What went wrong at Liverpool City Council?

What went wrong at Liverpool City Council?

What went wrong at Liverpool City Council?

                                    

By John Brace (Editor)
and
Leonora Brace (Co-Editor)

First publication date: 25th March 2021, 9:00 (GMT).

What went wrong at Liverpool City Council?
What went wrong at Liverpool City Council?

Regular readers of this blog (who have presumably read my previous articles on Liverpool City Council since August 2014) won’t be entirely surprised by Max Caller’s report, the statement made yesterday or indeed a further letter to Liverpool City Council.

Continue reading “What went wrong at Liverpool City Council?”

How did Liverpool City Council respond to the fire on the 31st December 2017 at the Liverpool Waterfront Car Park?

How did Liverpool City Council respond to the fire on the 31st December 2017 at the Liverpool Waterfront Car Park?

How did Liverpool City Council respond to the fire on the 31st December 2017 at the Liverpool Waterfront Car Park?

                                       

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Liverpool City Council 24th January 2018 item 7 Mayor of Liverpool Announcements and Updates


Mayor Joe Anderson | 24th January 2018 | Mayor of Liverpool Announcements | Public meeting of Liverpool City Council
Mayor Joe Anderson | 24th January 2018 | Mayor of Liverpool Announcements | Public meeting of Liverpool City Council

At a meeting of Liverpool City Council last Wednesday evening, in item 7 Mayor of Liverpool Announcements and Updates Mayor Anderson (on his 60th birthday) after an update about the suspended Chief Executive Ged Fitzgerald, gave a brief update on what had happened following the fire at a Liverpool City Council run multi-storey car park (Liverpool Echo Arena car park) on Sunday 31st December 2017.

Mayor Anderson (who can be watched in the video above), thanked the fire service and the other emergency services in their role responding to the fire. He also thanked Liverpool City Council staff, specifically the seven members of staff on duty manning the car park who had been involved with the evacuation of the car park. Liverpool City Council staff had made sure that the emergency services were called and stopped people going back into the car park.

He went on to explain about how people affected by the fire were supplied with accommodation and how Liverpool City Council had worked with hoteliers to do so on a “wet and wild” night.

Mayor Anderson referred to thank yous about the support given. He thanked staff at the Arena and Convention Centre and the Pullman Hotel who had supported the city through difficult times. He had asked the Association of British Insurers to urge their members to deal with insurance claims quickly. In response he had received a letter back stating that 96% had already been met.

The discs in the CCTV in the car park had been “rescued” and been “enhanced”. Copies of the video footage had been given to insurance companies. The inside of the car park had also been safely filmed by drone. There had been a lot of questions asked and he said that “some people want to bring politics of course into this which is often the case”.

On the subject of whether the car park should have had sprinklers, he stated that the car park met the legal requirements and that “car parks are for parking your car”.

Continuing he stated that the fire had started on the 3rd floor, it had started in a 16 year old car, that looked like it had been converted to a different type of fuel.

Liverpool City Council’s insurers had been “cooperative” and Liverpool City Council was dealing with them. He expected that their “full costs would be met”. Liverpool City Council staff had been on site on the day of the fire and the next day. Work had been done in an urgent way with four weeks of work carried out in a week.

He said “things are in hand”, and he wanted to make it very clear “how privileged we are to have such dedicated, professional and responsible staff”.

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Mayor Anderson rejects plan for NHS cuts at packed meeting of protestors

Mayor Anderson rejects plan for NHS cuts at packed meeting of protestors

Mayor Anderson rejects plan for NHS cuts at packed meeting of protestors

                                    

Mayor Joe Anderson at a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board 1st December 2016
Mayor Joe Anderson at a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board 1st December 2016

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protest before Liverpool Health and Wellbeing Board (Liverpool City Council) 1st December 2016 (Cunard Building)

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Liverpool Health and Wellbeing Board (Liverpool City Council) 1st December 2016 Part 1 of 3

Last week I witnessed a large protest of local people angry at proposed changes to their National Health Service.

Despite a very large number of people with banners and a megaphone who came into the Cunard Building, unlike previous protests in Liverpool neither the local police (or even Liverpool City Council’s own City Watch) nor local newspapers appeared to be present.

In fact the protest was so large, there was not enough space for all of them in the Banquet Suite on the 6th floor where the public meeting was held.

Mayor Joe Anderson (of Liverpool City Council), Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Board rejected the NHS STP (Sustainability and Transformation Plan) emphatically and let some of the protesters address the meeting with their questions.

Clearly, the protests about this issue are getting bigger and the protesters louder.

Some are openly predicting an early General Election. At this point in time I see an early General Election as unlikely but the political outlook is very fluid.

It remains to be seen what happens next, Liverpool certainly has a long history of protest politics and of calling for political reforms.

