Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council – Progress Review

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (Wirral Council) completed a Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) in November 2024. The council published the CPC report alongside an Action Plan setting out the organisational response to the team’s findings and recommendations in January 2025. As part of the CPC process, there is a commitment that Progress Reviews will be completed within 12-months of the original CPC. These Progress Reviews are designed to provide space for the political and managerial leadership of the council to consider:

• Progress: Receive feedback from peers on the progress made by the council against the CPC recommendations and the council’s action plan.
• Operating Context: Better understand any changes in context which may affect the council’s progress or alter previously developed plans.
• Opportunities and Challenges: Consider the reflections of peers on any new opportunities or challenges that may have arisen since the peer team were ‘on-site’ including further support needs.
• Learning: Discuss any early impact or learning from the progress made to date.

This Progress Review was completed on Wednesday 1 October 2025 and was held in-person at the Mallory Building in Birkenhead, approximately 10-months after the original CPC. The peer team recognise that this length of time may not allow for previous recommendations to be fully embedded and have therefore considered both progress to-date and plans for the future as part of this work. To support this process, and to minimise transactional discussions, the Council’s original 11 recommendations (listed in full in Appendix 1.0) were aggregated under the following themes.

• Financial Resilience and Recovery: This theme included a focus on previous recommendations regarding the council’s financial challenges, including the development of a jointly owned Financial Improvement Plan, and strengthened planning to address these issues.
• Governance and Political Engagement: This included wider issues of political engagement, the importance of stability of decision-making, and the need to work effectively across political parties to reflect the no-overall control nature of the council.
• Corporate Priorities and Communications: This included feedback on the previous recommendations relating to the need for increased prioritisation within the council plan, refinements to the council’s Performance Management Framework, and the development of a shared narrative for the borough and organisation.

The full recommendations from the original Corporate Peer Challenge are included in full in Appendix One of this report.

To support the Progress Review, Wirral council produced an updated position statement that updated the peer team on the current operating context and progress against the council’s action plan. The peer team used this information to inform discussions with the council’s acting chief executive, senior leadership team, leader, as well as wider corporate colleagues, and leaders of the four other political groups of the council. This work was completed by the following member and officer peers from across the sector:

• Lead Peer: Jacqui Gedman OBE (previous Chief Executive - Kirklees Council)
• Labour Member Peer: Cllr Nick Peel (Leader - Bolton Council).
• Finance Officer Peer: Paul McKevitt (Financial Advisor - LGA).
• Challenge Manager: Matt Dodd (Senior Regional Advisor – LGA).

3.1  Changes in Context

In the 10-months since the Peer Team were with Wirral Council there has been a significant amount of change. Most importantly, this includes new political and managerial leadership (including an acting chief executive, and the subsequent appointment of an interim chief executive). Whilst much of this change is beyond the original recommendations and findings of the team’s last report, it is important that these changes are recognised as important context to the more specific issues covered in this report.

A new leader of the council was confirmed at the May full council meeting with support of four of the five political groups of the council. Shortly following this selection, the new leader stated that their priorities and ambitions included restoring financial stability, delivering regeneration, progressing the local plan, and prioritising those with greatest need. Positively, since their appointment, the new leader has engaged meaningfully with offers of sector led support, this is well illustrated by the council’s commitment to this Progress Review within their first six months, during a period of transition and in the context of wider capacity challenges.

Furthermore, there have been wider changes in the political settlement of the organisation. This has included the selection of two new leaders for the Green Group, as well as the breakaway of three councillors from the previous Conservative Group to form an Independent Conservative Group. These changes have resulted in the council now having five political groups, with Labour 27, Conservative 14, Green 14, Liberal Democrat six, and Independent Conservatives three (with two Independent councillors not in a group).

Alongside these changes in political leadership, the council has had an acting chief executive arrangement in place since July. The acting chief executive arrangement was established at short notice, with the director for neighbourhoods and communities stepping in at short notice, to cover the statutory head of paid service (CEX) role. This has provided valuable guidance, structure and stewardship to the council during a turbulent period of change. Since the team were onsite, the council has concluded a recruitment process which resulted in the appointment of an interim chief executive which is to be filled by the director of finance. Additionally, the council’s previous director of regeneration permanently left the organisation in August.

