Rankings · Metropolitan borough in England
Separate leagues. England, Scotland and Wales are measured differently, so a rank in one is not comparable with another. Why. England is stable; Scotland and Wales are provisional.
St. Helens
St. Helens council ranks 29th of 130 single-tier councils in England (likely range 17th to 48th), in the top quarter. Strongest on financial health (21st of 127), weakest on value for money (103rd of 127).
Compare St. Helens with another council
Data period: Oldest figures 2024-25 (DEFRA and DHSC); newest as at 2026-11 (CQC). Published by CQC, DEFRA, DHSC, DfE, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, MHCLG and Ofsted.
Data last updated: · Last checked: . Sources publish on their own schedules, so figures can be older than the last check.
Methodology v2.0 (stable) · to cite: "St. Helens council, Council Rankings, 1 November 2026, https://councilrankings.com/council/st-helens/"
Likely range 17th–48th. Stays in the top quarter in 53% of re-runs. How we work this out
How St. Helens scores
Bar length shows the share of the 130 councils that St. Helens beats. Overall weights: service quality 60%, value for money 20%, financial health 20%. Select any measure below to see how every council compares on it.
Service quality
Allowing for need, St. Helens ranks 20th of 130 (likely range 11th–38th), against 28th unadjusted. That is 8 places higher once need is allowed for, within the likely range.
Adjusted: children's services, adult social care and waste & recycling. Not adjusted, because there is no published measure of need: planning, complaints, special educational needs and homelessness. This view is not part of the overall rank. How we adjust
Planning
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 95.0% | 93.7% | =47 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Non-major planning decisions made in time (24 months) Higher is better | 99.7% | 92.0% | =1 / 130 | 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2 |
| Planning decisions in the financial year Higher is better · context only | 499 | 1,092 | – | 2025-26 |
Source: MHCLG — Planning application statistics (PS2)
Waste & recycling
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste sent for reuse recycling or composting Higher is better | 31.6% | 37.4% | 92 / 130 | 2024-25 |
| Residual household waste per household Lower is better | 506 kg | 516 kg | 59 / 130 | 2024-25 |
Source: DEFRA — Local authority collected waste management
Complaints
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman upheld decisions per 100k residents Lower is better | 4.0 | 4.8 | 49 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman investigations upheld Lower is better | 78.9% | 81.9% | =37 / 130 | 2024-25 to 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented on time Higher is better | 100.0% | 75.0% | =1 / 128 | 2025-26 |
| Ombudsman recommendations implemented Higher is better · context only | 100.0% | 100.0% | – | 2025-26 |
| Upheld complaints already remedied by the council before reaching the Ombudsman Higher is better · context only | 33.3% | 15.2% | – | 2025-26 |
Source: Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — annual review data
Children's services
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted overall effectiveness (children's services) Higher is better | Good | Good | =40 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
| Ofsted sub-judgements (average) Higher is better | Good | Good | =56 / 130 | latest at 2026-03-31 |
Source: Ofsted — Local authority inspection outcomes
Adult social care
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CQC assessment score for adult social care Higher is better | 66.7%Good assessment published 8 May 2025 | 63.9% | =37 / 126 | latest at 2026-11 |
| Quality of life of people who use services (adjusted) Higher is better | 0.443 | 0.417 | =14 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services satisfied with their care and support Higher is better | 73.9% | 65.5% | =1 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| Older people still at home 12 weeks after hospital discharge into reablement Higher is better | 59.1% | 62.5% | 87 / 119 | 2024-25 |
| Adults aged 18 to 64 with a learning disability who live in their own home or with family Higher is better | 97.3% | 83.9% | =1 / 129 | 2024-25 |
| People who use services who feel safe Higher is better | 74.2% | 70.7% | 26 / 129 | 2024-25 |
Source: CQC — Local authority assessment reports; DHSC — Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework
Special educational needs
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks Higher is better | 41.7% | 58.3% | 81 / 130 | 2024 to 2025 |
Source: DfE — Education, health and care plans
Homelessness
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 43.5% | 51.7% | 97 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Homelessness relieved: accommodation secured for 6+ months Higher is better | 43.2% | 33.5% | 29 / 130 | 2025-09 to 2026-03 |
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1000 households Lower is better | 0.5 | 2.8 | 8 / 126 | 2026-03 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks Lower is better · context only | 1 | 0 | – | 2026-03 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money
St. Helens spends £598 per adult on adult social care, against about £622 expected after allowing for older people's poverty, how many residents are over 65 and whether a council is in London (£24 less). Its adult social care results rank 11th of 125.