The rise in racist abuse following the Brexit referendum is concerning and political uncertainty coupled with economic uncertainty mean that these are ideal conditions for civil unrest to happen.

The recent 2011 riots (at a time of anti-austerity protests) were sparked by the police shooting dead a black man in London. There is a concern that the rise in racism following the Brexit referendum could lead to history repeating itself.

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What were the top 10 most popular stories on this blog last month in June 2016?

What were the top 10 most popular stories on this blog last month in June 2016?

What were the top 10 most popular stories on this blog last month in June 2016?

                              

Below are links to the ten most popular stories read on this blog last month (June 2016). Eight involve Wirral Council, one Liverpool City Council and the other Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service/Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority. All except one (the one about the regeneration of Birkenhead Town Centre) were published in June 2016. Two are on the topic of the recent First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights) public hearing involving myself and Wirral Council.

I’m surprised the EU Referendum stories didn’t feature higher up in the list, but as the EU Referendum was held in the last week of June, those stories have had less time to be read than articles published nearer the start of June.

Councillor Steve Foulkes (left) at a Merseytravel Committee meeting (7th January 2016)
Councillor Steve Foulkes (left) at a Merseytravel Committee meeting (7th January 2016)

1. Why has Wirral Council sunk deeper into the quagmire of poor corporate governance surrounding a complaint about Cllr Steve Foulkes? (published 29th June 2016)

2. Secrets about Wirral Council’s Birkenhead Town Centre Regeneration revealed (published 27th December 2013)

3. Labour councillors reject Green Party proposal to reduce Mayor of Liverpool’s Allowance by £89,000 over a 4 year period (published 1st June 2016)

4. Surjit Tour asks Wirral councillors to agree to changes to how complaints about councillors are dealt with (published 3rd June 2016)

5. £206,000 extra for Wirral’s potholes, £170,000 for selling “ornamental pleasure gardens” and a land swap to a body that doesn’t exist! (published 13th June 2016)

6. What did Surjit Tour answer to questions about a Freedom of Information request to Wirral Council at the First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights) hearing (EA/2016/0033) (continued)? (published 22nd June 2016)

7. Disclosure of 46 pages of PFI contractor’s banking details by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service described as “oversight” (published 14th June 2016)

8. What was in the 11 A4 page witness statement of Surjit Tour (Wirral Council) about a Freedom of Information request for the minutes of a meeting of the Headteachers’ and Teachers’ Joint Consultative Committee (EA/2016/0033)? (published 17th June 2016)

9. Where is your polling station (for Wirral voters) for the 2016 EU Referendum vote? (published 23rd June 2016)

10. Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Phil Gilchrist calls for cross-party unity on Wirral Council on issue of EU funding withdrawal (published 27th June 2016)

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What was Mayor Anderson and Cllr Roz Gladden’s response to a campaign to save the Liveability service?

What was Mayor Anderson and Cllr Roz Gladden’s response to a campaign to save the Liveability service?

                                        

Protest before Liverpool City Council meeting about Liveability photo 1 of 2 resized
Protest before Liverpool City Council meeting about Liveability

Above are three women protesting in the rain before the Liverpool City Council budget meeting last week.

As the slogans are hard to read on the resized photos they are (from left to right), “LIVEABILITY for old, lame, sick, obese, lonely, confused. Don’t cut us off”, “It’s false economy to cut Liveability” and “LIVEABILITY helps us to help ourselves and saves money”.

Before the meeting I’d not heard of Liveability, but according to Liverpool City Council’s website it’s “a nurse led service that promotes the health and independence of people aged 50 and over”.

There were plenty of people apart from the three in the photo above that turned up to express their support for it.

Liverpool City Council meetings have a public question time/petitions/statements slot which was used by a campaigner against closure of the Liveability service. Second to speak during this slot was a Sue Carmichael. You can watch what Sue said below.

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Liverpool City Council Budget meeting 2nd March 2016 (public question time/statement/petition item)

Sue Carmichael (pictured below on the right) said, “Lord Mayor, Mayor Anderson, elected members, thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the newly formed Liveability Action Group.

Sue Carmichael addresses a meeting of Liverpool City Council about the Liveability service
Sue Carmichael addresses a meeting of Liverpool City Council about the Liveability service

We have a petition with over 550 signatures which I’ll hand over now.

We very much welcome the great achievements for a city under your leadership and we also understand the impact of nationally imposed cutbacks on the city’s finances.

Our action group was formed last Thursday and over two hundred attended. We are all deeply shocked by the summary destruction of this award-winning NHS-led, nurse-led service and there’s no consultation about options. It was all done completely by stealth from our point of view.

We believe it’s an ill-considered decision halfway through Liverpool’s decade of health and wellbeing.

