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Finance jobs go in bid to save £1.35m
Latest news from the Lancashire Evening Post
Thirty finance jobs which are currently vacant will be axed as part of a major overhaul of Lancashire County Council’s finance departments.
The changes, which will also see more than 120 jobs transferred to One Connect, the council’s partnership with BT, will save £1.35m over the next year.
Council bosses say the move will bring all the financial functions under one roof and help to protect existing jobs.
The posts to be cut range from heads of finance teams, auditors and financial controllers, to the head of property investment.
The accountancy and financial planning manager role will be cut, as well as the head of specialist finance.
Gill Kilpatrick, County Treasurer for Lancashire County Council, said: “By investing in new technology, we will be able to reduce the cost of our finance service, while being more efficient and effective.
“By not filling vacancies within the team over the last few months, we will be able to ensure that jobs are protected following this restructure.
“It is part of the county council’s approach to reducing costs while protecting services to the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
The move will come into effect early this month.
One Connect will be responsible for carrying out the ‘Your Pension Service’ and the ‘Lancashire Benefits Service’ as part of the move.
Telecom giant BT owns 60 per cent of One Connect, while Lancashire County Council owns 40 per cent.
A number of apprenticeship and graduate trainee roles will also be created in the restructure.
There will however be a reduction in the number of graduate trainee accountants.
Authority bosses say this reflects the likelihood of them being able to take on accountants when they have finished their studies.
In documents presented to county bosses, treasurer Gill Kilpatrick said: “The current economic climate and the opportunities that are available through technology mean that now is the time to look at how we deliver our financial services and develop a new way of working that builds on our strengths and targets our resources where they are most needed.
“Proposals will see finance delivered in a different way that will maximise our use of technology and streamline our processes.
“The current structure makes standard working practice difficult to implement and consequently there are multiple systems, different ways of doing things, and inconsistent procedures and policies across the service.”
They said it would mean improvements for staff including more simple staff structures, reduced levels of management, and clearer job roles.
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Saturday 18 May 2013
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