Council Leader backs merger - Colin Barrow approves plans to link Westminster and Hammersmith/Fulham education departments

Published: 09 July 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

COUNCIL leader Colin Barrow has approved plans he has described as “complex and high risk” to merge Westminster with Hammersmith and Fulham’s education departments by April next year.

He told a panel of education leaders from both councils the alliance would help Westminster adapt to a “more commercial” climate, in which an education landscape of academies and free schools has changed the role of the local authority from provider to commissioner of ­services. 

Under the historic move, a new “super director” of education for both boroughs would be in charge of the day-to-day running of services including primary and secondary school admissions, behaviour support and enforcing attendance.

It is hoped the move will save about 20 per cent – £2million – of each council’s education budget over three years.

At least nine jobs in Westminster are set to be axed as a result. The borough currently employs 80 members of staff in its education department – a fraction of the 537 posts in its children’s services department.

Already there is widespread anxiety about the practical implications for education, with questions raised over accountability and whether a more ­centralised service would dilute the quality of provision.

Chris Smith, assistant branch secretary of Westminster Unison, said: “It is very worrying. You can’t cut this department without losing frontline staff. We are going to have a situation where education provision is no longer based locally. And it’s not even as if Hammersmith and Fulham is next door. Geographically it doesn’t make sense. 

“There has been no consultation about it, and staff, including some very senior managers, are very worried about this. 

“We have called for an urgent meeting with [chief executive of the council] Mike More to try to find out more detail.”

Jeff Bates, Westminster NUT representative, said the merger would leave schools feeling unsupported, and risk making underperforming schools worse. If successful, the plan is to extend the ­merger with the possible addition of Kensington and Chelsea, which would see adoption, fostering, child protection and childcare all coming under one big umbrella service for west London.

The bulk of savings are expected to be made on “economies of scale” – shared costs for IT, buildings and back office administration.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Improving Education meeting, Cllr Barrow said: “On the surface this is the right thing to do, achieving a comparable level of service for markedly less money. The luxury of having our own education department is one we can no longer afford and I think to have 33 individual ­education authorities in London is no longer sustainable.” 

The merger is one plank of plans to cut £55million from Westminster’s budget over the next three years.