Cash-strapped council paid staff over £1k a day

A cash-strapped council forked out tens of thousands of pounds for temporary staff in just three months after recruiting new bosses, figures have revealed.

Slough Borough Council in Berkshire saw its wage bill for interim staff rise by £65,200 between April and July.

It comes after the government hired Will Tuckley as the authority's interim chief executive on a day rate of £1,100, and Annabel Scholes as interim chief finance officer on £1,375 a day, including agency fee.

A council report said the rise was due to "an increase in new placements at a higher level".

The council was effectively declared bankrupt in 2021 after racking up a £760m borrowing debt and a £357m deficit.

An independent review raised concerns about financial "mismanagement" and a "dysfunctional culture" at Slough Borough Council.

Government-appointed commissioners have been working with the authority ever since.

In a statement, the council said Mr Tuckley and Ms Scholes’ wages had made up a "very small proportion" of the overall interim staffing bill of £6.34m, between April and July.

But council would not tell the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) exactly how much of the increase was due to their wages.

It added every council must have a chief executive and chief financial officer by law, that interim rates were tested against the market average, and that the appointments were made by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

About 25 interim staff had become permanent since April, and councillors would be asked to approve Ms Scholes’ permanent appointment in November, the authority added.

Mr Tuckley said the increase came because the council had to recruit people with "specialist skills".

He said he was "not pleased" at the figures, but added the council had needed to bring in people 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 added.

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