The Chief Executive provided the Committee with a copy of a letter dated 11 November 2011 addressed to the Leader of the Council and himself from Dr Gill Taylor, Principal Advisor to the LGA.  The letter set out an initial proposal, following their conversation on 20 October 2011 and subsequent discussions about how the Council could improve its Corporate Governance and how the LGA could support it.

The letter referred to the Corporate Governance Report that had raised a series of wider organisational and governance failures in the authority.  These included a real need to turn round the culture and some systems and practices.  It noted that the Cabinet had accepted the Report’s findings and had implemented an action plan, titled ‘Taking the Lead in Transforming Corporate Governance’.  The LGA was aware that despite negative reports the Leader and the Chief Executive were united in their positive response.  They were receptive to support and saw these challenges as presenting a ‘catalyst for change’.

The Letter also set out the LGA’s response which included two broad phases (immediate issues and longer term outcomes), outputs and outcomes, support for the administration and other political groups, cross party and joint activities, officer support and continuing support during 2012/13.  Also, included were details of the LGA team who would support the Council, its proposition and its expectations on how the Council to work with it.  The total cost of the support on offer was £33,660.  This consisted of the following:

It was noted that evaluating the effectiveness and impact of LGA projects was central to its work and its client approach.  The LGA wanted to discuss with the Leader and Chief Executive how:

• they could jointly evaluate the effectiveness of the project during its life and at its completion;
• the Council may wish to sustain the benefits of the project
• they could disseminate generic messages on practice more widely.

The Chief Executive reported that he had been in discussion with the Chief Executive of the North West Employers’ Organisation (NWEO) over access to possible funding to assist the improvement work required.  NWEO’s total budget was somewhere between £50 and £75 K.  It was not expected that the Council would be able to attract all of this funding but it was noted that it was the first Council to approach the NWEO with a view to submitting a bid for funding.  It was worth making an application for this funding but it was also worth noting that if successful the funding may not all be in monetary form, it may be in terms of Member/Officer time.  It was agreed that after the meeting, Officers would attempt to put a monetary value on it.

The Committee considered the letter in detail and raised concerns over the emotive language that Dr Taylor had used.  She had written

“The council has decided to postpone the adults’ peer challenge which was due to take place in November as a consequence of the current turmoil but it will be important to reschedule this as soon as possible.  Wirral was previously categorized as ‘adequate’ for their adult services.”

The Chief Executive told the Committee that he would clarify the situation with the LGA and inform Dr Taylor that the Council fully intended to take up the peer challenge offer but had reason to move the timescale.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the content of the LGA’s letter setting out the detail of its offer to the Council to provide integrated support be noted;

(2)  the LGA’s offer to provide integrated support be accepted; and

(3)  a funding application to assist the support to be provided by the LGA, be prepared and submitted to the NWEO.