Under the Knife

Paul McKevitt

Deputy Chief Executive

Wigan Council

A Bridge so farWIGAN Budget Forecast 2009-10 to 2014-15

Opening Budget 09-10

233.250m

Inflation 32.005m

Variations 25.522

Misc 1.106m

Specif ic Grants

43.325m

Cont. to balances7.123m

PCT 23.665m Savings Target

-97.024mProv Bud 14-15

268.972m

Budget pre Govt funding cuts

365.996m

Outlook for local government 2010

Wigan

Latest delivery from CLG Andrew

Things already seemed tough before austerity• 2008 Bank failings and Credit Crunch

• Between SSR and 2012 – reduction of £15.5m in

Support Services

• Capital Programme - £6m deficit / year –

• Job Evaluation, Equal Pay £20m

• A federation of independent states –special cases

• Didn’t feel like one team – one council.

• MTFP 2010/11 (February 2010) savings were already

£7.5m.

But then from May 2010…..• Coalition Government

• Emergency Budget and Austerity signaled

• Loss of Area Based Grants in year

• Potentially to lose 40% of external support over 5 years

• Capping threatened

• Interest Rates 0.5% – no income from external investment

of cash

• No capital receipts of any consequence likely for years

to come

• A lot of denial around locally and regionally.

Responded early• Our response – early and decisive - £6m in-year cuts 2010/11 achieved

before the 1st Austerity settlement of 2011/12 – important head start.

• Actions included :-

• 3% top slice Transitional Reserve process (used that year’s savings to

set up)

• As specific grants went, services lost funding – but we began to

Transform services across the organisation via the Corporate Strategy

and programmes.

• Corporatisation of Non Ring-fenced grants – allowed local decisions to be

taken.

• Open to all ER/VR scheme was introduced – 2 year pay back – 1,000

staff in 5 years.

• It was Slicing and Dicing – Cash limited budgets

Decided to stay ahead of the curveWe will have less staff and less money so we will clearly set out our priorities in the annual corporate strategy and ensure these guide the budget setting process.  We will strive to protect frontline services; particularly to our more vulnerable residents.  We will encourage self reliance within our communities and focus on early intervention and prevention  We will modernise all of our services in order to achieve more for less.  We will look to share services with other public/private sector organisations to protect services and reduce costs.  We will make the changes as soon as practically possible in order to avoid uncertainty and achieve the maximum level of saving

How did this translate with budget?

• Over programmed• Created reserves to pump prime reform

rather than cuts• Back office first and senior managers

Political challenge

• Trades Unions lobbied Members• Opposition politics• Plans

Political Challenge

• I would really like to see the accountability of what this council can run this facility when everyone we run losses money

• I would like to know how much the Council, in total, has paid to and planning to make to the youth zone?1

• Also are you able to let me know how many men and how many women we have working for the council in terms of office based roles?

_____________________________________________

From: xxxxxx, xxxxxxx CLLR Sent: 01 October 20xx 00:34To: McKevittSubject: What is going on with our monies Dear xxxx I understand the Chief Executive is on Leave so I would like you to get some information for me within 48 hours, after seeing an article in the WEP September 30th, I understand that £3 million plan for Pier is unveiled, I would like to know why this information has "not" been sent to elected councillor, I would like to know is it private monies are is the council funding the money

Dear Councillor The article you refer to in the Wigan Evening Post was in the "retro" part of the paper. This covers what happened in a period from the past in Wigan. The article you refer to covers Wigan in July 1995 and refers to plans that we announced then. I hope this answers your enquiry but if you need any further assistance please let me know. Paul

Corporate Strategy

• Refreshed this and made it more focused

From this

• Work with us to create a Healthy Borough – become a Health Champion

• Share your skills and talents with others to help your community, no matter how big or small

• Find out what’s available, be a good neighbour and ‘pass it on’

• Work with us and each other to turn great ideas into action

• Turn an idea or hobby into an activity to improve the lives of local people

• Get involved and support your local community

Signed SignedLord Peter Smith of Leigh, Leader of Wigan Council

• Celebrate what individuals & communities already do to improve the wellbeing and independence of local people

• Invest in developing skills, and talents of local people and groups

• Make it easy for you to find out about, and connect to, local support , advice and activities

• Encourage individuals and community groups to grow by unblocking barriers

• Support great ideas and solutions that improve your life and strengthen your community

• Invest in high quality, value for money services for you

For the Community

Community Investment Fund

• £2 million per year• Community Development• Transfer of services• Infrastructure

Making it happen: it’s simple but profound

The Deal for Adult Social Care and Well Being is a radical reimagining of how we work. Customers and citizens are viewed as unique individuals with assets, gifts and talents, rather than a collection of needs and deficits. We support people to live the best life they can, rather than fitting them into a prescriptive range of traditional and expensive services

‘Different conversations’ with residents to better understand individual assets, recognising strengths, gifts and talents using an ethnographic approach, rather than current deficit model

•Connecting people with community solutions for example Arty Crafters rather than traditional Day Centres•Developing community capacity through co production, different relationships, asset transfer

•Developing new ways of working by liberating the workforce through permission and support to be innovative and creative, in return for a pledge to be positive, accountable and embrace new ways of working

ADULT SOCIAL CARE & WELLBEING

Work with Health

• Joint Commissioning Group (JCG) – Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

• Wider Leaders Group• Hospital Trust• Better Care Funding

Invest to Save

• Super Depot• Waste Disposal Contract• Leisure Services• Transformation Programme• Legal Costs• Contract Management

Investing in Reform

• £4m in the Deal for Communities Investment Fund to build self reliance & community resilience.

• £2m to fund an apprenticeship programme.

• £1m investment in public service reform to redesign public services around people and families in their community.

Survey Response Rate

Wigan Council 2015 62.43% (2602/4168)

Wigan Council 2014 56.89% (2556/4493)

Mid Companies Average, Not For Profit Sectors Accreditation 2015 62.95%

Staff Engagement

Wigan Council's Accred. Score & Response Rate

(Nov 2014)

(Nov 2013)

(Oct 2012)

Version 1 | Internal Use Only

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Wigan Residents’ Survey 2014Prepared by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Wigan Council August 2014

All of the key performance indicators relating to the Council have increased significantly since 2008.

Satisfaction with the local area has remained consistent over this time period.

In almost all cases, Wigan outperforms the Ipsos MORI benchmark Councils.

Next steps

• Deal for Leisure• Contracts• Assets• Role of Audit

With thanks