Sefton compared with metropolitan districts
Compared with the 36 metropolitan districts.
- 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
1
measures in the bottom quarter
4
measures below the middle
9
measures in the top half
Sefton compares worst with metropolitan districts on:
- website accessibility score (34th of 36; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- relief cases ending with a home secured (2nd of 35; 1st is highest)
- upheld cases the council had already put right (3rd of 31; 1st is highest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (7th of 36; 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% | 59.5% | Below the middle 23rd of 36 |
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 12th of 36 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 37.2 | 36.5 | Below the middle 20th of 36 | |
| 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% | 14.3% | Top half 3rd of 31 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 80.0% | 81.8% | Below the middle 16th of 29 |
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 | 67.6% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 68.1% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 73.5% | 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 | 84.2% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 3.3% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 82.5% | 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% | 93.8% | Top half 13th of 36 |
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 | 20.4 | Top half 11th of 36 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 104.5 | 32.8 | Top half 7th of 36 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 33.2% | 36.2% | Below the middle 22nd of 36 |
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 | 1.7 | Top half 15th of 36 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 1.8% | 2.8% | Top half 17th of 36 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 57.1% | 52.5% | Top half 12th of 35 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 53.5% | 32.0% | Top half 2nd of 35 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Sefton | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 72.1% | 92.7% | Bottom quarter 34th of 36 |
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 | £343 | 6th of 34 | |
| Adult social care | £486 | £484 | 17th of 34 | |
| Public health | £103 | £93 | 11th of 34 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £45 | £39 | 11th of 34 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £74 | £92 | 23rd of 34 | |
| Highways and transport | £25 | £29 | 23rd of 34 | |
| Culture and leisure | £43 | £51 | 25th of 34 | |
| Planning and development | £40 | £28 | 9th of 34 | |
| Central services | £62 | £59 | 14th of 34 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,282 | £1,233 | 10th of 34 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Sefton’s children's services good at its last full inspection, in June 2025.
- Outstanding
- 7 of the 36 metropolitan districts
- Good
- 18 of the 36 metropolitan districts, including Sefton
- Requires improvement
- 7 of the 36 metropolitan districts
- Inadequate
- 4 of the 36 metropolitan districts
Over time
Sefton against the median of metropolitan districts.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Sefton: 42.9%
- Median (metropolitan districts): 59.5%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Sefton: 3.1
- Median (metropolitan districts): 3.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Sefton: 33.2%
- Median (metropolitan districts): 36.2%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Sefton: 14.3
- Median (metropolitan districts): 20.4
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.