Agenda and minutes
Venue: Committee Room 4, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD. View directions
Contact: Toby Howes - Senior Democratic Services Officer 020 8937 1307 Email: toby.howes@brent.gov.uk
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Declarations of personal and prejudicial interests Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda. Minutes: None declared. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 109 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11 January 2011 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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Matters arising (if any) Minutes: None. |
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Children and Families Presentation on the Children and Families Department’s budget to be followed by discussion of the issues. Minutes: Krutika Pau, Director of Children and Families, spoke of the unprecedented challenges of reduced finances and demand for services in opening her presentation. She explained the approach being taken to realise £16m in annual savings by 2014/15, with an interim savings target of £10.5m in 2011/12. Krutika Pau described the move being made from the current operating model for the department through to interim arrangements and the future model. She referred to the list of savings identified for 2011/12 which comprised increasing charges to schools, restructuring the children's centres, transforming and restructuring social care including the fostering and adoption service and children in residential homes, restructuring some special education needs provision, increasing charges for the school improvement service, restructuring and reducing the youth service and making savings in Connexions and various other activities for which grants had been cut or where ring fencing of grants had been removed.
In answer to a question about the viability of the social care transformation, Krutika Pau explained that the programme had now been running for over one year. One aim of the project was to recruit more in house foster carers and this was on track. On another front work was being done with the West London Alliance to look at ways of purchasing placements collectively and thereby achieve economies of scale. This work was part of the One Council programme. In recognition that recent performance on placements had not met targets, changes in the structure of the department had been implemented. In response to concerns expressed over whether the outcome of the rationalisation of the safeguarding activities would leave a service fit for purpose, Krutika Pau stated that the intention was to share the staff in the children's centres across the five localities and to focus on areas of greatest need. The priority was to have sufficient staff to deliver the social care needed and the intention was to look at ways of better procuring the service rather than cutting the staff. This would include special education needs placements and providing places for looked after children and would build on the successful adult social care procurement. Krutika Pau expressed confidence in making progress in this year but pointed out that this was a longer term project.
In answer to a question, Mustafa Salih (Assistant Director, Finance and Performance) replied that the savings from Connexions were out of a budget of £2.23m and the budget for the youth service was £2.22M. It was explained that the savings on the youth service were in terms of the delivery of the service and not at this stage on the disposal of premises. Discussions were taking place on what the options might be to deliver future services. This included how young people might be signposted towards using other facilities but it was acknowledged that there would ultimately be a lower level of provision. Councillor Arnold (Lead Member for Children and Families) explained more fully the effect of the proposals for the youth service and on the ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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The draft 2011/12 budget A presentation on the administration’s budget proposals.
The Budget and Finance O & S Committee will discuss and make recommendations on the draft budget in the 2011/12 budget and council tax report, tracking any proposals made during the first reading debate. Councillor Butt, Lead Member for Corporate Resources and Deputy Leader of the Council, will present the draft budget and answer questions from members. While the committee will lead the discussion, this meeting is intended to give all non-Executive members the opportunity to participate in the budget scrutiny process and raise any questions or comments they may have on the draft budget. Members may wish to take particular note of the following sections within the budget report: · executive summary · comprehensive spending review · the budget-making process · 2011/12 revenue budget requirement · the future and medium-term forecast · the capital programme 2011/12 to 2013/14
Copies of the draft budget report will be circulated to the Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee members prior to the meeting. Minutes: Councillor Butt (Lead Member for Corporate Resources) presented to the committee the draft budget for 2011/12. He outlined the budget process and the timetable. He outlined the key financial events for local government that took place in 2010. In March there was the last budget of the previous Labour government, in June the new coalition government produced an emergency budget and in October published the comprehensive spending review. Finally in December the local government settlement was announced which then allowed the council to produce a budget. In facing the challenging times ahead, Councillor Butt stated that the administration's priorities were to protect the most vulnerable and to meet its statutory responsibilities.
Councillor Butt referred to the probable outturn for 2010/11 which in October 2010 had been forecast as an overspend of £7.1m but which, thanks to a lot of hard work by member and officers, had now been reduced to around £300,000 and it was still hoped this figure could be reduced. Councillor Butt went on to outline the economic prospects and the overall impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review and Local Government Settlement. It was only a two year settlement and he referred to the calculation of 'revenue spending power' which he felt was disingenuous. The level of savings required in the first year meant it was inevitable that it would have an impact on the delivery of services. Councillor Butt outlined the 2011/12 general fund revenue budget proposals including the objectives designed to support delivery of the Borough Plan and what members would need to take into account when considering the budget. On the Council Tax, Councillor Butt reported that no increase was proposed. He then went on to set out the medium term financial plan covering 2011/12 to 2014/15. Finally, Councillor Butt set out the 2011/12 to 2014/15 capital budget proposals and housing revenue account which would result in most tenants paying £5-6 more in weekly rent. The budget proposals had been out to public consultation and had been the subject of debate at Full Council. It had also been agreed that departmental overspends reaching a certain threshold would be brought to the attention of the Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee for scrutiny.
Councillor Butt was asked about the proceeds from disposing of various assets. He was also asked how the staff made redundant would affect the ratio of managers to staff and whether the severance arrangements for staff were at the market level. Councillor Butt replied that a disposals schedule could be found at page 189 of the budget report. The average ratio of staff to managers had been 1:3 and it was now moving in the direction of 1:6. The severance package offered by Brent was above the statutory minimum but was not the most generous on offer by any means. On a point of explanation, Clive Heaphy (Director of Finance and Corporate Services), explained that the original savings target of £37m had been increased to £40m largely due to having to put ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Discussion on the Committee's second interim report PDF 177 KB Members will have the opportunity to finalise their discussions on the content and format of the Committee’s second interim report before it is submitted to the meeting of the Executive on Tuesday 15 February 2011. A copy of the Panel’s first interim report it attached for information. Minutes: Members were advised that they had the opportunity to finalise the Committee's second interim report before its submission to the Executive.
It was agreed that the level of departmental overspend which would trigger an appearance before the committee by the appropriate director should be set at 5%. It was also agreed that the appropriate Lead Member should also attend.
Councillor HB Patel suggested that the level of balances should be retained at the current year's level of £7.5m but the committee did not support this.
Councillor Mashari proposed that before any public facility was closed by the council, officers should be instructed to consider options for how the service might be maintained by either the voluntary of private sector. The committee was advised that such decisions would be a matter for the Executive and in many cases this already happened. It was for the Executive to take decisions on service delivery and for overview and scrutiny to hold those decisions to account. |
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Any Other Urgent Business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services Manager or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 64. Minutes: None. |
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Date of Next Meeting The date of the next meeting of the Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be agreed at the meeting of Full Council in May 2011. Minutes: It was noted that the next meeting of the Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be agreed at the annual meeting of Council in May 2011. |