3.2  Progress Review – Feedback

The council’s self-assessment identified five of the original recommendations as ‘on-track’ (green), five as ‘amber’, and one (the development of a shared narrative for regeneration) as red. The peer team recognise this assessment. Importantly, many of those recommendations which are rated as ‘amber’ or ‘red’ remain relevant and timely to the council and therefore require further capacity and focus from the organisation to drive improvement, including the strengthening of financial planning, and the development of Financial Improvement Plan. Whilst the council’s return to financial stability will be a longer-term process, these measures remain important early milestones that are still required.

Given both the ambitions of the council, and the breadth of improvement work currently in-train across finance, governance, regeneration, and corporate transformation, there is a requirement for the council to focus capacity through the use of prioritisation and sequencing. In this context the council’s financial position remains the most-immediate challenge to the organisation, and the delivery of the council’s 2025-26 budget, and development of robust and appropriate proposals for 2026 onwards should be at the fore of the council’s focus and will create the foundations and interdependencies for wider improvement.

These developments have been well-managed by the organisation, with the team being told of the positive relationships being developed both with officers and across groups. However, this further division of political groups in the context of no-overall-control places more emphasis and importance on the previous recommendation of the team to take a ‘Wirral first approach across groups’ to provide and promote the interests and needs of the borough, as well as the needs of the organisation corporately, over individual group interests by ensuring stability in decision making. This will build on the positive start and processes which the council has put in-place since the summer.

Furthermore, the central government announcement to abolish the committee system of governance has seen the council take steps to consider the implications of this decision locally. Whilst the council agreed a public motion which favoured the retention of the current system, the organisation has taken a pragmatic and proactive approach, recognising the probability of these reforms by establishing an officer working group to plan and implement this transition for May 2027, an approach which incorporates ongoing engagement with political groups. 

In November, the peer team were clear with the council that the organisation’s financial context was ‘the most significant area of concern’. Since the Peer Team Report, the council has introduced clearer structures and processes in place to accurately monitor the council’s budget position, with monthly reviews by SLT and a bi-weekly finance working group to understand the council’s performance and context. This context includes compounding challenges of low general fund reserves, overspend linked to demand-led budgets, the need to deliver significant saving problems, and the continued use of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS), with the potential for the council’s third application for this support. 

Since the original peer challenge the council set a balanced budget for 2025-2026, however, this budget was reliant on Exceptional Financial (EFS) support from central government of £20million for 2024-2025 and £7.5million for 2025-26. At the time of this Progress Review, based on the current forecast overspend of Adult Social Care and Health Services, the current profile of savings delivery, and the council’s level of reserves it is the Peer Team’s expectation that the council will require further EFS from central government in 2026-2027. Without this support, there is a likely requirement for the council to issue a Section 114 notice.

The council has established an inclusive cross-party Task Force to review the council’s proposals for 2026-2027, given the council’s financial position, it is essential that the council place a significant focus on the immediate decisions and proposals which will mitigate and minimise any application for EFS. Doing so will help demonstrate the council’s commitment to financial stability, whilst in turn reducing the effects of further future debt on the council and in-turn its capacity for delivering for local residents. As part of this work, it is important that elected members fully understand the cost implications and long term impact on their revenue budget of any EFS application, especially given that this will be the council’s third application, and the additional pressure that this will place on the revenue budget in future, with each EFS placing further demand on the council there is a need to break this cycle to avoid these applications creating a debt level which is an unhealthy ratio to the size of the council’s net budget 

The CPC included a number of findings and recommendations regarding regeneration, including the development of a shared vision at a borough level. This is a further area of significant change since the team were onsite, including changes in senior managerial leadership and the recent (September 2025) publication of an internal audit report regarding issues of contracts and governance in the regeneration of Birkenhead. This review was prompted by significant increases in the forecast costs of the scheme from £14.9 million to £24.3 million as well as significant delays in progress. This review was undertaken at the request of the council’s director of finance and offers a detailed assessment of the failings, over a number of years, which led to these outcomes, including the use of incomplete designs, a lack of transparency in internal communication, and the use of contract variations.

