upswing in large scale applications. The focus would initially be on large projects with the option to move to smaller and / or domestic applications as demand requires. This approach involves a single advertisement with linked posts allowing appointment to the basic grade planner post if there is no suitable candidate for the Lead Planner post. Impact and Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk - If the post is filled at a basic grade level there will be a continuing disproportionate demand for oversight by the Team Leader, with a significant impact on the timescale for the resolution of complex applications. However, it is considered that, in the absence of a suitable candidate, this approach offers the best solution in terms of service delivery as it would be more likely to result in an appointment to one of the roles. People Risk - The proposal may result in ongoing pressure on the Team Leader if recruitment to the Lead Planner role is unsuccessful, however this is likely to be reduced by the additional resource that an appointment to the basic grade planner would bring. Reputational Risk - Any risk relating to any delay in processing of major applications if the Lead Planner post is not filled, is likely to be less than at present if the basic grade planner post can be filled. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 6.5 0 6.5 0 6.5 0 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 0 Note that the FTE Impact is an estimate – if the saving option is approved then the Chief Officer will assess the most effective way of delivering the saving target. Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1197 (screening)
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Alan Douglas Saving Ref: RR12 Saving Title Antonine Wall Summary of Savings Proposal West Dunbartonshire is the host authority for the Antonine Wall Project. Following the confirmation of a future phase of the project not attracting funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the inter-authority steering group agreed to wind the project down with effect from 30 September 2025 with the interim costs being met from retained project funds. This decision was ratified by the Council’s Planning Committee on the 12 February 2025. Funding for the project will be removed and all workstreams associated with its delivery will cease. Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: All statutory protection of the wall will still be required. The service would need to carry out further work to establish if there is any contractual requirements to comply with grant conditions. These would be unfunded and unresourced from service budget when funding ends. People Risk: This impacts on 1.6 FTE posts. Within the team as West Dunbartonshire is the host authority for the project partners. This is reflected in the saving below, off set from the cost recovery from other partners. Reputational Risk: The Antonine Wall is a nationally and internationally significant World Heritage Site. The project is delivered in partnership with other local authorities and Historic Environment Scotland so withdrawal may yet result in reputational damage albeit no credible alternative exists in the absence of funds. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 27 1.6 27 1.6 27 1.6 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 0 Note that the FTE Impact is an estimate – if the saving option is approved then the Chief Officer will assess the most effective way of delivering the saving target. Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1198
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Alan Douglas Saving Ref: RR13 Saving Title Review Environmental Health Summary of Savings Proposal A potential savings proposal has been identified due to a known request for Voluntary Redundancy / Early Retirement. This management adjustment is dependent on the outcome of the request however if the option cannot be advanced through voluntary means the Chief Officer Regulatory and Regeneration will deliver the identified saving through other means. Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: There is a risk to the service of increased pressure on service delivery which may result in a review of service priorities. People Risk: The impact would be to 1 FTE. Reputational Risk: There is a reputational risk associated with reduction in staff within the service and impact on service delivery levels and increased customer, elected member and public concerns. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 35 1 42 1 42 1 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 1 Note that the FTE Impact is an estimate – if the saving option is approved then the Chief Officer will assess the most effective way of delivering the saving target. Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1199 (Screening)
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2025/26 MANAGEMENT ADJUSTMENT Chief Officer: Alan Douglas Saving Ref: RR20 Saving Title Development Planning and Placemaking Summary of Savings Proposal Under this proposal, a vacant Policy Planning Officer post would be deleted from the Development Planning and Place team. The Placemaking Co-ordinator would relocate to the team to support complex and large-scale applications and functions as well as providing pre-application advice which retains the placemaking function and assists with generating income. Risk Associated with Proposed Savings Service Risk: The reduction of one FTE between Design and Place and Development Planning will impact capacity overall across the functions, however it is believed the synergies between these areas will permit the successful delivery of the plan while maintaining the Placemaking role. People Risk: This would impact 1 FTE vacant post. Reputational Risk: Any delay to the adoption of Local Development Plan 3 presents a risk as does any reduction of the Placemaking role however it is believed the combination of these functions will allow both to continue. Saving (Cumulative) 2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 £000 FTE £000 FTE £000 FTE 54.5 1 54.5 1 54.5 1 FTE impact delivered through existing vacancies: 1 Equality Impact Assessment Completed: Yes EIA No: 1164