More than 160 Arts Council England (ACE) staff face an uncertain future, following the announcement of proposed measures aimed at reducing annual administrative costs by £800,000. Amongst the proposals is the relocation of around 50 jobs in support services from London to offices elsewhere in the UK. Around 20 support services jobs will be lost, allied to the creation of a new services support centre outside London.
The proposals also increase the likelihood of bringing together the London regional office and the national office in a single location in the capital, and options for achieving this are currently under review. The proposals come after an in-depth internal review at ACE examining efficiency in office locations, finance, grant management, information technology, human resources, and office and customer enquiry services. ACE said that the purpose of the review was to identify service provision to its external and internal customers, with an eye to delivering value for money, now and in the future. A three-month consultation period will now allow staff to comment on the proposals, with Unions said to be fully involved in the process. Chief Executive, Peter Hewitt, defended the proposals, saying, As a publicly funded body we have a duty to deliver value in every possible way, so that the maximum amount of our income can be invested in developing the arts. In making these proposals we recognise the potential impact on a dedicated and highly professional group of staff and so will ensure that full and proper consultation takes place before any plans are finalised. Final recommendations will be made in September with implementation expected later in the year.
Published: 18-06-2007