Strategy
Cheshire East Council has successfully navigated a £100 million budget gap through a comprehensive transformation programme delivered with Inner Circle Consulting. The strategic initiative secured exceptional government funding approval and mobilised 30 projects to deliver £90 million in sustainable benefits.
While all UK public services have felt pressure from growing need and stretched resources, Cheshire East Council has been at the sharpest end, grappling simultaneously with a budget deficit, organisational difficulties and service provision at the very edge of its capabilities.
When ICC was appointed as transformation partner, we knew this work had to bring about a fundamental reinvention of the council’s strategy for supporting local people and places. Incremental improvement would not cut it.
Working alongside the council, we crafted a radical new approach that addressed the immediate financial emergency while reconstructing the foundations of how a council operates. Within six months, we secured exceptional government funding, identified £24 million in immediate financial benefits, and ignited 30 transformation projects that are systematically rebuilding Cheshire East’s relationship with its communities.
Through this work we’ve shown how management consultancies can walk alongside the public sector in times of change, through demonstrated, measurable impact that shows organisations at the brink of collapse can emerge stronger, more sustainable, and better equipped to serve people when they need it most.
The methodology created here offers a blueprint for the future of local government in the UK.
View the Inner Circle Consulting profile in the MCA Members Directory.