Local Government Secretary appoints commissioners to support Liverpool City Council

CARE workers have spoken out against what their Union UNISON says is:- "routine and habitual incorrect payment" by care provider Lifeways Group. Lifeways Group, which is commissioned by Wirral Council and Liverpool City Council to deliver care is the UK's largest supported living care provider. But Lifeways have come under fire from UNISON; who say that Lifeways’ care workers regularly report being underpaid to the union. As a result, UNISON conducted a payday survey of care workers employed by Lifeways in the North West of England. Shockingly, according to UNISON, a massive 72% of respondents reported that they had been paid incorrectly by Lifeways Group in last 6 months, with 26% paid incorrectly every month. The survey conducted by UNISON also revealed the significant impacts that underpayment has on Merseyside's care workers. Unsurprisingly, 71% of those paid incorrectly said it had a negative impact on their health, whilst 41% said it had impacted upon their relationship with their partner / children. Most obviously, the financial impact of Lifeways Group's inexplicable underpayment is significant. 44% of those paid incorrectly have fallen behind on household bills whilst 57% have been forced to ask family and / or friends for financial help.

According to UNISON, 1 care worker employed by Lifeways Group said:- "I have worked for Lifeways for more than five years. I absolutely love my job and the people I am working with, but I'm absolutely fed up having to chase Lifeways nearly every month for my correct wages. Pay day is so stressful and I dread having to look at my payslip. I have caring responsibilities and every month the underpayment has an impact on me. I barely afford to pay the bills because I am owed outstanding wages and for the past few months, I have had to borrow money from my family. I really don't think Lifeways understand what impact incorrect wages has on its staff. I want to be paid the wages I am owed on time every month, it's not too much to ask. I don't want to be constantly filling in wage query forms and putting pressure on my manager to chase my wages. It's totally unacceptable."

Another, according to UNISON, said:- "I have worked for Lifeways for over ten years. I now dread each pay day as I fear that I will have been underpaid because this happens most months. The anxiety this causes me is horrendous. It has sometimes taken 6 or 7 months to finally get what is owed to me. I only work twenty hours which is paid at the national minimum wage- my wage should be easy for Lifeways to pay correctly. I only expect to be paid for the hours I have worked, no more and no less. The company often ignore wage query forms and it takes numerous calls to managers to get what I am rightfully owed. At one point I was almost £500 out of pocket. I feel that Lifeways have no respect for their employees and do not care about the impact that wage underpayment has on people's lives. It feels as though they are hanging on to Local Authority money instead of passing it on to their workforce by paying correct wages. I have sadly decided to leave the care industry for this reason, as I can no longer manage the anxiety and upset it causes me. I have worked in care for 34 years and I am dedicated to providing excellent care to the people I support. This is a very sad state of affairs and it is unbelievable that a huge company, such as Lifeways can continue to treat its workforce this way."

UNISON North West Regional organiser Dan Smith said:- "Care workers have put themselves at risk during the pandemic to care for our loved ones. The very least they deserve is to be paid accurately and on time. It's an insult that staff are being underpaid every month, some by hundreds of pounds, and are forced to borrow from friends and family or to visit food banks to make ends meet. Lifeways need to take action now to ensure staff are paid properly and on time. Local Councils that commission Lifeways should also intervene to ensure that our social care workers are treated with the respect they deserve. Care workers employed directly by local Councils or the NHS do not suffer the indignity of having to plead with their employers to be paid correctly every month. This is yet more evidence of the failings of the private social care sector and the desperate need for social care services to be delivered by the public sector."

(ADDED - 11 June 2021 - See the response from Lifeways Group.)
 

