Turnaround team heads for Liverpool

Troubleshooters are to be sent by the government to turn around Liverpool’s failing Supporting People programme.

The city’s council received a second zero-star report from the Audit Commission in December for its delivery of the programme.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said it would send a team into any authority which received two consecutive zero-star ratings.

Liverpool brought in consultants Robson Rhodes to improve programme delivery after the first zero-star rating in September 2004.

An ODPM spokesman said the council had “welcomed the opportunity” to work with the department.