Agenda item

The Children’s Service Medium Term Service & Resource Plan (MTSRP) Update is presented for consideration by the Panel:

(1)  To ensure all members of the Panel are aware of the context for Service Action Planning

(2)  To enable comment on the strategic choices inherent in the medium term plan

(3)  To enable issues to be referred to the relevant Portfolio holder at an early stage in the service planning and budget process.

The Deputy Director for Children and Young People – Strategy and Commissioning introduced this item to the Panel. He wished to highlight some of the bullet points from within Appendix 1.

·  Changes to the role of the Local Authority in Education – with a number of schools becoming more autonomous academies, the development of Teaching Schools and a Studio School, changes to school funding regimes and some responsibilities shifting from the Authority to schools.  However, the demands placed upon the Children’s Service in its Education role remain significant including increasing pressure from Ofsted that the Local Authority  challenges Academies in relation to pupil progression and achievement, attendance and exclusion;

·  Changes in Ofsted and other relevant inspection regimes, it is acknowledged that the new inspection framework which came into operation on 1 November has “raised the bar” in relation to Local Authority performance and it is clear that the Government intends to use this framework to drive up standards and performance whilst financial resources are constrained.

Structural Changes

• Key efficiency savings including achievement of £200K management savings;

• Development of in internal commissioner/provider discipline, enabling more integrated approaches to commissioning services across children’s, adults’, public health and health services through our Joint Working Framework;

• Exploring opportunities for shared service approaches to school improvement with North Somerset

Risks & Opportunities

·  The DFE are intending to introduce a National Funding Formula (NFF) which will alter the funding allocations of all schools on a national basis. The results of the new funding formula may provide additional or reduced resources to schools and academies in Bath and North East Somerset. The introduction of the NFF will be consulted on by the DFE in January 2014 and early indications suggest that the results of any funding changes may be positive for schools in Bath and North East Somerset. However, it is likely that whilst there may be an overall gain from redistribution towards Bath and North East Somerset as a whole there may be individual schools that see a reduction.

The Chair invited Councillor Vic Pritchard to address the Panel. He said that following the discussion held at the Wellbeing Panel he was of the opinion efficiency savings had almost been exhausted and that cuts to services were now more apparent. He added that this was a criticism of the administration and not the officers and asked the Cabinet Member for Resources to re-configure the budget to aid the vulnerable and the young.

The Chair asked for members of the Panel to highlight any concerns they had to the Cabinet Member.

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that she was concerned by the removal of £65,000 from the School Improvement and Achievement Services.

She also stated she was concerned by the following lines in the Plan:

·  Removal of £30,000 from the Children Missing Education Service as this would lead to little preventative work on behalf of schools.

·  Removal of £60,000 from the Schools Capital and Reorganisation Team.

·  Removal of £175,000 as part of a reduction in commissioned services.

·  Withdrawal of £2.335m associated with the whole service re-organisation of Children’s Centre and Early Years Services.

·  Removal of £50,000 from the Music Service

·  Removal of £65,000 from Safeguarding, Social Care and Family Support Services

·  Removal of £62,000 from Family Support

The Chair thanked Councillor Hardman for her comments and asked that they be passed to the Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children & Youth and the Resources Panel.