Issue - meetings

Report CEF23036

The report provided the CEF provisional outturn position for 2022/23.  The Head of Children, Education and Families introduced the report noting that the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) remained in a deficit position.  The Local Authority would be meeting with the DfE in the summer to discuss the deficit position and further recovery of the deficit.

The Director of Education explained that a deficit recovery management plan was in place, and this was regularly considered by the Children, Education and Families PDS Committee.  Some positive progress had been made against the actions in the deficit recovery management plan.  For example, eligibility guidance for EHCPs had been implemented and for the year to date the first reduction in the number of requests for statutory assessment had been seen.  The Local Authority continued to work towards the establishment of the new Special Free School in the Borough which would add much needed specialist capacity into the Borough.  There were other areas of challenge and steps continued to be taken.

In response to a question, the Director of Education confirmed that the Local Authority continued to see a sustained increase in the number of contacts and referrals into children’s social care and this had been the case since coming out of lockdown.  Bromley was not unique in its position; it was a national challenge.  The Bromley partnership was moving towards Children and Family Hubs which would provide a single point of contact offering a number of services such as Early Help, greater integration of mental health aspects and more timely access to support for families.  It was noted that the early signs around this were positive.

In response to a question, the Director of Education explained that there was a national shortage of LA foster carers.  Bromley continued to work to recruit in-house foster carers although this would continue to be an area of pressure and a number of other options were being considered.

RESOLVED: That the projected position of the CEF Portfolio be noted.