Agenda item

The Chairman of the Committee invited Officers to present this item. Officers informed the Committee that this was the second opportunity within the planning cycle for the Policy Overview Committee to consider issues relating to budget planning for 2010/11.  The budget report to Council for Council Tax setting for 2009/10 contained savings of £7.5 million rising to a cumulative total savings of £20.1 million required for 2010/11.  Cabinet had since provided a budget strategy to address this saving requirement by breaking down the overall target into thematic groupings consisting of specific saving targets.  Progress towards the achievement of these targets had been monitored monthly by CMT and reported to the Leader of the Council.  In addition, all Groups have been involved in a three stage budget planning and challenge process, and it is the output of this process that forms the basis of the budget proposals set out in this report.

There were a number of key issues to consider; there were a number of cost pressures for the group, particularly around recruitment issues within Children’s Services, where the cost of agency cover is a continuing issue. Officers were working with Corporate Human Resources to endeavour to address this issue.

The group is also working towards delivering the savings identified as part of the Service Review, with the focus on furthering the work on preventative services. However, it will be particularly challenging to find additional savings over and above these targets.

The funding of Asylum remains a significant issue. Officers were continuing to work with Home Office officials and ministers to seek additional funding to ensure that the full costs the Council incurs were reimbursed through the grant regime. Officers have amended a UKBA template to enable all Asylum costs to be clearly identified. This had been circulated to authorities by UKBA. The findings should help further our discussions on full funding and around specialist status

The savings included in the draft budget for Education and Children’s Services total £3.069 million and were included in.

The savings package for E&CS broadly reflects the continued delivery of the savings identified in the service review and actions to make the most effective use of grant funding towards the department’s budget.

Key achievements were detailed as below:

·        Improvements in GCSE results: The percentage of pupils achieving 5 A*-Cs (including Maths & English) increased from 45.9% in 2008 to 51.5% in 2009.

·        The percentage of pupils achieving 5 A*-Cs increased from 63.1% in 2008 to 68.5% in 2009.

·        Second Youth Mobile Bus launched

·        Summer FIESTA 2009 had been a great success, with around 4,000 places for young people on around 135 different courses, ranging from fashion to motor mechanics programmes, sailing to cooking competitions.

·        The full inspection in relation to safeguarding and looked after children took place in November and Hillingdon received a ‘Good’ rating i.e. ‘A service that exceeds minimum requirements’

·        Hillingdon received one green flag in the CAA for ‘Partnership working to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children’.

·        Social Work Practice Pilot launched.

To Note:

The Committee noted the Budget and Group Plan 2010/11.

Agreed:

The Committee agreed to send the following comments to 18 February 2010 Cabinet:

1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Overview Committee would like Cabinet to note that the Committee welcome the 0% increase of specific fees and charges in some schools in the Borough.

2. The Committee would like to highlight their concerns over the significant issue of the availability of additional funding of Asylum through the government's grant regime and hope that Cabinet note the Committee's concern.