Figures obtained by M.E.N Media reveal that using consultants cost the council £9.9m in the year 2009/10. Another £5.6m was spent employing agency staff.
Of that, the highest spend was £3.7m by the housing department.
The city’s beleaguered children’s services department, a key part of which was branded inadequate for the second time in four years in June, spent £2.6m.
The rest of the fees for consultants were:
- Chief executive’s department – £436,000
- Customer and support – £1.4m
- Community health and social care – £825,000
- Environmental services – £837,000.
Another £604,000 has been spent on consultants between April and June this year
