Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Father Owen Higgs, Darren Jenkins, Alison Regester and Andrew Spears.  Tom Clements attended as substitute to Andrew Spears.  Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Alexa Michael.

The Chairman reminded the Committee that the Declarations of Interest made at the meeting on 12^th June 2012 were taken as read.

Councillor David McBride declared that he had been a teacher at a school in the London Borough of Bexley until July 2011 and would be returning to teach in the London Borough of Bexley from September 2012.

Councillor Judi Ellis declared that she was Chairman of the Finance Committee at two primary schools within the Borough.

Questions to the Committee must be received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5.00pm on Wednesday 11^th July 2012.  Questions must relate to the work of the Select Committee and will be considered as part of the evaluation and recommendations.

No questions had been received.

The Background Information Briefing comprises:

• Supplementary Information – Questions from the Chairman

·  Sold Services Staffing

·  Full Cost Calculations

·  Sold Services for Schools Brochure 2011/12

·  Sold Services for Schools Pricelist 2011/12

·  Sold Services School Take Up

·  Executive Summary: Sold Services Full Cost Recovery Analysis – Report to Cabinet – Jan 2012

• Sample Contracts/Specifications for the Provision of Services to Schools
• Academy Briefing: Education PDS Committee - June 2012
• The Future of Support Services to Schools – A Discussion Paper

Members and Co-opted Members have been provided with advance copies of the Background Information Briefing.  The Background Information Briefing is also available on the Council's Website at the following link: http://cds.bromley.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=559&Year=2012 

The Committee considered the scope of the review which would include evidence from a number of witnesses including Council Officers, representatives of a school in the Borough, a private provider of sold services and a neighbouring local authority offering sold services to schools.  The Education Portfolio Holder would also provide the perspective of the Council’s Executive.

In addition to the witness sessions, a Background Information Briefing had been circulated in advance of the meeting which had included information around the range, cost and staffing of Local Authority sold services to schools, as well as the take up of these services by Bromley schools.  An executive summary around the future of Local Authority support and sold services to schools considered by Cabinet in January 2012 had also been included, as had a discussion paper drafted by the Interim Assistant Director (Education) around the future of support services to schools.

RESOLVED that the scope of the review be noted.

Witness Session 1: Council Officers responsible for Education Sold Services

Bob Garnett, Interim Assistant Director, Education

Lesley Moore, Deputy Director of Finance

Laurence Downes, Strategic Commissioning Manager

Witness Session 2:  Representatives of Schools purchasing Sold Services

Mrs Janet Vick, HR Director, Bishop Justus Church of England School

Witness Session 3:  Representatives of Private Providers of Sold Services

Brian Oppenheim, Cambridge Education

Witness Session 4:  Representatives of another Local Authority offering Education Sold Services

Senior Officer from London Borough of Bexley (to be confirmed)

Witness Session 5:  Representatives of the Executive

Councillor Stephen Wells, Portfolio Holder for Education

The Committee heard evidence from a range of witnesses around the provision and use of sold services to schools. 

Witness Session 1: Council Officers responsible for Education Sold Services

The Interim Assistant Director (Education), Deputy Director of Finance and Strategic Commissioning Manager provided evidence around the work the Local Authority was undertaking to deliver a sold services offer to schools in the Borough.  The Chief Executive was also requested to provide evidence around the issues impacting sold services at a strategic level.

A Member queried what progress had been made since Cabinet had considered the Executive Summary around the future of Local Authority support and sold services to schools in January 2012.  The Strategic Commissioning Manager confirmed that all sold services to schools had been moved to operational trading accounts based on full cost recovery.  The majority of these services had now achieved full cost recovery through a process of lowering overheads, increasing sales and where appropriate, increasing charges for services.  Property: Reactive Services and Education Development Centre (Dedicated Schools Grant funded services) were not yet achieving full cost recovery, however a restructure had recently taken place at the Education Development Centre to reduce costs and work was continuing with these services.

The Chief Executive highlighted the importance of full cost recovery for sold services and underlined the need  to ensure that sold services provided to schools through the Revenue Support Grant were not being subsidised by Council funds.  Services funded by the Dedicated Schools Grant were also considered and Members noted that it was the role of the Schools’ Forum to decide how this grant should be allocated and whether any portion of it should be used to subsidise schools. 

In response to a question from a Member regarding marketing of sold services, it was confirmed that funding had been made available for marketing but that this had not yet been utilised.  Neighbouring boroughs had undertaken marketing of their sold services within the Borough, and Members noted the potential to target out-of-Borough schools as part of any future marketing strategy.  Members were concerned that no research had as yet been undertaken to identify the sold service needs of Bromley schools and assess what demand there would be for a range of services in the future.  There had also been no analysis undertaken around what was available in competition from the private market.

A Member highlighted the importance of ensuring that early intervention services continued to be prioritised to ensure that children and young people received support as an early stage.  It was also noted that there was also likely to be a significant increase in demand for services for children and young people with special educational needs which would further increase cost pressures in this area.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Interim Assistant Director (Education) confirmed that there were three main options in the future delivery of services to schools.  These included continuing to provide sold services in the existing manner, approaching commercial organisations to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

In considering the evidence that had been presented, the Chairman requested Members provide their comments on the future development of sold services in the Borough for inclusion in the report of the Select Committee to be drafted by the Chairman.

RESOLVED that Members provide their comments on the future development of sold services in the Borough for inclusion in the report of the Education Select Committee Hearing.