Issue - meetings

To consider the proposals within the budget consultation relating to the Committee’s responsibilities.

The Committee received a report on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2024/25 – 2027/28 and the revenue and capital proposals contained within the MTFS relating to the committee’s responsibilities. As part of the consultation process the committee was asked to provide comments and feedback to the Corporate Policy Committee on proposals related to the responsibilities of the committee.

The Committee made the following comments on the proposals:

Proposal CF1: Discretionary offer to children with disabilities

-       Concerns were raised in respect of making savings of £900k which may mean there would be some compromise on outcomes.

Officers advised members that although the practice was what they were used to delivering, given the current context they were scrutinising that practice to ensure that it was adding value.

Short breaks were also commissioned through a framework and officers could see that there were opportunities to deliver similar services and be more inclusive through already established services.

-       Concerns were raised in respect of the capacity of the team and pressures put on them in respect of this proposal and their ability to deliver it.

Officers offered reassurance to members that the intention was to monitor and review capacity to ensure quality services were provided and the advantage of being an integrated children services system meant that this would help with continuity and support any capacity challenges.

-       It was suggested that when considering short breaks and outcomes for children, consideration should be given to outcomes for parents.

-       Members found it difficult to compare what was being delivered currently when they did not have the detail on what was expected to be delivered after the saving was made.

-       It was queried to what extent had the service providers looked at means tested provision on the discretionary elements of what the council provides at present.

-       Concerns were raised in respect of the idea of increasing and promoting the use of family hubs as a solution but one of the proposals was to reduce the budget for the family hubs so it was queried what was the impact of those ideas in respect of deliverability.

Assurance was offered that through analysis of practice and behaviour which had assisted officers in suggesting the proposals, decision making considered need rather than want to support the most vulnerable.

Proposal CF2: Remove school catering subsidy

-       Concerns were raised that this could be the ‘beginning of the end’ of the school catering service within Cheshire East because by increasing costs schools would start to look elsewhere and there was competition within the private sector. Whilst the consultation had been in the public domain some schools may not be aware of the proposal and as they were also entering a challenging budget setting period the council’s proposals may have a knock on impact.  A request was made for communication and messaging to be clearer for schools and to share information on the options that were being looked at.

Officers reported that they had attended the primary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69