Liverpool Council wants to complete a search for new senior leaders by the spring.
In the aftermath of the damaging Caller Report, commissioners have been appointed to oversee the cash-strapped local authority, which has found it difficult to recruit senior staff. As a result, key posts like chief executive and chief finance officer are currently being filled by interim place holders Theresa Grant and Ian Duncan.
It was revealed on Wednesday the council is looking to appoint seven top director positions on salaries totalling almost £900,000. A new local authority report has set out when the new key staff could be in post at the Cunard Building.
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In an update on numbers of interim appointments and costs, the council said interviews are also scheduled to take place next month for a new corporate director of city development, this role is currently held by interim Mark Bourgeois. The corporate director neighbourhoods and housing role has also gone out for advertisement.
The report said: “It is anticipated that all senior leadership posts will be appointed to by mid-April and subject to notice periods staff in place by the end of June/July 2023.” Service reviews are in place or planned with key appointments already made in some areas, including head of parking services, according to the document to be discussed by the finance and resources select committee next week.
It said this aligns with the authority’s “planned trajectory to significantly reduce the number of interims by the summer 2023.” Currently, Liverpool Council is paying more than a quarter of a million pounds a month to fund its payments to fund 14 agency staff - adding an additional £100,000 a month to an already thinly stretched bill.
The document said: “All costs associated with the recruitment to these posts will be contained within the existing budget. The council is aware and mindful of the additional costs associated with interim arrangements, particularly with external agencies.
“Appointments have only been made to posts critical to the delivery of improvement or statutory roles, and a plan is in place to recruit permanently to these roles as soon as possible.” In a blog explaining the restructure at the top of the council, interim chief Ms Grant said: "This is not just a shuffling of positions or giving people new job titles.
“It will stabilise the organisation by ending the recent cycle of interim appointments. Crucially, it will give us more capacity and capability so we can achieve better outcomes, drive improvements at pace and better serve our residents.”
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