7 min read

TEAM WORK: What the Mayor and Cabinet have done during their first 100 days in office

It’s been 100 days since Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson was elected.

The Mayor reflected on the first three months in a special blog.

We’ve listed the things that the new Mayor and the Cabinet have been doing over the last few months.

Mayor Joanne Anderson

  • Implemented triple lock principles of: equality and inclusion, social value and the climate emergency, to all decisions, including financial
  • Signed off response to the Secretary of State at extraordinary AGM regarding Improvement Plan
  • Leading engagement with the Commissioners on Improvement Plan
  • Implemented training programme for members from LGA, attended all statutory training events for member development
  • Agreed Key Performance Indicators and Governance Framework for ongoing improvement work
  • Matched Cabinet portfolios with skills and embed learning with ongoing training for councillors – holding regularly one to one and development sessions with cabinet leads as well as participation in mentoring programme for Mayor and Cabinet
  • Requested that Liverpool City Region Combined Authority update their decision making to include social value – therefore reflecting triple lock at CA level
  • Reviewed business support strategy to ensure future strategy provides support and opportunities for growth for good business
  • Developed priorities for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority portfolio holder for employment, education and skills and equality diversity and inclusion
  • Commissioned an internal review of Domestic Abuse and developed a project plan to launch a Violence Against Women Strategy (VAWG), for the council by the Autumn
  • Developed regional Trade Union Congress, Commissioners, Business community spoke at the Institute of Directors and met with Business Improvement District. Police, Fire Service, Police and Crime Commissioner, Universities, Taxi Drivers, arts and community organisations and developed relationship with Joint Trades Union Council (JTUC) engagement with Deputy Mayor
  • Opened a regional dialogue to review Waste Management Services across the region
  • Developed strategic leadership governance structure for equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Addressing long standing historic issues and grievances such as St Johns Market
  • Internal and external communications to raise the profile of the work of Liverpool City Council
  • Provided input into the Good Business Festival

Deputy Mayor Cabinet lead for Finance and Resources – Councillor Jane Corbett

  • Citywide engagement commenced on ‘Our City, Our Future, Your Voice’ to help inform the budget setting discussions
  • Best Value working group set up for community use of Council assets, piloted in Speke
  • Sub- committee for Liverpool Health and Wellbeing Board agreed prioritising the Marmot Framework to ‘build back fairer’
  • Regular engagement with the Mayor and Liverpool MPs
  • One Stop Shop service re-modelled and re-launched
  • Review of Discretionary and Community grants commenced
  • Review of Community Asset Transfers commenced
  • Review of use of community use of Council Assets commenced
  • Discussion on proactive working with Joint Trades Union Council (JTUC) commenced
  • Target date identified for accreditation with Living Wage Foundation
  • Discussion on the definition of “Good Business” commenced as part of the review of the Procurement Strategy
  • Ongoing review of outstanding commercial debt arrears
  • Budget discussions commenced
  • Discussion on priorities for the Poverty Action Group commenced
  • Discussion on new ‘anti-poverty advisor’ role and job description commenced

Cabinet lead for Culture – Cllr Harry Doyle

Cabinet lead for Strategic Developments and Housing – Cllr Sarah Doyle

  • Signed off on government Local Authority Delivery Funding to support different Retrofit schemes in our poorest areas and liaised with Liverpool City Region Housing Partnership team to explore further possibilities for retrofitting schemes
  • Written to Robert Jenrick MP and received a response regarding the ending of the eviction ban and removal of section 21 eviction notices
  • Met with Chair of Registered Providers (Housing Associations) Chief Exec Group and organised monthly problem-solving meetings. We now have streamlined issue flagging procedure for councillors and RP’s
  • Received Liverpool City Region Land Commission Report and attended follow up session with some members of the commission to discuss LCR Land Commission these recommendation around fair land use and use of land for communityhousing/assets
  • Formulating a blueprint document for stronger cross department HMO management
  • Requested update from Government on Landlord Licensing Scheme application and writing to Minister to request decision is expedited
  • Working with our planning team to sign off on a S106 Affordable Housing Policy for 20 per cent of new homes in developments of more than 10 dwellings should be affordable
  • Met with Breaking Ground, LCR Community Led Housing Hub and various community led housing groups in North and South Liverpool to explore LCC supported Community Led Housing pilots

Cabinet lead for Climate Change and Environment – Councillor Dan Barrington

Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health – Councillor Frazer Lake

Adult Services:

  • Draft Charter created for colleagues in the Care Sector, which will improve employment terms and conditions and pay
  • Allocation of trailblazer grant to support prevention and reduction of homelessness by hiring additional staff
  • Disabled Facilities Grants funding for home adaptations
  • Launch of Always Help Available scheme

Children’s Services:

  • Recruitment of dedicated solicitor to deal with discharge of care orders and help reduce the number of children being caught up in the care system
  • Establishment of a Violence Reduction Unit tackling antisocial behaviour and using alternative therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Using remainder of Clinically Extremely Vulnerable fund who were previously advised to Shield to launch a recovery programme to support physical and emotional wellbeing.
  • Fuel vouchers to vulnerable residents across the city
  • Supported rolling recruitment for Social Care staff in order to reduce caseloads for staff

Public Health

  • Community Champions established to disseminate key messages regarding the pandemic and updated guidance
  • Plan being created to tackle health and specifically vaccine inequality
  • Targeting hard to reach groups with mobile units/vaccine bus
  • Recruited more Test and Trace Advisors to enable us to effectively manage the domino effect of the pandemic

Cabinet lead for Education, Employment and Skills – Cllr Tomas Logan

  • Organised for the education recommendations from the council’s Race Equality Taskforce report to be used in drawing up an action plan to address racism within Liverpool’s education system
  • Written to Regional Schools Commissioner and supported local Councillors and local MP to object to the closure of De La Salle school
  • Brought together a bid for funding for a pilot scheme looking at using community solutions to address attainment gaps at GCSE level
  • Conferred with and listened to Head Teachers of schools that are operating under the joint PFI contract with plans to address the issues that were brought to the table
  • Agreed a restructuring of system for permanently excluded pupils that will ensure these extremely vulnerable children are properly safeguarded and tracked and monitored
  • Written to Prime Minister regarding the inadequate Education Covid Recovery package
  • Approved the Adult Learning Service review that will result in recruitment of staff to new positions
  • Constituted the Adult Learning Service performance group
  • Drawn together a picture of the City’s Employment and Skills offer, as a platform from which to develop a long-term employment and skills strategy
  • Organised for a detached youth work team to focus on the City Centre waterfront during the summer
  • Launched consultation on potential structural and strategic changes to the city’s Special Educational Needs (SEND) provision
  • Liaised with teaching unions regarding the further academisation of Liverpool schools
  • Stood in solidarity with the striking UCU workers at the University of Liverpool – writing directly to the Vice Chancellor

Cabinet lead for Neighbourhoods – Cllr Abdul Qadir

  • Produced a draft ‘new generation neighbourhood blueprint’ based on the Picton model, which can be rolled out to other wards
  • Scrutinised and signed off the Citysafe plan for 2021-2024
  • Produced a draft mini master plan for Everton ward
  • Produced a draft policy for tree management in the city
  • Visited seven wards with elected members to identify ward specific priorities and agreed action plans
  • Secured funding for increased capacity of legal advice and support for asylum seekers and refugees to meet the increase in demand as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and speed up the process
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