Hartlepool councillor accuses authority of 'jobs for the boys' after former officers re-employed without interview

Two of the new Environmental Health Officers have previously worked for the council, with one having left the authority after taking early retirement/voluntary redundancy.

Independent Councillor Tony Richardson is speaking out saying it goes against the local authority’s own constitution and that former employees are gaining financially.

But the council says the need to respond to the coronavirus pandemic meant there were ‘exceptional circumstances’ and it was given extra government funding to meet the costs.

Cllr Richardson, who represents the Fens and Rossmere ward on Hartlepool Borough Council, told the Mail: “It states in the constitution we have to go out to people to give everybody a chance of the job. It could have gone to kids coming out of university or college.

“I think they’re using Covid against the people of this town.

"The council’s own Pay Policy Statement discourages the re-engagement of staff who have benefited from the public purse by receiving voluntary redundancy and early release of local government pension.

"To me it’s jobs for the boys. It stinks.”

The council’s chief solicitor Hayley Martin told Cllr Richardson that all the officers appointed have a degree or diploma in environmental health and are registered with the Environmental Health Registration Board.

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A council spokesman likened the appointments to former NHS staff returning to work during the pandemic and said the three new officers have the necessary skills, qualifications and local knowledge.

A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesperson told the Mail: “Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has given councils new responsibilities to support the Covid response and provided additional funding to meet the additional costs.

“It was identified very early on in responding to the pandemic that capacity in the Environmental Health Officer area of work needed to be strengthened due to the specific role that this function carries out, specifically in relation to enforcing the new coronavirus legislation, providing advice and guidance to businesses, as well as executing the test and trace arrangements at a local level.

“The Council has had to move quickly to implement these responsibilities and secure people with the necessary skills to do this work. In line with the approach operated in the NHS, where retired doctors and nurses have returned to work, the council has employed three Environmental Health Officers on fixed-term contracts.

“This was done without formal interviews as all three of the individuals have the skills and qualifications to do the role as well as local knowledge of Hartlepool.

“The Council’s pay policy does not normally allow the re-engagement of staff who have benefited from the public purse by receiving voluntary redundancy and early release of local government pension unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’.

"However, in view of the unprecedented circumstances of responding to Covid, this was deemed ‘exceptional’ and the three temporary appointments have been approved.”

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