Agenda item

To provide the Committee with an update on the processes and systems used for the control and usage of consultants across the council. 

The report as introduced by the Assistant Chief Executive set out the businesses processes and systems followed in engaging consultants, and the layouts proposed for future monitoring of numbers and analysis. The policy had also been updated in line with procurement regulations. Future reports would give more detail, facilitating greater transparency and scrutiny around the engagement of consultants and to provide Members with increased assurance.

Concern was expressed that details was not available to the Committee regarding the latest figures, due to the information being in the process of being updated since last being reported in September 2012. In response to a question regarding the longest-serving consultant used by the Council, it was reported that some consultants were engaged on and off over a period of years, and that the reports in future would give the Committee more detail as to the specific nature of such roles, so that they could see the case for ongoing retention. It was necessary to make a distinction between those who were retained on a long term basis but only actually called on for specific pieces of work, and those who were working in the Council’s offices on a more regular basis, and this would be made in the new reports. It was noted that Members had an interest in both the cost aspect, and the issue of using consultants regularly over a long period of time, rather than engaging them as permanent members of staff.

The Committee noted that a key issue was that all employees should be paying appropriate tax, and that mechanisms were not in place that enabled people to avoid paying tax. Members should be able to see how long a consultant was expected to be contracted for, and to monitor this in practice. The Chief Executive advised that the number of consultants and interims was likely to go up and down over the next few years, as the Council currently employed an exceptionally low level of interims; the key issue was for the process to be transparent, and reported to Members accordingly. The Committee noted that HMRC had devised a code for senior officers, which incorporated an agreement that tax would be paid into staff contracts; it was reported that the Council were moving to implement this code, and that the HMRC online tool was also being used for guidance on tax arrangements, particularly where staff were employed on a freelance basis.

In response to a question around safeguards in place, Mr Young advised of the authorisation processes as set out in the report. It was noted that in most cases an agency would be used in order to preclude any concerns regarding tax arrangements, however there would be instances where a consultant would need to be approached on a non-agency basis, for example where very specific or specialist expertise was required. In addition, data on use of consultants would be reported on a quarterly basis to the Committee.

RESOLVED

That the updated processes and systems for the control and usage of consultants across the council attached in the appendices to the report be approved.