Financially Strained Council’s Interim Staffing Bill Rises, Including Daily Payments Exceeding £1,000

Data has revealed that a local authority facing financial difficulties spent tens of thousands of pounds on interim personnel over a three-month period, following the appointment of new senior officials. Slough Borough Council, located in Berkshire, reported a £65,200 increase in its interim staffing costs from April to July. This occurred after the government appointed Will Tuckley as the authority’s interim chief executive at a daily rate of £1,100, and Annabel Scholes as interim chief finance officer at £1,375 per day, which included an agency fee. A report from the council stated that the increase resulted from “an increase in new placements at a higher level”. The council was effectively declared bankrupt in 2021 after accumulating a borrowing debt of £760m and a deficit of £357m. An independent review highlighted issues regarding financial “mismanagement” and a “dysfunctional culture” at Slough Borough Council. Government-appointed commissioners have been assisting the authority continuously since then. In a statement, the council indicated that Mr. Tuckley and Ms. Scholes’ wages constituted a “very small proportion” of the total interim staffing expenditure of £6.34m between April and July. Nevertheless, the council did not disclose to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the precise amount of the increase attributable to their wages. The council further stated that every council is legally required to have a chief executive and chief financial officer, that interim rates were benchmarked against market averages, and that the appointments were made by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Approximately 25 interim staff members had transitioned to permanent roles since April, and council members would be requested to sanction Ms. Scholes’ permanent appointment in November, the authority also mentioned. Mr. Tuckley attributed the increase to the necessity for the council to recruit individuals possessing “specialist skills”. He expressed that he was “not pleased” with the figures, but noted that the council had required individuals with “particular expertise” in finance. “We value all our staff, permanent or interim, and the work they do for our council and our town,” he further stated.