A NEWLY created “turnaround” team and a policy unit are among the measures expected to be brought in by Wirral Council in the aftermath of a damning report into how it has been run and managed.

The measures follow a report by outside consultant Anna Klonowski which criticised the authority and said it was at risk of “service failure” and external inspection unless action was taken quickly.

Next week will see the first meeting of a specially-created cabinet committee set up by council leader Steve Foulkes in the wake of the Klonowski report to consider what steps need to be taken.

According to the authority’s chief executive, Jim Wilkie, the committee will be “driving forward the changes which need to be made in the way the council is managed and in the organisational culture”.

This committee will be made up of five cabinet members, including Mr Foulkes who has also asked the leaders of the Conservatives, Jeff Green, and the Lib-Dems, Tom Harney, to take part as “co-opted” members – able to speak but not vote at meetings.

Among the first items the committee will consider is report by Mr Wilkie which recommends a series of measures are undertaken, which also include a review of the authority’s internal audit service and legal services, as well as the new turnaround team and policy unit.

Last night a council spokeswoman said final details of the council’s plans, including the membership of the turnaround team, are still being worked on ahead of the first meeting of the cabinet committee.