Corporate functions have been among those that have suffered the biggest cuts to funding since 2010. It is of course understandable. As pressures in social care, SEND, and latterly, temporary accommodation have spiralled, every other budget has had to be squeezed to the max.
With the fair funding review set to alter the financial outlook for many councils – for good or for bad – this would be a good moment to consider what they need from their corporate centres and functions. For those who stand to lose funding, there will be a strong temptation to shave off roles to get closer to hitting their savings target. Perversely, this could make it more challenging to actually deliver the savings; for example, not being able to maintain oversight and coordination of the volume of HR, legal and procurement activity needed for individual savings proposals can often delay proposals and lead to targets being only partially-met.
