Knowsley Council faces 16 high risks, impacting services like health, children’s services, and finances.
Knowsley Council had a meeting on March 10. They checked reports and risk strategies. Strategic risks pose the biggest threats, impacting critical services and potentially damaging finances. The council’s reputation could also suffer.
Most risks facing Knowsley aren’t unique to it. Eleven high risk areas involve health and care. Five specifically concern children’s services sadly, after a bad inspection rated their service “inadequate,” revealing failures to protect children who were exposed to unsafe situations.
An audit shows more young people need SEND support, potentially causing the council to struggle providing services. In November 2024, 2,753 children held plans. This is a sixty percent increase since 2021.
Data shows funding is outstripping local budgets. This creates big deficits in “High Needs Block” budgets. Currently, these deficits are ringfenced and do not affect council core funds, due to a statutory override in place until March 2026.
Liam Griffiths presented the risk report, stating that identifying risks helps planning, enabling the council to act effectively. Many risks aren’t unique, and he noted the council alone cannot fully control them.
Griffiths said sixteen risks concern children and health. They include reacting to the local Ofsted report and managing accommodation challenges for children, ensuring care for young people with special needs or disabilities.
Auditors at Grant Thornton identified sixteen strategic risks. These include placement sufficiency, where demand might exceed quality placements, and the risk of unsuccessful plan implementation following the Ofsted report. A High Needs Block funding deficit poses a financial risk and a strain is caused by the rising SEND number.
The council may not provide required services and recruitment and retention pose a quality risk. Adult funding might not meet national reforms. Staffing the workforce is necessary to meet demand, with premature mortality gaps risking widening.
NHS pressures impact the council’s service delivery, and health inequality could hurt responses. Future pandemics are also a significant threat. Housing policy changes could impact development, and town vitality is always at a risk.
Economic issues and high costs strain the budget. Cyber security poses another risk, highlighting the need for GDPR compliance to avoid damage.