ON course to generate more than ₤225m additional investment in Liverpool City Region economy. Nearly 200 projects supported across Liverpool City Region including:- high profile transport, skills and business growth schemes. The Liverpool City Region will benefit from more than 18,000 new jobs and ₤225m of additional investment as a result of ₤313m worth of Local Growth Fund investments made by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Region’s Combined Authority. The Combined Authority meeting, on Friday, 4 June 2021, heard how the fund was committed to nearly 200 projects before the March 2021 deadline; despite the Pandemic. Investments in Local Growth Fund Projects have already delivered 7,766 jobs and ₤170m in private sector investment. Projects backed by the Combined Authority include the redevelopment of Kirkby Town Centre, Liverpool’s City Centre Connectivity scheme and the construction of a new train station at Maghull North, the 1st new station on the Merseyrail network in a generation.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "I've always said that devolution was about doing things differently and taking control of our own destiny. By taking power, money and decision making out of Westminster and putting it in the hands of local people, we can build the fairer, greener future we want for our Region. The difference we've made through the Local Growth Fund is testament to that. In just a few years we've invested more than ₤300m in every part of our Region, creating nearly 8,000 jobs and helping more than 11,000 people gain new skills. By 2025 we will have created more than 15,000 jobs and generated an additional ₤250m worth of investment in our economy. The result at last month’s elections was a massive vote of confidence in the impact that devolution has had in our Region in a short space of time. Local people can see the impact of what we're doing, and they want more. If the Government is serious about:- 'levelling up,' they have to give more funding and power to areas like ours."

The Government awarded a total of ₤313m over 3 Growth Deals to the Liverpool City Region between 2015 and 2021 for capital projects that will benefit the local area and economy. The funding is awarded to the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and then invested through the Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.

Asif Hamid MBE, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said:- "It is fantastic to see that the Local Growth Fund investment will create 18,000 new jobs and generate more than ₤225m of additional investment into our City Region by 2025. Developing the Growth Plan in 2014 was the first step in devolving resource and responsibility in return for local economic leadership, and I am pleased that the LEP was at the forefront of this opportunity, working with the private and public sector, to seek freedoms, flexibilities, and influence over resources from Government. The projects we identified such as investment in the Liverpool City Centre; building on our freight and logistics hub capabilities; our ambition to be energy self-sufficient, as well as priorities in skills, innovation and business formed the cornerstones of our Growth Plan– to ultimately create more business, more investment, more jobs and more prosperity. I am immensely proud that the vision and priorities we set out back in 2014 are now coming to fruition for the good of our community."

The Combined Authority has used the funding to pay for a diverse range of projects that have benefitted the entire City Region. Split between transport, skills, and business growth, the Local Growth Fund has supported nearly 200 projects across all six of Liverpool City Region’s Local Authorities.

Just some of the projects supported through the Local Growth Fund include:-

Completed...

► Maghull North; ₤10.7m LGF funded project delivered a new railway station including:- 156 space car park with blue badge and motorcycle parking facilities, as well as cycle storage. The scheme made possible the 1st rail services to run direct from North Wales into Liverpool for over 40 years. The scheme will generate around 250,000 new trips per year, unlocking leisure and business opportunities between the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and North Wales.

► Silver Jubilee Bridge; Over ₤5m of LGF funds have enabled major upgrade works to Steelwork and decking as well as improved infrastructure and signage between the SJB and the Heath Business Park and Ineos Chlor, as included in the sustainable transport strategy.

► A570 Linkway; The A570 Linkway Improvements scheme is a ₤5m project to improve capacity, reduce congestion and address safety issues along the A570 Linkway in St. Helens.

► M58 Junction 1; ₤6.9m LGF funded junction upgrade. Providing additional Westbound slip roads, enabling:- "all movements" at this very busy Motorway junction.

► Knowsley Industrial Park Over ₤4m of LGF funds have enabled highways works to improve accessibility to the Knowsley Industrial Park area. This included facilitating access to cycling and walking facilities, as well as public transport improvements.

► A5300; Over ₤4m of LGF funding contributed to improvements at the A5300 Knowsley Express Way intersection. This facilitated better traffic flow at the intersection which serves businesses such as JLR, Alstom and provides throughfare to the Mersey Gateway Bridge. Journey time reliability and less congestion reported as benefits of this scheme.

► Wirral STEM Centre; ₤2m of LGF funding created a state of the art health campus, on the Wirral Waters Enterprise Zone.

► Skills Capital Programme; ₤50m investment in 81 capital projects, at 23 colleges and learning providers across the Liverpool City Region.