Beyond this, the council has also commissioned an external review of the organisation’s wider regeneration programme, building on previous feedback that the council has received from their non-statutory Improvement Board which ran 2021-2024.This review will support a wider improvement plan for regeneration, and will include findings on progress, financial viability, capacity, capability and ongoing risks when it is due to report in November 2025. The Peer Team recognise that these reports will likely shape the ongoing approach of the council to regeneration in responding to specific findings. However, beyond any technical findings, these reports have the potential to dent public, partner and business confidence in the council and will require ongoing communication regarding the response of the organisation, linked to the council’s wider narrative of regeneration.

Moving forward, there will be an ongoing need for the council to integrate the improvement work of regeneration with wider challenges on finance, services, and governance, to avoid immediate pressures being overtaken by the council’s regeneration ambitions.

The CPC recommendations on finance are included in full in Appendix 1.0, but are summarised below:

• Recommendation one:  Strengthen planning to address the council’s financial challenges, including proactive dialogue on the potential implications of issuing a section 114 notice.
• Recommendation two: Progress from a shared awareness of the council’s finances to shared ownership and actions through a clear financial improvement plan.
• Recommendation three: Promote the importance of the council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) within the council’s wider policy framework. 

The previous CPC report included strong findings and recommendations regarding the financial position of the council. This recognised that the council’s financial position included the compounding issues of low reserves, in-year overspends linked to demand-led budgets, and the ongoing requirement to deliver significant savings and efficiencies through the council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy. The in-year position of the council’s budget is that they are delivering £19 million of £26.4 million savings for 2025-2026, approximately 75 per cent, with £6.4 million rated as ‘at risk’. Additionally, the council is forecasting an end-of-year overspend of £8.4 million linked to an overspend and the non-delivery of savings in the Adult Social Care Directorate. Any non-delivery of committed savings will inevitably only add further challenge to the future financial gaps of the council and are set against the context of only a limited amount within the General Fund Reserve (£13.2 million), with the remaining £44 million in revenue reserves already earmarked for committed areas of spend. To this end, the financial position of the council remains, as was the case at the time of the original CPC, at significant risk of being required to issue a Section 114 without either the use of EFS or a more significant programme of savings and efficiencies to fill the hole, currently being filled by the temporary fix measure of EFS.

In response to this context, the team recommended that the council strengthen financial planning to “to mitigate the need for a Section 114 notice, reduce reliance on exceptional financial support, and demonstrate the council’s commitment to addressing it’s financial situation responsibly’. This included advice for strict adherence to the council’s budget framework, challenging growth assumptions, and bringing forward additional in-year decisions. 

During the original CPC, the council was open with the peer team on the likely requirement for Exceptional Financial Support in 2025-26 and was in dialogue with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding this. Since the original peer challenge the council set a balanced budget for 2025-2026, however, this budget was reliant on Exceptional Financial (EFS) support from central government of £20million for 2024-2025 and £7.5million available for 2025-26 should it be required. 

This EFS is in addition to the £12.4million which was accessed by the council in 2021 and illustrates a recurrent dependency from the council on this support rather than reduce or remodel services. Given the council’s net revenue budget of £444 million, the accrual of £39.5 million of new debt (as EFS) over the last five years will have a significant impact on the council’s medium-term financial strategy and MRP, as an additional financial burden that the council is now required to service. Given the likely requirement of EFS for the council in 2026-27 there is an immediate need for the council to address the organisation’s dependency on EFS and ensuring that there is a ‘one council approach’ and focus to these immediate challenges.

The council has responded positively to the findings and recommendations of the peer review, including the approval of a Budget Recovery Action Plan in March 2025. This plan included new measures aimed at increasing the level of oversight and ‘grip’, including new forums and regularity of meetings for the 2025-2026 budget and also outlines a new approach to budget development for 2025-2026 onwards. 

