Sefton compared with similar councils
These are the councils most like Sefton on the things that drive demand for services, such as deprivation and population, from the Department for Education's statistical neighbours: Wirral, St. Helens, Wigan, Halton, County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees, Knowsley, Darlington and Bury.
- Residents
- 287,583 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,583 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Sefton sits
2
measures in the bottom quarter
6
measures below the middle
6
measures in the top half
Sefton compares worst with similar councils on:
- website accessibility score (10th of 10; 1st is highest)
- new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (8th of 10; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- relief cases ending with a home secured (2nd of 10; 1st is highest)
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (3rd of 10; 1st is lowest)
- prevention cases ending with a home secured (3rd of 10; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 42.9% | 68.6% | Bottom quarter 8th of 10 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 3.1 | 3.8 | Top half 3rd of 10 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 37.2 | 35 | Below the middle 7th of 10 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 33.3% | 23.5% | Top half 3rd of 9 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 80.0% | 81.8% | Below the middle 5th of 7 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 70.6% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 66.8% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 69.5% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 58.6% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 78.8% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 0.5% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 79.9% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 94.4% | 94.6% | Below the middle 6th of 10 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 14.3 | 12.6 | Below the middle 7th of 10 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 104.5 | 83.1 | Top half 5th of 10 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 33.2% | 32.8% | Top half 5th of 10 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 1.6 | 1.4 | Below the middle 7th of 10 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 1.8% | 0.0% | Below the middle 6th of 9 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 57.1% | 50.6% | Top half 3rd of 10 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 53.5% | 38.5% | Top half 2nd of 10 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 72.1% | 82.0% | Bottom quarter 10th of 10 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Sefton | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £403 | £388 | 5th of 10 | |
| Adult social care | £486 | £483 | 5th of 10 | |
| Public health | £103 | £101 | 5th of 10 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £45 | £36 | 2nd of 10 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £74 | £83 | 6th of 10 | |
| Highways and transport | £25 | £43 | 8th of 10 | |
| Culture and leisure | £43 | £52 | 7th of 10 | |
| Planning and development | £40 | £20 | 3rd of 10 | |
| Central services | £62 | £60 | 4th of 10 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,282 | £1,276 | 5th of 10 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Sefton’s children's services good at its last full inspection, in June 2025.
- Outstanding
- 2 of the 10 similar councils
- Good
- 3 of the 10 similar councils, including Sefton
- Requires improvement
- 3 of the 10 similar councils
- Inadequate
- 2 of the 10 similar councils
Over time
Sefton against the median of similar councils.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Sefton: 42.9%
- Median (similar councils): 68.6%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Sefton: 3.1
- Median (similar councils): 3.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Sefton: 33.2%
- Median (similar councils): 32.8%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Sefton: 14.3
- Median (similar councils): 12.6
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Sefton. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.