The Lead Officer David Ball gave a presentation on the biggest consultation that Wirral has carried out.  The aim of the consultation is to be comprehensive and flexible to properly engage with staff, residents, stakeholders, businesses and community groups across Wirral,

We need to find £108 million in savings over the next four years and this will mean reducing the pay bill and ultimately employing less staff. It will also mean structural and service change and improved performance.

Principles are: led by independent task forces made up of key stakeholders, wider possible level of public engagement, to inform the setting of Council priorities & budgets, to be delivered on an annual basis to inform the corporate plan.

There are four areas of Questionnaire are:

• Living in Wirral
• Children & Young People
• Adult Social Services
• Economy & Regeneration

David Ball responded to questions and comments.

Public member – Some people have not submitted the questionnaire as they feel they won’t be listened to.

David Ball – All questionnaires received via post and completed on-line are being collated and a team of officers are working on this up to the end of the consultation period. We have also recruited graduates to administer this process.

Public member – approximately 2,500 have been completed in one month how is this being administered?

David Ball - Tracey Smith is leading a team that is responsible for analysing and inputting all data received. All this information will be put into the 4 themes that were on the questionnaire ready for the task forces to report back on.

Public Member – raised concerns about how the members of the task force will scrutinise reports

David Ball – summary reports will be designed for each task force with access to detailed questions & answers, including all respondents.  Answers/comments received will be group together for easy usage.

Public Member – raised the issue around budgets and what are we facing.

David Ball – this budget plan is for the next years approximately £25/£28 million per year savings, it is a challenge. The Cabinet has to look at what we do, can it be done by other organisations, or do we continue with that service and also to review services that are duplicated within other organisations.

Tracey Smith informed the forum that consultation as taken place at supermarkets, shopping centre, schools, libraries, public events to main a few.  We have a team of 35 members of staff who have volunteered to help with consultation; this is the 1^st time Wirral Council has ever done a consultation exercise on this scale.

David Ball – informed the forum that this is an extensive review of all council services and it’s spending, looking at statutory services and those services we deliver that are non-statutory. We have also issues over 6,000 members of staff with the opportunity of EVR (Early Voluntary Redundancy).

Sandra Wall – highlighted that savings can be achieved by working with or alongside partner organisations in delivering services better and smarter, services that the council may stop delivering will be run by others organisations.