Issue - meetings

Report CEF22008

The report considered the Portfolio Holder’s Draft 2022/23 Budget which incorporated the future cost pressures and initial draft budget saving options reported to Executive on 12^th January 2022. Members were requested to consider the initial draft budget being proposed and identify any further action that might be taken to reduce cost pressures facing the Council over the next four years.  Executive were requesting that each PDS Committee considered the proposed initial draft budget savings and cost pressures for their Portfolio with the views of each PDS Committee be reported back to the next meeting of the Executive, prior to the Executive making recommendations to Council on 2022/23 Council Tax levels.  There were still outstanding issues and areas of uncertainty remaining. Any further updates will be included in the 2022/23 Council Tax report to the next meeting of the Executive.

In opening the discussion, the Chairman noted that at the last meeting in January 2021, the Committee had considered issues around the minimum funding guarantee, the slowing of the rate of increase of Education Care and Health Plans (EHCPs) which it now appeared had not happened, and the ending of the (Covid) redeployment of health colleagues who would be returning to their substantive posts.  It was also noted that the Committee had previously considered the potential deficit in future years.  Members noted that the Chairman of the PDS Committee had circulated a report which had recommended establishing a specific contingency fund for children’s social care to address cost pressures arising from placements.  The Chairman noted that the current position seemed similar to the previous year.

In response to a question, the Director of Children, Education and Families confirmed that no specific amount had been set aside for Covid catch up activities for children looked after, although a Government Grant was available for Covid catch-up.  Evidence suggested that children looked after were doing well and continued to make progress in all areas.  The progress of children looked after was kept under review, especially in terms of attainment, and these reviews were undertaken every six months.  The Sub-Committee noted that the issue of Covid Catch-up had been raised by both the Living in Care Council (LinCC) and the Bromley Youth Council (BYC).

In relation to SEN Transport, the Sub-Committee noted that mitigations to address the ongoing cost pressures continued to be a work in progress and there were a number of areas that were being reviewed.  A Transport Group had been established to look at a range of options, although the Sub-Committee noted that none would have an immediate impact on the ongoing budget pressures.  The Director of Children, Education and Families highlighted that pressures within SEN Transport were a national issue and as such a range of approaches were required such as travel training, personalised budgets, and options around the delivery of the in-house fleet.  The Sub-Committee also noted that the Service had recently procured software to assist with route optimisation to enable the most effective routes to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6