Whenever the public sector seeks to improve services, it can be helpful to begin with raw data. In Birkenhead, Wirral's largest conurbation, the data was very raw indeed.

Department of Work and Pensions baseline data from 2013 suggested that 23.6% of the working age population of Birkenhead were workless. 41% of Wirral's total claimants for Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit lived in the town. In some areas, more than a third of the working age population claimed health-related benefits.