Agenda item

Report ED13140

The Sub-Committee considered a report setting out the budget monitoring position for the Education Portfolio based on expenditure to the end of November 2013.  The Schools’ Budget, funded from the Dedicated Schools’ Grant and specific grants was forecast to be in an underspend position of £2,087,000, which would be carried forward into the next financial year.  The controllable part of the Non-Schools’ budget, funded from Council Tax, Revenue Support and specific grants, was forecast to be in an overspend position of £35,000.

In considering the budget monitoring position for the Education Portfolio, the Chairman highlighted the overspend of £146k currently projected for the Behaviour Support (Secondary) Sold Service and confirmed that this was due to low take up of the service during 2013/14.  Another Member noted the overspend of £155k currently projected for Bromley Adult Education College and queried if Jobcentre Plus would fund the courses being run to support people back into employment.  The Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance confirmed that funding for these courses was included as part of the Skills Funding Agency grant for 2013/14 and that no additional funding would be provided. 

A Member underlined that the Education Psychology Service was projected to overspend by £90k on its trading account due to a shortfall of anticipated income and a higher than budget level of staff time allocated to it.  This would be partly offset by a £40k underspend on the statutory element of the service and staff turnover, but the service was unlikely to break even for the 2013/14 financial year.  The Education Psychology service formed part of the market testing exercise being undertaken on a range of Education services, as did the Adult Education Service, and consideration was being given to how the quality of Education services could be best maintained and monitored into the future, whether delivered in-house or by an alternate provider.

A Member noted the list of waivers to financial regulations which had been approved, allowing certain contracts with a value exceeding £50k to be exempted from the normal requirement to obtain competitive quotations.  The Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance confirmed that these waivers had been requested for a range of reasons including enabling immediate action to be taken on specific projects such as urgent capital works.  Use of these exemptions were reported to Audit Sub-Committee on a bi-annual basis for Members’ consideration.

The Portfolio Holder for Education was pleased to report the significant savings currently being realised in Special Educational Needs (SEN) expenditure.  This had been achieved through a wide range of measures including robust officer action, increased local provision at Bromley Specialist Schools, strong representation at tribunals and increased accessibility of short breaks within the Borough.  As more schools converted to academy status, grant funding would continue to decrease and it was important to ensure that grants continued to be utilised in a flexible manner where appropriate.  A Member noted the potential to introduce personal budgets for children and young people with special educational needs.  The Interim Assistant Director: Education confirmed that the Bromley and Bexley SEND Pathfinder project included the piloting of personal budgets for children and young people with special educational needs as part of the new Education, Health and Care Plan.  Approximately 70 Education, Health and Care Plans were currently in place and a Working Group was considering how the personal budget element of these plans might work.

RESOLVED that:

1)  The latest 2013/14 budget projection for the Education Portfolio be noted; and,

2)  The Education Portfolio Budget Monitoring Report 2013/14 be recommended to the Portfolio Holder for Education for approval.