Council leaders give joint commitment to improvement journey
A year after publication of the Kerslake Report, Birmingham City Council’s new leader and the opposition group leaders have emphasised their cross-party commitment to delivering Lord Kerslake’s recommendations.
In September 2014, Birmingham City Council and the Department for Communities and Local Government jointly commissioned Sir Bob Kerslake to assess the corporate leadership and management of the organisation.
The report, published in December 2014 made nine recommendations and it was agreed that the City Council would produce a progress report twelve months on. The report also led to the establishment of an Independent Improvement Panel to provide support and challenge to the council in its response to the recommendations.
Today the Council publishes its 12 month report detailing the response to Lord Kerslake’s recommendations, and setting out the progress that has been made.
The report has been jointly signed by Cllr John Clancy, Leader of the Council and the Labour Group, Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of the Opposition and Conservative Group, and Cllr Paul Tilsley, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, demonstrating a joint commitment to delivering the improvement agenda.
Today they issued the following joint statement:
“We are jointly committed to delivering on the recommendations of the Kerslake Report and the progress made over the last 12 months underlines that commitment.
“The foundations have been laid but there is no room for complacency and the hard work continues to restore the City Council’s reputation as a leader in local government.
“Our shared vision is to create an organisation that works in partnership with others, empowering communities and supporting greater independence for residents.”
The report is publicly available here: /wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Progress_Report_Dec_2015_v2.pdf
A public meeting is also taking place on 14 December, where the Improvement Panel and members of the public can question the Council’s leadership on the report and progress to date.