The council has recently established a new cross-party taskforce to review the council’s finances and budget processes for 2026-2027 with the ambition to reset financial stability aligned to a three-year national settlement. The LGA are supporting this work through the involvement of the Northwest Financial Improvement and Support Adviser who was also involved in this Progress Review. Moving forward, it will be important that the council remains united and committed to placing these issues of financial stability at the fore of their planning and improvement work.

Through this Progress Review, the peer team were told of the positive and collaborative nature of this taskforce to date. This process has supported the council in reviewing the robustness of current budgets, understanding existing pressures and service priorities. However, the true challenge for the council and this taskforce is now, the identification of achievable savings and efficiencies for the council’s immediate context, as well as seeding potential transformation in the medium-term and engendering cross-party support for these proposals. Whilst this taskforce is not due to provide their findings and proposals until November, the peer team would encourage both officers and councillors to be brave with these options, in recognition of the scale of decisions required to mitigate any further requirements for EFS. To remove or reduce any further dependency on this support, and the future burdens this would place on the council’s ability to deliver for local communities.

This theme includes consideration of the following recommendations (listed in full in Appendix 1.0).

• Recommendation four: Ensure there is an appropriate political agreement to provide stability of decisions and direction.
• Recommendation five: Bring together committee chairs with the leadership of the council on a regular basis to support strategic decision-making.

Locally, the changes to the political leadership of the council have naturally acted to ‘reset’ relationships across groups, altering the previous dynamics and working arrangements.  Moreover, the creation of a fifth political group at the council through the ‘Independent Conservatives’ has further altered local arrangements, including issues of proportionality and cross-party working in this new context.

The council has invested energy and capacity to support cross-party working in this new context, particularly on issues of financial recovery. This includes fortnightly working group meetings, monthly budget oversight panels to review in-year position and dedicated working groups on issues such as the waste contract, library provision, and asset management.  More broadly, the council has also established a number of new structures for joined-up decision making, helping to bring about a new rhythm of engagement. This includes weekly leadership briefings, monthly meetings across groups with the chief executive, and regular meetings of the committee chairs and directors. 

Whilst these structures represent a concerted effort to work across both groups and committees to join-up decision making. The peer team recognise that the value and impact of these approaches will be proven through their impact on making difficult decisions and addressing previous cultural challenges of decision making and enabling groups to work together to address the immediate financial decisions required from the council.

The ministerial announcement on 24 June, outlined the Government’s plans to legislate for council’s operating the committee system of governance, to move to the cabinet system of governance and will have a significant impact on Wirral. This announcement was discussed at the Full Council meeting on 21 July, where the council resolved to reaffirm their commitment for the current system, improve the existing committee system to respond to previous reviews, and make a representation to the Minister of State requesting the option to maintain the current system locally.

Alongside these public representations, the council has also taken a number of practical steps to support the potential transition back to the cabinet model, including conversations across parties, the establishment of a Governance Working Group and the identification of May 2027 as the likely point of transition. The peer team was reassured by both the planning and sequencing of these developments which was provided by the council. In this context, the peer team would encourage the council to continue to invest their energy and efforts into these practical processes as much as possible recognising the likelihood of legislation being agreed on these lines. As the council progresses with this work, they may want to engage with external perspectives on sector norms and examples elsewhere in sector to support the development of a new constitution and working practices.

As the council continues to prepare for this transition, it will be important that the council ensures that there is a strong level of political input to shape and design the new model, including key issues of scrutiny, policy development, levels of officer delegation, and forward planning. Furthermore, the proposed implementation of this new system in May 2027 creates a clear interdependency with all-out local elections, and the potential disconnect between those who will be designing the new arrangements, and those who may be operating it. In this context, the peer team encourage the council to create a clear process of review for 12-months following implementation to support this transition, as well as the development of an extensive programme of member training and officer training to support these new arrangements.

