10 per cent of councils to cut comms teams, research shows

According to research published by Pancea Applications Ltd and LG Communications and reported by LocalGov, one in 10 local authorities are planning cuts to staff numbers in their communications teams over the coming year.

The survey found that councils’ communications teams had reached a ‘plateau’ on staff cuts, with 60 per cent of local authorities saying that had been cutting back on their comms teams since 2014.

The survey found that while 89 per cent of communications teams say they are meeting their core objectives, 63 per cent said cost cutting was making their job harder. 56 per cent also said they expected their budget to be cut further this year.

Rachel Wynne, director of Panacea Applications Limited, said: “Despite the staff cuts they have endured, we see no reduction in the work these teams are required to fulfil. Nonetheless, the latest results show that public sector communication teams are actually still motivated and providing a highly valued service to their organisations.

“With only 38 per cent of respondents having sufficient time to fulfil their work, they are seeking new ways of becoming more efficient and harnessing new technology to reduce spend - with some showing true entrepreneurial spirit and even generating income for their organisations.”