Thank you again for your patience and strength as we continue through this transformation.

You may already be aware that the council has been going through a transformation programme (‘Our Cambridge’) since January 2022.

The purpose of Our Cambridge is to reshape and redesign our council to build a better, more sustainable organisation that takes a whole-system approach and has a deeper, more integrated relationship with our community and partners.

We have already modernised in a number of ways which have resulted in significant savings for the council.

Part of this work has been to look at how the organisation is structured. We started with a senior management review. Initial changes made to senior leadership have enabled us to make a saving of £200,000 each year. This created an organisational structure which consists of four ‘Groups’: Corporate Hub, Communities, Economy and Place, and City Services. 

We are now looking at the structures within each of those Groups, to continue modernising how we work, and are initiating a consultation to hear from all staff members to shape the future structure of the council. 

On 14 October we launched the official consultation period which ran until 15 November 2024. Further details on the timeline and process can be found below, including how you can ask questions and submit a response to the consultation proposal, where you can access support, and FAQs.

We understand that organisational transformation can be challenging and impacts each of us in unique ways, both professionally and personally.

Please know that we are committed to supporting you throughout this journey. Your wellbeing and contributions are incredibly valued, and we are here to provide the resources and assistance you may need during this time. Thank you for your understanding and support.

This is the full Consultation Paper [PDF, 0.6MB]. It is made up of a number of parts.

We recommend that you read the full paper and then the Group Appendix that relates to the Group you work in and your role, found on the below pages:

• City Services
• Communities
• Corporate Hub
• Economy and Place

EQIAs have been completed for each Group and also an overarching Group Design EQIA. Copies are available upon request.

The Organisational Change Policy [PDF, 0.2MB] outlines how we go about the consultation and what it means for you.

We want to acknowledge and apologise, that there were some errors and emissions, which have been rectified thanks to the quick feedback from staff across the organisation. The changes have been republished as addendums:

• Addendum - 21 October 2024 - Group Design consultation [PDF, 0.7MB]
  • Senior Anti Social Behaviour Officer JD-PS [PDF, 0.3MB]
  • Universal Credit Support Officer JD-PS [PDF, 2MB]
  • West & Central Neighbourhood Manager JD-PS [PDF, 0.7MB]
• Addendum - 28 October 2024 - Group Design consultation [PDF, 0.1MB]
  • Corporate Hub JDs [PDF, 0.9MB]
  • Communities Group JDs [PDF, 1MB]
  • City Services - consultation questions [PDF, 0.2MB]
• Addendum - 4 November 2024 - Group Design consultation [PDF, 0.1MB]
  • Corporate Hub JDs [PDF, 0.9MB]
• Addendum - 11 November 2024 - Group Design consultation [PDF, 0.7MB]
  • Enabling Communities - Structures [PDF, 0.2MB]
  • Communities - Current Structures [PDF, 0.2MB]
  • Communities Town Hall - 31 October 2024 [PDF, 0.7MB]

The overarching priority throughout the Group Design Programme is to ensure that staff feel supported throughout and trust the integrity of the process.

While we encourage you to talk to your line manager, you may also like to look at the other support options available to you. You can check these out below.

• Employee Assistance Programme [PDF, 2MB] - call 0800 882 4102 24/7.
• Health and wellbeing support and a toolbox to support change- please speak to your line manager to discuss what's available. 

Trade Unions

• GMB - contact Kevin Roberts, Branch Secretary Cambridge 2 Branch on 01223 458208 or email gmb.gmb@cambridge.gov.uk.
• Unison - contact Liz Brennan in the Unison office on 01223 457047 or unison@cambridge.gov.uk.

Please ask your manager for a copy of the Trade Unions partnership agreement and Trade Unions facilities agreement. 

Check out the responses to your questions, feedback and queries on our FAQ page. 

The FAQs will be updated weekly. 

If you have questions about your role or what is in the consultation paper you can use the online form. 

Please speak to your manager regarding information and Change Management and what resources are available. 

We know that things change and that we don't always get it right when it comes to engagement and communication, so if you have any feedback on how we can improve please let us know.