Throughout this Progress Review, the peer team were told of the positive relationships held across groups, and the more collaborative nature of relationships across the organisation, as illustrated by the Team meeting with all five local political groups as part of this process. This includes the positive example of the council Leader willing to work across the full range of political groups to support decision making, particularly through the work of the council’s Budget Working Group which has included discussions regarding a willingness to reduce or remove services, and the political route map to do so.

As Group Leaders work through this process (as well as wider governance reforms) it will be important for the council to consider political input from the full spectrum of councillors, including the contribution of non-group leaders, non-executive members into areas of scrutiny and policy development. This could potentially include the use of policy development groups to support input in focused and targeted ways. Similarly, whilst reintroducing the Cabinet system the council may wish to consider the input of wider groups in any new forum, recognising that the input of opposition spokespersons (online or in person) can support clarification, transparency, and development of cross-party support.

During the original CPC, the peer team recommended that groups provide political stability through the principles of ‘Wirral first, politics second’. Whilst it is clear that there has not been stability at the council since this review, the importance of this approach and recommendation remains unchanged. In recognition to the multifaceted and complex nature of the council’s improvement programme, the organisation cannot afford for capacity to be lost to the current levels of time and resource that are invested in ‘preparing the pitch’ the decisions, or revisiting decisions to avoid slippage. Furthermore, given this context, the inverse requirement will be for officers to provide timely, accurate, and appropriate proposals to members in helping to address this current position. In this environment, the indicator of success is not a decision made without debate or ‘noise’, but a decision shaped by this debate.

This theme includes consideration of the following recommendations (listed in full in Appendix 1.0). 

• Recommendations six: Refine the new Council Plan and Performance Management Framework to support prioritisation.
• Recommendation seven: Develop a Wirral narrative that brings together the council’s progress, current challenges, and ambitions for the future.
• Recommendation eight: Develop a shared corporate vision for regeneration at a borough wide level.

The council plan, ‘Wirral Working Together’ was unanimously agreed by council in December 2023, with a supporting performance management framework established to monitor progress against this plan in 2024-2025. The CPC recognised that this plan contained a broad range of priorities, including high-quality universal services, prioritising support to those in need, addressing the climate emergency, supporting regeneration, and working with community groups. Recognising the breadth of these ambitions, the team previously advised the council, that there was a need for the priority of delivering council services within the financial constraints of the council’s budget being “treated as the first amongst equals”

In this context, the new political leadership of the council has stated their priorities are restoring financial stability, delivering regeneration, delivering the local plan, neighbourhood services, and supporting those with the greatest need. The prominence of the council’s financial position amongst these priorities is an important and positive development. Moving forward, the council will need to consider the interplay of these priorities recognising their interdependencies, as well as the ongoing delivery of statutory services.

The council is currently undertaking a review of the council plan which aligns to the emergent priorities of the council’s leadership and supports increased alignment to the council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy. This review was described to the peer team as an ‘update rather than a re-write’, and the peer team appreciate that this is an appropriate approach to take at the mid-point of the existing plan, with the development of a new plan aligned to the council’s electoral cycle in 2027 and the continued alignment of the council’s performance framework to support measurement of impact.

The breadth and scale of Wirral’s regeneration ambitions was a strong theme of the original CPC as well as the council’s previous non-statutory Improvement Panel which had called for ‘active management’ of the council’s regeneration programme. Previous findings highlighted the success of the council in accessing external funding, the breadth of spatial masterplans and proposals, and the requirement for ongoing management, grip and oversight of this work. Previously, the peer team reported that whilst there was cross-party support for regeneration, the underpinning goal differed across groups and therefore recommended the development of a clear overarching narrative to provide clarity as a single coherent programme.

Since the original CPC the council has conducted two reviews of their regeneration work. The first is an internal audit report focused on the regeneration of Birkenhead recognising the significant overspend of £12m and delays which have occurred, and an externally commissioned review of the council’s wider regeneration programme and ways of working which were due to report imminently, following the team’s time onsite.

