Agenda item

This report presents the Council’s Organisational Plan 2019/20 to the Panel for consideration and feedback as part of the Council’s operational planning and budget development process.

The Director for Partnership & Corporate Services introduced this report to the Panel. He explained that the Organisational Plan forms an important part of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s strategic planning framework.

He added that the plan translates the Council’s strategy and vision for the future into a more detailed annual Organisational Plan, setting its key activities and projects for the Council to achieve this.

He said that the plan outlines the draft budget savings proposals where appropriate, which will be proposed as part of the budget setting process for the Council 2019 – 20 budgets which will be considered by the Cabinet and Council at their meetings in February.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked what is the total Children & Young People budget, what was the percentage overspend last year and to what extent are we going to be within budget this year.

The Corporate Director replied that they have a budget of £25.3m, they were overspent by 5% on the budget last year and are currently 9% overspent on the budget for this current year.

Councillor Hardman asked if this figure could be accommodated in the current year and in the budget going forward.

Councillor Charles Gerrish, Cabinet Member for Finance and Efficiency replied that these figures were largely due to the number children in care within B&NES which was currently 191. He said that the Council is in a position to deal with this having received a Government grant under the care envelope and if necessary the revenue contingency reserves and has made budgetary provision within the proposals for next year.

Councillor Hardman asked how the Youth Connect Services redesign is progressing and to what extent has the Youth Services staff mutual progressed.

The Corporate Director replied that the proposal had received support in principle from the Cabinet at the end of October 2018, that the due diligence process was still ongoing and that further meetings were due this week, so he was optimistic that it would be concluded shortly.

Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People added that the sources of funding need to be secure as the contract is due to be for five years to enable a degree of stability for those concerned.

Councillor Hardman asked if the Council would commission services from the Staff Mutual.

The Corporate Director replied that they would.

Councillor Matt Cochrane asked if the figure of £3m was the true cost of supporting the 21 children with the most complex needs in 2018-19.

The Corporate Director replied that it was as there are a number of young people that have expensive placements.

Councillor Charles Gerrish added that a number of these placements are outside of B&NES.

Councillor Cochrane asked if the site of the Bath Studio School were to be used for further SEND provision would that potentially lead to families moving to the area to use it and has that happened historically.

Councillor Gerrish replied that he was aware of families that have moved to B&NES to access SEND provision and that potentially this could occur in the future.

Councillor Hardman asked what has been the impact on low income families of the changes to the Music Service.

The Director of Education Transformation replied that children from low income families should have the opportunity to access a musical instrument through whole-class teaching programmes. She added that funding is received from the Arts Council, but that this is set for a specific criteria and that information is returned to the Arts Council on an annual basis.

Councillor Paul May said that it was important to him to have within the Plan the wording ‘Protect and care for our most vulnerable’ and ‘ensuring a ‘Think Family’ approach’.

The Chair asked regarding Appendix 3 what was meant by alternative provision in the line ‘Refurbishment and renovation of a premises that was previously a primary school (St Johns, Lower Bristol Road), into alternative education provision for secondary age pupils in B&NES’.

The Corporate Director replied that this was intended to be a site for pupils that have been excluded or were having behaviour / attendance issues as a place where they could be educated, pending being reintroduced / reintegrated into the mainstream education system.

Councillor Gerrish stated that the site was situated in Lower Weston rather than the Lower Bristol Road as mentioned within the appendix.

Councillor Hardman asked how the Council will identify children missing out on education and act to meet their educational needs without a Children Missing Education Officer.

The Corporate Director replied that the Council still has a Children Missing Education Service - this is a statutory service that has a range of functions within it.

The Head of Education Inclusion Services added that it was possible for parents to be prosecuted if they were found to be negligent and that pupils could be monitored when notified that they have left a school. He said that it was the Council’s role to ensure that every child has access to a school place. He informed the Panel that a piece of joint working was being carried out in partnership with School Nurses.

The Chair thanked the Panel for their comments and said that their feedback would be given to the Resources PDS Panel on the 4th February to allow them to collate all PDS Panel responses to the Cabinet and Council.