TWO Wirral Council teams are shortlisted for the Local Government Chronicle Awards for 2019.

Nominated for the Innovation category is the authority's care leavers apprenticeship programme, which has helped young people overcome difficulties often experienced by those leaving care to get jobs.

On the shortlist in the Public/Public Partnership category is the authority's Safer Wirral Hub, which tackles anti-social behaviour through public partnership working with police and fire.

The award winners will be announced at a prestigious ceremony on March 13.

Congratulating the care leaver's apprenticeship team on its nomination, Cllr Bernie Mooney, cabinet member for children and families said: "This programme has evolved to provide genuine, paid, permanent employment for some of the most challenged individuals who have passed through the council's care system.

"It has succeeded in not only providing these young people with a rewarding and life changing career path but also reducing the growing financial costs to the Council as the numbers of looked after children continues to increase both locally and nationally."

On the safer Wirral Hub's nomination, Cllr Paul Stuart, cabinet member for law and order, said: "The Safer Wirral Hub combines all public and community safety functions under a single management structure and base of operations.

"It is a unique public sector partnership which has helped deliver a 13% reduction in antisocial behaviour in Wirral, including a huge 27% reduction in youth offending."

The Safer Wirral Hub service was established in response to the Ipsos MORI Wirral residents’ survey conducted in 2016 which found that reducing crime and anti-social behaviour was the top priority for Wirral people.