Improvement board give final verdict on 'substantial' Liverpool City Council progress

The Improvement and Assurance Board, which included two independent advisors as well as elected members and senior officers at Liverpool City Council, was set up to provide oversight of ongoing improvements in the local authority following the end of Government intervention and the withdrawal of Commissioners in June 2024.

The Board was a “step down” from statutory intervention, which began with the Best Value Inspection and Commissioners being appointed in 2021. Independent Chair, Mike Cunningham CBE QPM, has now written to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Jim McMahon MP, with their final report.

The report noted that the Board have “confidence in the stability of this leadership structure”, with governance and decision-making now subject to “clear, robust processes which ensure key decisions are rigorously considered before progressing”.

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Management of finances was praised with the document stating: “Financial stability is a continued focus for the leadership team and they have made difficult decisions well... The leadership team understands the scale of the challenge to deliver these decisions.

“The council has successfully set a balanced budget for 2025-26, and has a robust approach to in-year financial monitoring.”

Improvements in Children’s Services since the service was judged inadequate by Ofsted in May 2023 were also mentioned, as well as “visible” progress in tackling housing and homelessness.

The Board concluded: “Over the period of the Improvement and Assurance Board’s operation, it has been clear that the service remains focused on continuing to improve in the areas identified by the commissioners – building capacity, implementing its improvement plan and improving the quality of decision making.

“The building blocks of the service are now largely in place. Although there remains much to be done, the board has greater confidence in the plans in place to deliver an improved service and can see good evidence of a focus on delivery and impact for the residents of the city.”

The Board said it is “confident that the Council’s trajectory is well set, well led and understood across the whole organisation”.

In a letter to the Minister accompanying the report, Mr Cunningham said: “Liverpool is now an organisation able to manage its own continuous improvement and we have confidence in the senior officer and political team’s ability to lead the Council and respond to future challenges”.

The final report of the Improvement and Assurance Board will be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday, April 15.

Council Leader, Cllr Liam Robinson, said: “I very much welcome this report from the Improvement and Assurance Board which demonstrates how much progress we have made.

“Politically and managerially we have been transformed, particularly over the last two years with a new Cabinet and senior leadership team. I would like to thank Councillors of all parties for their support with the significant changes that have been made, and staff for their hard work and commitment.

“I believe there is an unstoppable momentum in the improvements that we are making, which are now starting to make a difference to the quality of frontline services, particularly when combined with the additional investment we are putting in.

“Residents should have confidence that we are now an outward looking organisation that welcomes challenge and wants to work in partnership with our communities to deliver improvements for the city.”

“I want to thank Mike Cunningham for his personal commitment to the improvement of Liverpool City Council, and the other independent members Stephen Hughes and Richard Ennis for their expert support.”