The council deserves recognition for the transparent approach that they are taking to surfacing these issues. The content of these reports carry the of risk denting public confidence and wider partnership investment in the council’s regeneration programme. Moreover, the specific findings and recommendations in these reports will require a clear and structured response from the organisation. Recognising the targeted depth of these reviews, the peer team did not offer a specific view on the current position of the council’s regeneration at this juncture.

The content of this independent report will require significant capacity and will impact on both the council and the borough over the coming years. This will likely include specific recommendations for service improvement, as well as clarifying interdependencies and implications linked to existing grant funded commitments, and consideration regarding the challenges of delivering the council’s new Local Plan. Furthermore, it is essential that the council captures the lessons and learning which are highlighted through these reports, especially regarding culture, member-officer relationships, oversight and governance, and considers their validity on other themes and areas of improvement work.

The refresh of the council plan offers a natural process to refine prioritisation within the council. However, it will be important that this update is also aligned to the ongoing improvement commitments of the organisation, including the requirements associated with returning to the cabinet governance system, service improvement and responding to the council’s external review of regeneration.

This theme includes consideration of the following recommendations, which are detailed in full in Appendix 1.0.

• Recommendation nine: Refine and develop the council’s partnership forums to support public service reform at a borough level.
• Recommendation ten: Increase the political interface with the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.
• Recommendation eleven: Maximise the contribution of youth participation and engagement. 

Given the extent of change and the focus on internal issues of the council during this Progress Review, the external issues of partnership working and engagement were naturally given less attention and discussion than topics of finance, governance, and transformation. However, through the materials provided by the council, it is clear that effort and resources have been put towards these issues. 

Positively, the council has begun a review of their partnership working, considering their future priorities and ways of working. This has been positively received by partner organisations and has resulted in the launch of a new Wirral Strategic Partnership Group in May 2025. This forum brings together key strategic partners to provide oversight to existing forums and will meet on a quarterly basis. As this group develops, it will be important that an appropriate programme of work is developed to mitigate the risk of duplication and support effective alignment. The council has also held sessions between elected-members and partners to support political interaction with partners. 

During the original CPC the peer team were told of challenges that existed regarding issues of partnership working in health and social care, and this contributed to the recommendation to increase political interface with this forum. There is now a significant opportunity to address this with the council leader becoming the lead across the Liverpool City Region for Health Inequalities, with the deputy leader also being a nominated representative on the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Partnership. 

Going forward, there is an ongoing need for these representatives to champion the needs of ‘place’ within these wider partnerships, especially in the context of the ongoing financial recovery of the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB. This can help support the management of interdependent decisions across organisations and minimise the risk of unintended consequences. 

Finally, there has been further work completed by the council to enable the contribution of youth participation. This has included the co-production of expectations to inform the Children’s directorate’s service plan, as well as a wider programme of engagement events throughout 2025. This was launched in January 2025 as the ‘We are Wirral Youth Engagement Programme” and has included direct meetings with both elected members and senior officers. 

The Peer Team recognises that the political leadership of senior management of the council will want to reflect on these findings and suggestions. In-line with the principles of transparency associated with Sector Led Improvement, it is suggested that this report is published alongside the original CPC to provide a comprehensive view on the council’s progress. 

Under the umbrella of sector led improvement, the LGA will continue to offer ongoing support and advice to councils following these reviews and will continue to coordinate this support for members and officers, through engagement with the council’s chief executive. Whilst it is not intended for this Progress Review to create additional recommendations for the council, the peer team believe that the council may wish to consider the following:

