Decision details

Bury Council, along with 41 other Local Authorities (including all of GM Authorities) is currently a member of North West Employers and has been so for over 20 years. The organisation provides a range of employment services, including training and development programmes, executive coaching, research and innovation, senior leader and Elected Member Development initiatives and spokesperson for the North of England with regards to issues of a National matter, such as pay negotiations.

North West Employers are engaged via an annual subscription, which this year is £16,660.96 and payment for the year 2020/21 is now due.

Over recent months, conversations have taken place with North West Employers at a senior level in an attempt to understand in greater detail the level and quality of provision of services provided to the Council, in an attempt to ensure that we receive value for our money.

Before the pandemic crisis, it had been agreed that NW Employers would deliver a significant piece of work to develop the Council’s Executive Team, as part of a wider organisational development exercise. It was also agreed that they would provide support in relation to a review and refresh of the Council’s suite of HR Policies and Procedures.

This work has not yet taken place due to current events, although it will still go ahead at an appropriate time later in the year.

As such, it is proposed that the Council continue to engage the services of NW Employers for 2020/21. However, they have been advised that due to the on-going scarcity of resources and the need to ensure value for money, any commitment to engage services beyond this year will be subject to scrutiny of the quality of services provided, including evaluation of the planned interventions.