Agenda item

ECF DRAFT BUDGET 2019/20

Minutes:

ECHS19016

 

The Sub-Committee considered the Portfolio Holder’s draft 2019/20 budget, incorporating future cost pressures and initial draft budget saving options reported to Executive on 16th January 2019.  There were still outstanding issues and areas of uncertainty remaining.  Any further updates would be included in the 2019/20 Council Tax report to the next meeting of the Executive.

 

The report detailed the key issues and risks for the Education, Care and Health Services Department  which in summary included (further the report to the Sub-Committee provide details of each issue):

 

Children’s Social Care

 

·  Increased referrals and workload

·  Recruitment of permanent staff

·  Keeping the caseload promise

·  Placements of children in care

·  Implementation of the social work act

·  Increase in the number of unaccompanied minors

 

Education

 

·  Increase in the number of students eligible for full funding from grant for Adult Education

·  Growing pressure on universals services such as Admissions and school attendance resulting from population growth

·  Pressure on funding on Alternative Education resulting from increased number of exclusions from secondary schools.

·  SEN/D Pressure

 

In opening the discussion the Chairman sought an update on the issues of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.  The Head of ECHS Finance reported that the Local Authority was about to meet the threshold of 53.  Once this threshold was met it was likely that a new threshold would be set and the Local Authority would be placed back on the rota.  This budgetary pressure had been reflected in the draft budget and an amount set aside.  Members noted that the funding received from central government was generally not enough to cover the costs to the Local Authority.

 

Members noted that in recent years growth of around £2-3m had been put into the budget for children’s social care placements, this included funding for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.

 

Members noted that, in relation to placing fewer children with Education, Care and Health plans (ECHPs) in mainstream education, the trust of the Bromley vision was to place children in local mainstream provision.  There were some considerations such as parental preference and whether the right provision was available locally, but generally the aim would be to, where possible, place children locally.  In terms of parental engagement; Members noted that there was a statutory responsibility to have parental advice services funded by the Local Authority.  The Council also funded Parent Voice.  The Executive Director conceded that in the recent past there may have been a tendency to have early discussions about “the school” rather than reflecting and defining the child’s needs.  It could be argued that this may have mislead some parents and allowed them to believe there were more options.  The SEND Governance Board was now reviewing the approach taken and the changes that were required were being worked through.

 

In relation to SEND Tribunals, a Member stressed the importance of ensuring that only the worst cases reached tribunal and that where appropriate negotiations with parents continued up to the last available minute.

 

The Sub-Committee noted that the outcome of the bid for the SEN Free School in the Borough would not be known until the Spring.

 

In response to a question, the Head of ECHS Finance reported that the new Transformation Board established by the Interim Chief Executive was undertaken a fundamental review of departments and services across the Council; looking at how and why services were provided.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

1.  The update on the financial forecast for 2019/20 to 2022/23 be noted; and

 

2.  The initial draft 2019/20 budget be noted as the basis for setting the 2019/20 budget.

Supporting documents: