Council hires private HR firm despite having own department

Despite having its own HR department, the Council has engaged the services of ‘Happy Raspberry’, a firm that “offers a range of products with the focus on offering our customers a personal and tailored service”.

According to its website, Happy Raspberry provides “trust, reassurance and confidence” as part of its service. However, the Council has not explained why it requires the assistance of a private company that promotes itself as one that “stands out from the crowd” and aims to ensure its clients “will remember who we are”.

Among its offerings, Happy Raspberry claims expertise in managing organisational change, design, and restructuring, as well as handling redundancies. It also specialises in job evaluation and salary benchmarking, aiming to “ensure value for money for the company whilst remaining competitive in the market place”.

According to its website, Happy Raspberry counts Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Extern, Tayto Group Limited, and Fermanagh-based organisations such as Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre and the Ely Centre among its clients.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said: “The Council utilises the services of external companies to provide a range of support functions on an identified needs basis, as and when required. Happy Raspberry is one such company.”

She added: “They are not contracted on an ongoing basis to provide services to the Council.”

Last month it was revealed how Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has also been paying a Belfast-based communications firm, owned by serving SDLP councillor Carl Whyte, to provide advice.

Despite having its own communications department, the Council has used ratepayers’ money to pay MW Advocate a fee since the company was engaged in April.

The firm’s work includes offering strategic communication advice, such as on the proposed Lakeland Forum development.