The Liveability service is fifteen years old and it’s for the physical and mental health and well-being of people over fifty, but most are in their sixties to nineties. Only about ten per cent are in their fifties.

The 1,500 registered members, there are 500 users each week with 24 brilliant volunteers who help. There are about twenty different sessions including a chair based one and ones for those with dementia and their carers. Plans were already in place to roll the scheme out elsewhere because we know how important it is.

Most users have acute or chronic conditions or mobility issues, or like myself have had major surgery of chemotherapy and Liveability has been part of our recovery.

Many live alone or are housebound carers. The twenty-four volunteers are critical to the service’s success. They are welcoming, they support the staff, they make drinks in the cafe and arrange social events and trips. There is a 50+ charity which also fund raises alongside.

Liveability is much more than exercise. It’s an informal village hub, where we meet different people on different days thereby extending our social contact as well as getting physically healthy. The social aspect is crucial.

It’s won many awards deservedly, been on national TV and even been visited by the Department of Health.

The proposed annihilation will be a cruel blow. Many say Liveability is a lifeline for them.

We’ve just heard earlier on today, there is a surprise announcement that there will be a new 50+ exercise program being city-wide, that is most welcome.

But this instant replacement cannot reinvent Liveability, the nurse led service, mainly for those in their sixties to nineties. It’s a unique city health and well-being asset. We must save it!

The fifteen years worth of staff, volunteer and user experience is available to build on. Liveability certainly ain’t broke so don’t fix it by killing it off.

Mayor Anderson, please abandon this hasty and cruel decision done in such a surprisingly underhand way without consultation. Liveability’s experience and success is there to use. Let’s jointly find an intelligent way to do this.

Keep Liveability and roll it out across the city, it’s really magic. Thank you.”

In response to what Sue Carmichael said there was applause.

A heckler shouted, “Shame on you!”

The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Cllr Concepcion said, “Mayor Anderson, would you like to respond?”

Mayor Anderson responds to concerns about the Liveability service Liverpool City Council 2nd March 2016
Mayor Anderson responds to concerns about the Liveability service Liverpool City Council 2nd March 2016

Mayor Anderson replied, “Lord Mayor, I just want to make one comment and then if it’s ok for you, I’ll just hand over to the Cabinet Member who can explain what we’re doing and why the decision has been made but we’re more than happy, I’ve been to the Liveability scheme and I’m more than happy to meet with people that are using the scheme to explain why we’re doing and what we’re doing. We’ve lost a huge amount of funding and this … fit for purpose and ready to replace the existing one, but as I said, I’ll let Cllr Gladden explain a little bit more.”

Councillor Roz Gladden (Cabinet Member for Adult and Children's Social Care and Health) responds to concerns about the Liveability service at the Liverpool City Council meeting on the 2nd March 2016
Councillor Roz Gladden (Cabinet Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health) responds to concerns about the Liveability service at the Liverpool City Council meeting on the 2nd March 2016

Cllr Roz Gladden (Cabinet Member for Adult & Children’s Social Care & Health) responded by saying, “Can I first of all thank you for the amazing campaign that you’ve brought together in such a small amount of time?

You know one of the sadnesses of being the Cabinet Member for Social Care is watching over a six-year period cuts happen to the service and very few people have actually complained about it, so I honour the fact that you care so much about your service that you’ve come out to campaign for it. So thank you for doing that.

Lot’s of people think that public health do nice wooly things like making sure you eat salad, not put sugar in and don’t eat cake and things like that but I think these cuts have proved, cuts to public health have proved that actually they do really important services such as the Liveability services, such as looking after people who are homeless, the rough sleepers and those with drug addiction problems and naturally as an Authority we have to take care of those who are most vulnerable. That’s not to say that you aren’t of course, but we’ve had £2.9 million of council cuts within this financial year and next year we’ve got a further cut of £7 million just to the public health budget. They are government cuts, they are not imposed by us, they are cuts directly to the public health service.

And what we’ve decided to do, what we have done is we’ve been looking for some time now as a physical activity strategy that will be announced later this year, but we are running this, three centres across the city.

I don’t know where you’ve been looking to roll this out across the city. I visited Liveability three years ago. I’ve been trying to negotiate, my officers have to try and get the Liveability model because we value it rolled out across the city. That’s not happened and I can’t, I don’t want a service that just operates in Austin Rawlinson, I want to see it where people in the north of the city and the centre of the city can benefit from it too because I think it’s really important.

So that’s what we’re going to do and we’re going to ask you how you think we can do that for the rest of the city? This won’t be excluding you, we will include your knowledge and your experience in how this services works really expertly in how we can do it. So I welcome you, I welcome on board this. We will come along to you, I will meet with you next week and we’ll carry on from there. So thank you so much for coming along tonight, I really do appreciate it, thank you.”

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