Halton Borough Council is teaming up with Commercial Services Group (CSG) – a company wholly owned by Kent County Council – in a new joint venture to manage the recruitment of the Council’s flexible workforce.
The new company, called Connect2Halton, will be a 50/50 publicly owned joint venture company between Halton Borough Council and Commercial Services Group (CSG).
The Council’s flexible workforce includes those workers who fill temporary roles through agency or casual arrangements.
The Council currently spends around £14m a year on temporary workers hired through agencies, but with Connect2Halton working closely alongside Council services and managing the recruitment process directly, not only through third party companies, over time this cost is expected to fall.
The new company will also support the Council with its focus on providing job access to local residents and in particular those who may be looking to get back into employment. When it goes live in September, Connect2Halton will be based within the Council’s offices in Widnes and several new jobs will be created to run the company.
Cllr Mark Dennett, Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Corporate Services
“Like many other local authorities, the current cost of temporary agency workers in Halton is significant and while there will always be the need to have a flexible workforce to support the delivery of Council services, it is a priority for the Council to bring this cost down. One of the ways we are doing this is through this new approach to recruitment.
“CSG bring with them a wealth of experience and importantly, they have a track-record of reducing the costs of temporary recruitment with the local authorities they partner with.
“We’re delighted to be working with CSG on this innovative and exciting new joint-venture and look forward to the benefits it will bring to the Council and the residents of Halton.”
Matt Johnson, Commercial Services Group CEO added, “We are pleased to welcome Halton Borough Council as our 6th joint venture partner. In these challenging times, councils are recognising the benefits of taking control of their contingent recruitment to help manage costs and support their local economy.
“We will bring our expertise and experience to deliver the joint venture partnership and Halton Borough Council will benefit from building stronger relationships directly with its local community.”
Connect2Halton is expected to go live in September 2024.
About Commercial Services Group
CSG is wholly owned by Kent County Council (KCC) and has been successfully operating for nearly 100 years.
It is now one of the largest companies of its kind in the UK with 26 brands and over 16000 customers.
CSG has already successfully partnered with KCC, Hampshire County Council, Luton Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Dudley Borough Council and most recently, Dorset Council.
CSG’s track record of successful delivery is evidenced by returning over £10million back to those partners in the last financial year.