Agenda item
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 discussions taking place on its future.
The committee thanked Krutika Pau and Mustafa Salih for their attendance.