► Halton Curve; ₤13m LGF funds resulting in vital track and signalling upgrades allowing the curve to be brought back into full use. The ₤14.5m Halton Curve project was predominantly funded through the Local Growth Fund. The scheme saw the re-opening of a 1.5 mile stretch of track near Frodsham which links services from Chester onto the West Coast Mainline into Liverpool. Work to bring the track back into full use began in July 2017 was completed by Network Rail in May 2018. Speaking about the scheme, Councillor Mike Wharton, Leader of Halton Council, said:- "Reopening the Halton Curve was one of our key priorities for many years and seeing direct services from Wales restart two years ago was a historic moment. This was a major strategic project and has unlocked economic and leisure opportunities for many people across Halton, and the wider Liverpool City Region, right through to Cheshire, North Wales and beyond."

Ongoing...

► City Centre Connectivity; ₤37.8m of LGF funding (out of a total ₤40.2m CA investment) is supporting Liverpool City Council’s ongoing scheme for the City Centre, aimed at improving pedestrian connectivity, managing traffic, providing attractive, safe and direct cycle routes and managing bus and coach movements efficiently.

► Shakespeare Rail; ₤7.4m LGF funding to deliver wayfinding and accessibility improvements between the Shakespeare North Playhouse site, Prescot Town Centre, Prescot Rail Station and Knowsley Safari Park.

► Hythe; ₤3m invested in Hythe, previously called:- '1 Tower Road,' a brand new, sustainable, office building in 4 Bridges area of Wirral Waters.

► Kirkby Town Centre; A ₤13m investment from the LGF is supporting a redevelopment scheme for the Town Centre. The Combined Authority has invested nearly ₤13m from the Local Growth Fund to support Knowsley Council’s ambitious redevelopment of Kirkby Town Centre. Work on the new retail development in the heart of the Town Centre started in December 2019, just a month after Knowsley Council purchased the town centre in a ₤43.8m deal, supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority with an initial ₤10m investment, followed by a further ₤2.8m investment in the second phase of the regeneration. The new retail development consists of a 45,000 feet2 Morrisons superstore, a 6 pump petrol filling station, a new store for Home Bargains, and Taco Bell and KFC Drive Through restaurants. The site also comes with over 450 car parking spaces. The 2nd phase of the scheme has seen the development of a multi screen Cinema and food and beverage outlets on the site of the former Kirkby Library site. Once the retail development scheme is complete, it will create around 500 new jobs. Work has continued at pace throughout the Covid19 Pandemic and the retail development is now a very visible feature of the Town Centre. Councillor Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council, said:- "We have ambitious plans for Kirkby town centre, which plays a pivotal role in the Borough’s recovery from Covid19 as well as helping to get our local and Regional economy back on track. Support from the Combined Authority has been instrumental in making this happen. Once the retail development is open, we will move on to the next phase of our plans, which includes the delivery of a cinema scheme with several associated food and drink outlets. Our consultation event with residents and businesses last year identified a need for more retail, more food and drink establishments, and a better leisure offer including a cinema. As those residents and businesses can now clearly see, we are delivering on these priorities."

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THE Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick, on Thursday, 10 June 2021, has appointed independent commissioners to oversee improvements, at Liverpool City Council. 

Interventions of this kind are extremely rare and underline the severity of the failings at Liverpool City Council and the need ensure that the Council can continue to deliver vital services for the people of Liverpool. 

In March an independent report uncovered multiple serious failures by Liverpool City Council in complying with its Best Value Duty.

The independent report uncovered a deeply concerning picture of mismanagement, which included serious failures of governance, a lack of scrutiny and regard of public funds, and a culture of intimidation at the Council.  

Following consideration of the Council's response to the report, the Secretary of State has appointed a team of independent experts to support the Council in implementing rapid and far reaching changes.

The Council will continue to make most of the day to day decisions, however the Commissioners will have the power to intervene if they are dissatisfied with the Council's improvement. 

The Commissioners, due to be in place until June 2024, will drive forward the Council's action plan, updating the Secretary of State every 6 months on progress. 

The Commissioners will be led by Mike Cunningham QPM, an experienced leader and former Chief Constable with a 30 year  career in Policing. He will be supported by an expert team with a proven record in local Government, leadership and delivering cultural change. 

