To consider any key messages arising from the meeting of the Wirral/LGA Improvement Board held on 16 November 2012

Councillor Ann McLachlan asked the Cabinet to note the Key Messages from the meeting of the Improvement Board held on 16 November 2012.  She informed that the Council’s budget remained a key priority.  The Council was behind other authorities in addressing the budgetary challenges but this did present opportunities to learn from others.  Councillor McLachlan confirmed that the Corporate Peer Challenge had been recently completed and it had confirmed that the Council had adopted an appropriate framework for improvement.  The Board welcomed the outcome of the Peer Challenge and had stressed the importance of using the outcomes to drive further progress.

Councillor McLachlan reported that the Corporate Management Team had been strengthened with the appointments of Clare Fish, former Chief of Staff at Oldham Council, to the post of Strategic Director for Families and Wellbeing; and Kevin Adderley, former Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning, to the role of Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment.

Councillor McLachlan commented that the recent ‘What Really Matters Consultation’ had been well received by the public and there had been some good responses.  She also reported on Elected Member Development and confirmed that an event had been arranged for 30 November called ‘The shape of thing to come’ for Members. 

Work was ongoing to streamline improvements into the Council and the Wirral Improvement Plan – Progress Report had been well received by the Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 29 November 2012.

The Council was implementing much of the Improvement Plan. The Improvement Board was happy with the progress that had been made so far and was now content to meet bi-monthly as opposed to monthly, as it had previously done.  The next meeting of the Board had been scheduled for February 2013.

Councillor Phil Davies confirmed that the Council was due to receive more information following the recent Peer Challenge and that this would be posted on the Council’s website.  He considered the exercise provided a good external health check and had resulted in a positive report.

RESOLVED:

That the Key Messages arising from the meeting of the Wirral Improvement Board held on 16 November 2012 be noted.