• Further prioritise financial stability and recovery: The financial position of the council remains the most immediate challenge to the organisations medium-term improvement. Therefore, it is essential that the council prioritise the development of a robust and deliverable financial recovery plan. However, the council needs to recognise the immediate decisions which must be taken alongside this development work to reduce the scale of any further EFS that the council may require. Importantly, this work will require a consistent and coordinated approach across the breadth of the organisation.
• Develop and implement a wider improvement infrastructure: The council has a series of improvement programmes that all occur over the coming 12-24 months. This includes financial recovery, governance reforms and responding to the findings of the regeneration reviews. It will be important that the council establishes an appropriate infrastructure/governance to manage the interdependence of these workstreams and provide oversight and assurance to elected councillors and external parties.
• Ongoing councillor engagement on governance reforms: The council is aware of the requirements associated with transferring to the cabinet system in 2027. As the council works through this process, ensure that there is ongoing political engagement in designing the new system of governance. This needs to include the appropriate training and support required given the introduction of this system alongside all-out local elections.
• Capture and apply learning from regeneration to wider organisation: The council will respond to the recommendations of their external review of regeneration. This report also presents the opportunity to consider the findings from regeneration to wider themes and issues facing the council. In addressing these findings, it is important that there is balance and sequencing across the breadth of the council’s improvement work, mitigating the risk of an undue focus on regeneration. 

Dan Archer (LGA Senior Regional Adviser) is the regional lead for the North West and, is the main contact between your council and the Local Government Association. As outlined above, Dan is available to discuss any further support the council requires, his email address is [email protected].

• Recommendation one: strengthen planning to address the council’s financial challenges, including proactive dialogue on the potential implications of issuing a section 114 notice:  Activity should involve engagement with political groups to assess borough-wide impacts and adopting an emergency budget approach to manage the in-year overspend. Key actions should include regular internal financial reporting, strict adherence to the budget framework, challenging growth assumptions, reducing non-essential expenditure, and making additional in-year decisions. This integrated strategy will help mitigate the need for a section 114 notice, reduce reliance on exceptional financial support, and demonstrate the council’s commitment to addressing its financial situation responsibly.
• Recommendation two: Progress from a shared awareness of the council’s finances to shared ownership and actions through a clear financial improvement plan: This plan, containing both immediate and medium-term actions should report regularly to the councils’ senior leadership team, budget working group and audit to co-ordinate activity and provide a single view on financial issues. This will be central to the council’s culture and will support a transparent framework for engagement on these issues.
• Recommendation three: Refine the new council plan and performance management framework to support prioritisation: These documents should be considered to ensure that they are aligned to the council’s financial improvement plan (recommendation two) and support the prioritisation of committee work programmes and officer capacity. Any such prioritisation must reflect the capacity of the organisation.
• Recommendation four: Ensure there is an appropriate political agreement to provide stability of decisions and direction: There will be a need for difficult decisions to be made to address the council’s finances. In the context of no-overall control, there will need to be a 'Wirral first' approach across groups in order to provide clarity to officers as well as assurance to residents and external stakeholders.
• Recommendation five: Bring together committee chairs with the leadership of the council on a regular basis to support strategic decision-making: Recognising the dispersed nature of decisions in the Committee System, a dedicated forum that supports joining up approaches on strategic issues will support the council’s progress.
• Recommendation six: Promote the importance of the council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) within the council’s wider policy framework: The new council plan is clearly aligned to supporting strategies; however, the council needs to ensure that the MTFS has primacy in this wider context.
• Recommendation seven: Develop a Wirral narrative that brings together the council’s progress, current challenges, and ambition for the future: When describing the current context of the council, it is challenging to balance the improvements to-date, the remaining challenges, and the organisation’s future ambitions. Therefore, a clear structure and narrative will provide a clearer framework for future difficult decisions.
• Recommendation eight: Develop a shared corporate vision for regeneration at a borough wide level: Bring together your wider programmes and projects under a single banner and narrative to support engagement with partners, promote your ambitions, and communicate your progress, and discontinue those which are not achievable in the short-term.
• Recommendation nine: Refine and develop the council’s partnership forums to support public service reform at a borough level: There is opportunity for the council to get further benefits from strategic partnership working, including joint work with public, community and voluntary sectors, to enable more joined-up approaches to cross-cutting issues.
• Recommendation ten: Increase the political interface with the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB: The council should explore how they could maximise the strategic contributions of elected members to support health and social care at a Cheshire and Merseyside level.
• Recommendation eleven: Maximise the contribution of your youth participation and engagement: There is potential for further joint work and progress to be made through senior leadership sponsorship of this group, including senior political and managerial engagement.