Liverpool City Region Invests £2 Million To Transform Children’s Services And Public Sector Innovation

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has approved a £2 million investment to fund the next phase of its pioneering Office for Public Service Innovation (OPSI) programme, helping councils develop new ways of improving services for children, young people and families.

The funding, which will run until March 2027, will support collaborative projects across the city region focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges facing public services, while delivering better outcomes for residents and greater value for taxpayers.

Backed by funding from the Combined Authority’s reserves, the investment will enable local authorities and public sector partners to continue designing, testing and expanding innovative approaches centred on prevention, early intervention and smarter use of data.

Funding will support children’s services and youth projects across the city region

OPSI brings together the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, local councils, public service providers, community organisations and voluntary sector partners to redesign services around the needs of local people.

A major focus of the new funding will be the continuation of OPSI Lab, the region’s innovation programme that works with councils to tackle complex social issues.

Four flagship projects are currently underway across the city region:

• Knowsley – improving support for children and families involved in foster care.
• St Helens – exploring how artificial intelligence can help social workers supporting children with disabilities.
• Halton – developing new approaches to supporting children with Special Educational Needs.
• A city region-wide project – helping young people who are at risk of becoming disengaged from education, employment or training (NEET).

Since launching earlier this year, OPSI Lab has worked alongside local authorities and frontline services to explore new ways of improving children’s services, foster care, youth support and digital innovation within public services.

The programme has already demonstrated how better collaboration, improved data sharing and greater community involvement can help identify challenges earlier, target support more effectively and create evidence-led solutions that can be adopted across the region.

Investment aims to make Liverpool City Region a national leader in innovation

The £2 million investment will fund specialist innovation support through to March 2027, allowing successful projects to move beyond development into testing, implementation and, where appropriate, wider rollout across Liverpool City Region.

The funding will also strengthen OPSI’s learning network, enabling councils and public organisations to share best practice, build innovation skills, and develop new ways to deliver services more efficiently.

Ultimately, the programme forms part of the Combined Authority’s wider ambition to establish Liverpool City Region as a national leader in public service innovation, improving outcomes for residents while ensuring public money is used as effectively as possible.

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Public Innovation, said: 

“The Liverpool City Region has always been at its best when it works together to find new ways of tackling challenges.

“This investment will help us build on the success of OPSI and turn innovative ideas into practical solutions that improve lives.

“By bringing together public services, communities and partners, we’re creating a model of collaboration that not only delivers better outcomes for residents but helps make every pound of public money work harder too.”