Good results, lower cost · value for money rank 44th of 122
Children's services value for money
St. Helens spends £2,072 per child on children's services, against about £1,656 expected after allowing for child poverty and whether a council is in London (£416 more). Its children's services results rank 56th of 130.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 109th of 127
Waste value for money
St. Helens spends £208 per home on waste & recycling, against about £183 expected after allowing for deprivation, whether a council is in London and share of census output areas classed rural (£25 more). Its waste & recycling results rank 78th of 130.
Weaker results, higher cost · value for money rank 102nd of 127
Planning value for money
St. Helens spends £1,128 per planning decision on planning, against about £702 expected after allowing for whether a council is in London (£426 more). Its planning results rank 23rd of 130.
Good results, higher cost · value for money rank 94th of 127
Financial health
Reserves
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 31.9% | 33.0% | 70 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Change in usable reserves over the year as a share of net revenue expenditure Higher is better | 4.9% | 0.4% | 29 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Debt
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt servicing costs as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 6.8% | 9.7% | 39 / 127 | 2025-26 |
| Borrowing need (excluding council housing) as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 111.5% | 184.6% | 23 / 127 | 2024-25 borrowing, 2025-26 spend |
Schools funding deficit
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-needs (DSG) deficit as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 6.3% | 8.8% | 46 / 127 | 2025-26 |
Government bailouts
| Measure | St. Helens | Median of 130 | Rank | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Financial Support over three years as a share of net revenue expenditure Lower is better | 0.0% | 0.0% | =1 / 127 | 2024-25 to 2026-27 |
Context
Background figures. These don't count towards the score.
| Population | 189,890 | median 277,253 | mid-2025 |
| Net service spend per resident | £2,222.77 | median £2,026.28 | 2025-26 |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation average score | 28.953 | median 24.057 | 2025 |
| Families with children in B&B for more than 6 weeks | 1 | median 0 | 2026-03 |
| Who runs the council | Reform UK majority | 16 September 2026 | |
| Seats on the council | Reform UK 34, Independent and other 8, Liberal Democrat 3, Labour 2, Conservative 1 (of 48 seats) | 16 September 2026 | |
| Audit opinion on the latest accounts | No audit opinion signed yet. PSAA status: unsigned. | 2025-26 | |
| Years of the last three with no audit opinion signed | 1 | median 1 | 2023-24 to 2025-26 |
| Band D council tax (council element) | £1,975.65 | median £1,969.00 | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax change on previous year | 5.0% | median 5.0% | 2026-27 |
| Band D council tax total bill (incl. GLA/police/fire/combined authority) | £2,403.38 | median £2,435.01 | 2026-27 |
Also responsible in St. Helens
These services are run by other bodies, so they don't count towards St. Helens's score.
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority: transport; adult skills; economic development
- Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority: waste disposal
Councils nearby
The closest ranked councils by distance between council centres. Nearness says nothing about how similar they are.
Questions about St. Helens
How good is St. Helens council?
St. Helens ranks 29th of 130 single-tier councils in England overall, in the top quarter, and 12th of 36 metropolitan boroughs. Its likely range is 17th to 48th. Its highest rank is on financial health (21st of 127) and its lowest on value for money (103rd of 127). Ranks are on official data for service quality, value for money and financial health; nearby places are similar, so read it as a position, not a verdict. How we score · Compare St. Helens
Is St. Helens a single-tier council?
Yes. St. Helens is a metropolitan borough, and runs almost all local services in its area itself, with no county or district council alongside it. A few services are run by other bodies, listed above. Who is ranked
ONS code E08000013 · How we score · Report an error · Changelog