The Local Government Secretary has also confirmed his intention that Liverpool City Council will move to all out elections from 2023 onwards, providing stability to Liverpool's local democracy during this period of significant change. 

Going forward, the City Mayoral and Council elections will take place in the same year every 4 years, allowing the Council to focus on longer term strategic change and providing a higher degree of accountability and scrutiny.  

Mr Jenrick today also reaffirmed his commitment to work closely with the political, the business and the cultural leadership of the City and with the wider Region, including with Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region.

Local Government Secretary Robert  Jenrick  said: - "The decision to intervene is not 1 I have taken lightly, and it reflects the severity of the failings at Liverpool City Council.  The people of Liverpool have been let down badly. They need that public funds are being managed properly.  A major change is required to give this great City the civic leadership it deserves, and the credibility and respect required to attract investment. I am thankful to Tony Reeves for setting the Council on the path to improvement. I am hopeful that, working alongside these commissioners, the Council, led by Mayor Joanne Anderson, can continue to implement rapid and far reaching changes.”

Mike Cunningham QPM, Lead Commissioner said:- "As someone who grew up in the Liverpool area I am honoured to have been appointed by the Secretary of State as lead commissioner for the Government's intervention, at Liverpool City Council. I will be part of a wider commissioner team that will support the Council as it continues its improvement journey to better serve the people of Liverpool. I am looking forward to starting this important work which will include providing regular updates on progress to the Secretary of State."

Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson said:- “We are determined to deliver the changes required to deliver the best possible value for our residents. The entire organisation is committed to ensuring the improvements we have mapped out in response to the report are achieved. The Commissioners will be here to support and guide us on our improvement journey and we are ready to work collaboratively with them, utilising their significant experience and skills."

The 4 Commissioners, who will oversee the Authority’s:- highways, regeneration and property management functions and improvement plan over the next 3 years, have also been named as:-

► Mike Cunningham QPM (Lead Commissioner) - involved in policing for more than 30 years, most recently as Chief Executive of the College of Policing, from 2018; 2020, the standards setting body for policing in England and Wales. Formerly 1 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary, inspecting forces in the North of England and Northern Ireland, and the National Lead Inspector for the Development and Implementation of Inspections into Police Efficiency, Legitimacy and Leadership, and Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police.

► Joanna Killian (Local Government Improvement Commissioner) - more than 30 years of experience in the public sector delivering transformational change and service improvement. Since March 2018 she has been Chief Executive of Surrey County Council. Prior to this, Ms Killian worked at KPMG and was also Chief Executive of Essex County Council for 9 years.

► Neil Gibson (Highways Commissioner) - Former Executive Director of Transport, Economy and Environment for Buckinghamshire County Council, plus a role as Interim Chief Executive. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation and former President of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport.

► Deborah McLaughlin (Regeneration Commissioner) - Extensive experience working in Regeneration and Housing for over 30 years across public and private sectors, including:- as Director of Housing, at Manchester City Council, Regional Director for the North West, at Homes England and Director of Capita’s real estate business. Also worked at the Audit Commission as a Best Value Inspector and auditor.

Mr Jenrick has asked the Commissioners to also have regard for:-

► The Council’s Boundary Commission submission.

► The Council’s governance referendum.

► The financial position of the Council.

► Broader service delivery related to the Council’s wider improvement journey.

Last month, a meeting of all City Councillors approved an 18 page document responding to the Best Value Inspection, including:- a timetable for implementing various changes to how the Authority conducts its business.  The Government’s full recommendations can be read on:- Gov.UK.
 

A body has been found at Salthouse Dock, Liverpool. Merseyside Police can confirm enquiries are underway following the discovery of a man’s body, at around 7.35am, in Salthouse Dock, Liverpool, on Thursday, 10 June 2021. Members of the Coastguard, Merseyside Police and North West Ambulance Service responded following a report that the body of a man had been seen in the water. Shortly afterward, the man was removed from the water and taken to Hospital by Ambulance, but was sadly pronounced dead on arrival. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a post mortem will be conducted to establish the cause of death. Enquiries are ongoing to formally identify the man and inform his next of kin.