ALL chief officers and heads of service at Wirral Council have been issued with letters informing them their jobs are at risk.

The move is part of a raft of measures to reduce senior management costs by around a third.

The “at risk” letters were sent in the wake of a major budget review aimed at helping the authority reduce costs by £100m – a third from its budget – over the next three years.

The letters are not a formal notice of redundancy, but alert senior staff their role is being reviewed as part of immediate service changes.

Councillors in the ruling cabinet will meet on Thursday to consider a series of options drawn up as part of “What Really Matters” - a  consultation aimed at helping the authority decide its future spending priorities.

The options will be published this Friday, when staff will also be briefed about how they could affect them.

The authority will be embarking on an extensive staff "engagement programme" that includes information, advice and support.

Graham Burgess, chief executive of Wirral Council, said: “The consultation told us local people want us to reduce the tiers of management and prioritise services for vulnerable people.

“We therefore need to spend less on ourselves in order to help mitigate the impact of the cuts on our most vulnerable residents.

“I have therefore embarked on a management re-structure aimed at taking a third out of management costs in order to, as far as possible, protect front line services which are important to the people of Wirral."

A central feature of Mr Burgess’ restructuring is the appointment of three new “super-directors” who will take on responsibility for the vast majority of council services.

The trio will attract super-salaries to match, with the pay grade being set at around £120,000.

But the move will not lead to an overall increase in costs, which will be met through the reduction in senior management.

It is understood the new directors will be appointed later this week.