2 questions on Council policy. - Should Dumfries and Galloway Council recruitment practices be a subject of a Best Value Audits? - Council’s No-Redundancy Policy: A Double-Edged Sword in Workforce Planning?



A recent job vacancy data from My Job Scotland reveals a heavy reliance on traditional sectors like Education & Learning (36%) and Operations & Infrastructure (18%), while emerging needs in digital transformation and social care remain underrepresented. This raises serious questions about whether councils are strategically aligning recruitment with future service demands—or simply filling vacancies reactively.  



Audit Scotland’s Best Value Assurance Report (2023–24) for Dumfries and Galloway Council highlighted gaps in workforce planning, particularly around skills mapping, measurable KPIs, and future-proofing. But one factor that may be quietly shaping these trends is the council’s no-redundancy policy — a policy designed to protect jobs but which may now inadvertently slow adaptation to changing needs.  

How the No-Redundancy Policy Could Be Influencing Workforce Gaps

While job security for employees is commendable, a strict no-redundancy approach can create unintended consequences:  

1. Skills Stagnation
   - Without the ability to restructure roles, councils may struggle to phase out outdated skills and invest in new ones (e.g., digital transformation, green energy, data analytics).  
   - Vacancy data shows high demand in Administration & Customer Service (15%)—but are these roles evolving with automation and AI, or simply being refilled as-is?  

2. Limited Flexibility in Workforce Reshaping  
   - If councils cannot adjust staffing to match service changes (e.g., shifting from manual processes to digital services), they may rely on external contractors—potentially costing more in the long run.  
   - The Health & Social Care (11%) sector is a prime example: an aging population requires new care models, but without workforce flexibility, councils may lag behind demand.  

3. Recruitment Bottlenecks  
   - If staff cannot be redeployed or retrained efficiently due to rigid role structures, councils may over-prioritize like-for-like replacements rather than hiring for future needs.  
   - The Governance & Planning (11%) sector, for instance, may need more data analysts and climate adaptation specialists—but are these skills being actively recruited?  

Key Questions for Council Leadership

1. Is the no-redundancy policy helping or hindering workforce adaptation?  
   - Could voluntary redeployment schemes or targeted upskilling programs help transition staff into high-demand areas without forced redundancies?  

2. How does the council plan to address skills gaps if roles cannot be phased out?  
   - Are there plans to integrate continuous skills audits to identify reskilling opportunities early?  

3. Are temporary or fixed-term contracts being used to fill emerging needs?  
   - If so, does this create a two-tier workforce, with permanent staff in legacy roles and contractors handling innovation?  

A Balanced Way Forward  

The no-redundancy policy is well-intentioned, but workforce planning must be dynamic. Councils should consider:  
✔ Skills Mobility Programs – Encouraging staff to transition into growth areas (e.g., digital, green jobs).  
✔ Regular Workforce Reviews – Assessing whether current roles align with service demands.  
✔ Transparent KPIs – Reporting on reskilling success rates and time-to-fill critical roles.  

Without adjustments, councils risk being stuck in a cycle of replacing the past rather than building the future.   Again questions about the benefits of Best Value assessment here in personnel recruitment.

What’s your view? Should councils revise no-redundancy policies to allow more flexibility, or are there better ways to adapt?  

Sources: 
My Job Scotland vacancy data;
Audit Scotland Best Value Report 2023–24. 


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