Liverpool Council is to appoint a new strategic director in the wake of its best value inspection.
Interviews are to be held for a new director of neighbourhoods as the local authority looks to strengthen its senior management team and deliver improvements following the damning Caller Report last year. The inspection, carried out by Max Caller OBE, identified a series of failings at Liverpool Council that led to the appointment of government approved commissioners.
The post is currently being held on an interim basis by Culture Liverpool boss Claire McColgan MBE. Ms McColgan was appointed in January this year on a sixth month posting to lead key services such as the city’s libraries, Lifestyle centres and environmental services.
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She has led the team since the turn of the year while also retaining oversight and management of Culture Liverpool. The job share operation was brought about by Mr Caller’s report in 2021.
It found that changes were required politically and managerially as “serious failings” were found in both governance and practice. It was said that “corporate blindness” failed to pick up the shortcomings.
The report cited the idea of a “secret cabal” controlling Liverpool Council with a “dysfunctional culture” that “undermined the city's economic development.” It added: "This includes a failure of proper and due process across planning and regeneration, including worrying lack of record keeping, indeed documentation had sometimes been created retrospectively, discarded in skips or even destroyed.”
Delivering safe and thriving neighbourhoods is one of six parts of the wider Liverpool city plan as set out in October 2020. The multi-agency project seeks to ensure all residents in the city “live in safe, inclusive and welcoming neighbourhoods, where people choose and aspire to live, raise their families and grow old.”
It added that public services should be aligned with local need to reduce inequalities within Liverpool. Interviews for the local authority permanent director will take place at the Cunard Building, Water Street, tomorrow.
