Councils to develop plans for shared finance service

City councillors will consider a report on 18 January at the council’s Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee which recommends further work being done to develop the shared service, following a successful interim period. South Cambridgeshire’s cabinet will consider the paper on 14 January.

The council is already sharing or looking to share services with neighbouring councils in order to make savings by reducing costs and overheads, and making services more efficient.

Some of the benefits of a shared Finance service would include the removal of unnecessary bureaucracy, savings on management costs, reduced need for external spending since more expertise will be kept in house in a larger team, a more responsive service for customers, and better retention of staff through increased opportunities for them.

During the interim period the two councils have shared a Head of Finance and some housing finance staff. The report recommends making these roles permanent to support the development of the shared service.

The two councils, along with Huntingdonshire District Council, are already procuring a financial management system which all three councils will share, and this will play an important part in enabling the development of the shared service.

Cllr Carina O’Reilly, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “Given the financial challenges councils are currently facing due to the reduction in government funding, we need to look at sharing services where it makes sense to do so.

“By joining forces with our neighbours at South Cambridgeshire on a shared Finance service we can reduce the councils’ costs by removing bureaucracy, and standardising the systems used across both councils.

“A shared service will also be better placed to cope with demand at the busiest times of year, and give the councils access to a greater breadth and depth of financial expertise, so reducing the need to seek additional advice externally.”


Reports presented to council committees are available on the council’s website: http://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/ieDocHome.aspx

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 Contacts

Cllr Carina O’Reilly, (Labour Group) Deputy Leader of the Council, email carinaoreilly@gmail.com, tel: 07791 227953

Cllr Tim Bick (Liberal Democrat Group), Opposition spokesperson, email: tim.bick@btinternet, tel: 07720 413173

Cllr John Hipkin (Minorities Group), Opposition spokesperson, email: castleindependent@gmail.com, tel: 01223 564126

Ray Ward, Director of Business Transformation, email: ray.ward@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 01223 457325

Caroline Ryba, Head of Finance, email caroline.ryba@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 01223 458134

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