Nottinghamshire County Council has provided its first update on work to identify efficiencies across the authority after committing to a programme intended to help deliver more than £44 million in savings, though there’s not a great deal of detail in the update.
A report to the council’s Overview Committee on 12 March outlines the initial outcomes from the Cabinet’s Efficiency Working Group, which was established in June 2025 to review the authority’s financial management, procurement and contract arrangements.
The working group was set up as part of the council’s wider response to financial pressures and to support the development of the 2026/27 budget. Its remit includes identifying efficiencies that can be delivered during the financial year, strengthening oversight of spending and contracts, and ensuring services continue to provide value for money for residents.
Among the areas examined so far is the council’s use of agency staff. The review found that spending on agency workers fell by around £3 million when comparing the first half of the current financial year with the same period the previous year. The council attributes this to process changes including reducing the average time taken to recruit staff from between 73 and 54 days down to around 49 days, targeted work to reduce high-cost agency placements and consolidating agency recruitment through a single supplier.
Printing across the organisation was also examined as part of the review. The report says the cost of printing has fallen to £28.26 per full-time equivalent member of staff, which it says is significantly lower than a typical business cost estimate of £725 per employee. The reduction is attributed to changes in working practices, greater digitalisation and efforts to reduce the use of paper.
Other areas explored include the council’s capital programme and capital receipts, corporate fees and charges, and the management of information technology services. The review also considered the council’s energy procurement arrangements through the Crown Commercial Service framework, including measures such as building rationalisation, energy audits, smart metering, solar panel installation and the replacement of street lighting and traffic signals with LED systems.
The council-owned highways company Via was also reviewed, with its own efficiency programme expected to contribute to the authority’s wider savings plans. In addition, the group examined the council’s adult social care charging policy, which includes revised flat-rate discretionary charges and increases to charges for home-based care during reablement services. These changes were approved by Cabinet in January 2026.
The working group also reviewed the statutory coroner service jointly run with Nottingham City Council, noting that costs are increasing due to inflation and a rising number of investigations. Officers highlighted that the anticipated re-tendering of mortuary provision could also affect future costs.
Insights from the review are intended to inform the council’s wider “Portfolio of Change” programme, which forms part of the authority’s financial strategy. The programme is expected to deliver £44.2 million in pressure mitigations and savings through a number of workstreams.
These include programmes focused on special educational needs and disabilities support, a Families First Partnership approach aimed at reducing the need for children to enter care, and plans to expand family-based homes for children looked after by the council. Other workstreams relate to adult social care reform, including measures to maximise income from those able to contribute towards their care, manage demand and improve commissioning arrangements.
Further programmes focus on strengthening community support networks to help residents access help earlier, as well as a “Forward Looking and Resilient Council” programme designed to improve efficiency within the authority through changes to systems, processes and the use of digital technology.
The report notes that work undertaken so far through the efficiency review has contributed in particular to the adult social care programme and the council’s plans to improve internal systems and digital processes. In future, the Forward Looking and Resilient Council programme is expected to be the main mechanism for identifying and delivering additional efficiencies.
Overview Committee members are being asked to consider and comment on the outcomes from the initial work of the Efficiency Working Group. While the report provides an update on areas examined so far, it does not set out specific new savings proposals and states that there are no direct financial implications arising from the report itself.
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