Issue - meetings

Further to Minute No. 33 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 4th July, 2012, consideration was given to a report presented by Andrew Bedford, Strategic Director of Resources, and Councillor Akhtar, Deputy Leader, which presented a strategy for ensuring that the Children and Young People’s Service had a budget which was adequately resourced.  Delivery of that Budget would require change in the way Services were configured and work was already well in hand to effect that change, led by staff in the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate.  Furthermore, Council-wide resource was being marshalled to support Children and Young People’s Services staff in the implementation of change.  Details of the headline pressures within the Children and Young People’s Service budget and the actions implemented, or to be implemented to mitigate the pressures were also set out as part of the report, along with an analysis of the Directorate’s further proposed savings and progress against delivery of these savings, with an assessment of risk.

The Directorate’s Budget Savings were monitored through an ‘Action Plan’ which was maintained on an ongoing basis with progress considered at the fortnightly Directorate Leadership Team meetings, with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director of Resources attending the meetings once a month. 

The Commission welcomed the opportunity to reduce residual pressures on the budget for Children and Young People’s Services, but the underspend being provided was a one year “one-off” provision only.

Reference was made to a previous graphical presentation of benchmark comparisons and whether this could be provided in the future.

Discussion ensued and questions were raised relating to the year-on-year significant pressures being faced, the savings required to be delivered by the Directorate and how significant Council-wide resources were being marshalled to support the Directorate in the implementation of change.

Further information was provided on the transferring of some Services into other areas of the Council, the pressure of some legal costs being centrally funded, use of the Early Intervention Grant to reduce recurrent overspends and the tight monitoring arrangements which were in place to ensure that any slippage in the action plan was highlighted and reported.

Resolved:-  (1) That the proposed actions to mitigate Children and Young People’s Services Directorate pressures and to ensure that expectations regarding Service delivery could be achieved within the approved budget be noted.

(2)  That the progress to date regarding delivery of savings as shown in Appendix 1 be noted.

(3)  That the use of Council 2011/12 underspends to finance the one-year-only residual pressures within the Children and Young People’s Services 2012/13 Budget be noted.

-        Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Deputy Leader, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Resources, which presented a strategy for ensuring that the Children and Young People’s Service had a budget which was adequately resourced.  Delivery of that Budget would require change in the way services were configured and work was already well in hand to effect that change, led by staff in the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate.  Furthermore, Council-wide resource was being marshalled to support Children and Young People’s Services staff in the implementation of change.  Details of the headline pressures within the Children and Young People’s Service budget and the actions implemented, or to be implemented to mitigate the pressures were also set out as part of this report, along with an analysis of the Directorate’s further proposed savings and progress against delivery of these savings, with an assessment of risk.

The Directorate’s Budget Savings were monitored through an ‘Action Plan’ which was maintained on an ongoing basis with progress considered at the fortnightly Directorate Leadership Team meetings, with the Chief Executive and Strategic Director of Resources attending these meetings once a month. 

Councillor Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families Service, reiterated the need for the Directorate to be appropriately resourced and confirmed that the tight monitoring arrangements would ensure that any slippage against the Action Plan was highlighted and reported at the earliest opportunity, by this needs led service.

Cabinet Members welcomed the support to the Directorate to ensure it was adequately resourced, but asked that the position be closely monitored and any proposed changes to grant funding be reported on to enable action to be taken as soon as possible.

Resolved:-  (1) That the proposed actions to mitigate Children and Young People’s Services Directorate pressures and to ensure that expectations regarding service delivery could be achieved within the approved budget be noted.

(2)  That the progress to date regarding delivery of savings as shown in Appendix 1be noted.

(3)  That the use of Council 2011/12 underspends to finance the one-year-only residual pressures within the Children and Young People’s Services 2012/13 Budget be approved.