Issue - meetings

Report CEF21027

The report provided the provisional outturn position for 2020/21. The Committee noted that the report presented an extract of the report considered by the Executive in June 2021.  The provisional outturn position showed an overspend of £125k at the end of the financial year with the budget underpinned by Covid grants.

Members noted that there remained significant pressures in the budget and any emerging pressures would be reviewed and addressed through future mitigation.  Members noted that social care placement was a particular area of fluctuation with expenditure fluctuating depending on the specific needs of individual children.  It was often difficult to predict specific levels of need, and this impacted on the budget.  The Director of Children’s Services reported that there were also currently blockages within the court system which resulted in expenditure which was beyond the control of the Local Authority. 

In response to a question, the Head of Finance for Children’s Services confirmed that demands on placements and staffing had been particularly adversely impacted by Covid as a result of the requirement to continue with business as usual whilst also providing a robust response to pressures emerging from the pandemic.  The Director of Education highlighted that loss of income had been a significant factor which had also impacted services and this had been offset by grant funding.

Turning to the costs around consultancy for the Bromley Safeguarding Children’s Board, the Director of Children’s Services explained that as part of the original children’s service improvement plan Bromley had used the expertise of ex-Ofsted inspectors.  The health checks from the consultants had continued as an important part of the Quality Assurance process with the Local Authority able to demonstrate that it was not “marking its own homework” and this practice had been validated by Ofsted.  Members noticed that the expenditure had been included in the budget because if not for Covid the department would have been pursuing its improvement exit plan.

RESOLVED: That the Portfolio Holder endorse the 2020/21 provisional outturn position for the Children, Education and Families Portfolio.