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Local Council Consultancy (LCC) Associate, Reg Williams, shares how the LCC has supported this innovative project.
The crematorium project at Huntingdon Town Council is one of the most exciting and innovative initiatives undertaken by a council in the sector for many years.
It was, therefore, a real privilege for LCC to be asked to lead the recruitment process for the staff required. I was a City Clerk at Salisbury City Council, which includes a successful crematorium and had previously undertaken a substantial project for HTC, setting up the new facilities in Summer 2019, looking at staffing levels, salary options and ancillary issues.
The recruitment of the new manager was undertaken first, as this person would form a key part in the interview process for the other staff required. Recruitment packs were designed, adverts placed via the ICCM, FBCA and Indeed, and a timetable agreed. This resulted in 36 enquiries and 20 applications. These were assessed and six candidates were invited to interview in November 2020, via Zoom calls.
This brought about an entirely different approach to the process, but by being well organised and structured, the interviews went extremely well, culminating in the appointment of an excellent and experienced Manager.
A further three posts were then recruited for – the Assistant Manager, Crematorium Officer, and Crematorium Technician. These posts attracted over 70 applications in total.
An excellent team has been put in place despite the challenges of Covid-19. LCC was delighted to lead on this aspect of the project and it demonstrates LCC is highly capable of undertaking projects, despite the restrictions being faced.
