Wandsworth shared staffing structure

On 1 October 2016, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils launched a Shared Staffing Arrangement, to deliver substantial savings to preserve front-line services.

Background

The Shared Staffing Arrangement is a single staffing structure across the two boroughs, delivering estimated savings of up to £10 million per year for local tax payers in each authority. Both Councils have reduced their budgets since 2010, but significant savings are still required as local government makes its contribution to reducing the national budget deficit.

How it works

Initially the focus was on merging management structures, reducing duplication and the proportion of spending that goes on senior management. In the longer term there will be opportunities for further savings to reduce overheads; for example, negotiating better deals from suppliers when commissioning services.

Since 1 October 2016, the two Councils have been managed by a single Chief Executive, and a Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Resources.

More

Wandsworth and Richmond Councils continue to be separate sovereign bodies with their own elected Councillors, Cabinets and Leaders, maintaining their distinct identities and retaining the ability to develop policies and priorities that matter to their local residents.