Liverpool Council only has a short window to ensure it does not slip back from the progress made, assessors have warned
Liverpool Council only has a short window to ensure it does not slip back from the progress made since the appointment of government mandated commissioners, assessors have concluded.
As part of a wide-ranging analysis by members of the Local Government Association (LGA), the city council has been urged to ensure it uses its time in control of its own future to recalibrate and re-focus after three years of government scrutiny. After being appointed in 2021, the official government oversight imposed on the city council in the aftermath of the highly critical Caller Report ended, amid a fifth and final report that said the authority had done enough to stand on its own two feet.
Despite this, it was recommended that an informal board be set up to help Liverpool Council through the final steps to a lasting transition. A corporate peer challenge undertaken by the LGA – whose chief executive Joanna Killen was one of the original commissioners installed at the local authority – has urged leaders to ensure they continue the progress made over the past three years.
READ MORE: Massive Spellow fundraiser officially handed over to Liverpool CouncilREAD MORE: City of Liverpool FC’s bid for help as ground search goes on
In 2021, Liverpool Council was plunged into darkness in the aftermath of the excoriating Caller Report, leading to the introduction of government appointed commissioners. The four-strong team, which would become five owing to further failures, effectively took over running of the city.
The commissioners were brought in from June 2021 following the damning Best Value inspection by Max Caller and the damaging report he published which shone a light on the failings within Liverpool Council. A team of four officials – led by former College of Policing chief Mike Cunningham – were put in direct control of areas such as highways, finance and regeneration.
Following a lack of progress, a fifth commissioner was appointed in November 2022, with Stephen Hughes overseeing the council’s financial performance. In December last year, the commissioners confirmed such was the improvement in the 12 months since, they were able to hand back key powers to the council, including finance, highways and transport ahead of schedule.
This was completed in March, with the full intervention ending on time in June. The LGA assessment, which took place over four days in July, said the city had gone through a “period of rapid improvement” which must continue to “ensure that the council goes on to now reach a level that is more typical across the local government sector, arriving at a point where residents start to experience the benefits of the improvements made.”
As the authority is in an “emerging stage” it must ensure it must not slip back, according to officials, who said it was important to use the short window available to establish what is required for the future. The report said: “This will require focusing in on what matters most, including improving outcomes for residents and completing the work on ‘getting all of the basics right’.”
One of the areas for immediate focus was ensuring full transparency around the scale of the scale of the financial challenge it faces.
Additionally, the officials – made up from across local government – said improvements were not being reflected in the experience of residents, with only 43% pleased with council operations compared to 53% nationally. The report said: “To improve the experience local residents have of the council there are clear steps to prioritise.
“These include improving core service delivery (e.g. highways, waste and litter). It also includes improving the experience that residents have of the various touchpoints with the council (for example, contact centres, one stop shops etc), as well as putting in place a new casework management system which works for members, works for services and, most importantly, works for the residents of Liverpool.
“Ensuring a clear and consistent link between all programmes and the benefits to local communities and residents will also help here. Including, for instance, being clear on the direct links between high profile cultural programmes and better outcomes for residents.
“Taking these steps and others is essential to re-establishing credibility and rebuilding trust with the wider city and the residents of Liverpool.”
