Issue - meetings

To respond to budget consultation for Children and Families Services. (Appendix 2 to follow).

The committee received the report which aimed to capture the committee members’ responses to consultation on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2022 to 2026. Comments were put forward on the following proposals:

Investment in Cared for Children and Care Leavers:

·         This investment was welcomed and noted to be a good news story.

Increase capacity to support Statutory SEND service:

·         Councillor Flavell acknowledged the deficit in SEND but welcomed the increase of capacity.

Revenue costs for Crewe Youth Zone:

·         Councillor Flavell highlighted the positive impact for Crewe and that, if successful, this is something which could be rolled out wider in the long term.

·         Councillor Saunders expressed a concern about the perceived inequality of access for young people depending on their geographical location due to a lack of public transport in some areas, particularly Macclesfield.

·         Councillor Saunders expressed a further concern about the youth zone model not always being successful and the committee not having seen the business plan yet.

·         Councillor Saunders raised a concern about taking £400,000 out of Early Help to fund this service and expressed the view that this was counter intuitive as it would have a negative impact on families elsewhere.

Safeguarding Children – legacy staffing pressure:

·         The committee noted this proposal.

Growth in Children & Families Commissioning Contracts

·         The committee noted this proposal.

Increase capacity to support Statutory Education Psychology Service:

·         Councillor Hayes advised he was broadly in support of this in order to meet statutory requirements, although had concerns about what would happen at the end of financial year 2024 to sustain the increase in provision. A request was made for detail on what would happen from 2024 onwards.

A redesign of Early Help Services into a Locality model:

·         Councillor Saunders raised a concern about the reference to change to items 10, 11, 50, 72 in 2021/22 budget (page 141) and requested that it is noted that what is being proposed to be taken out next year is greater than what was originally proposed. It was agreed that a written response would be provided for clarity on this.

·         Councillor Hayes noted from other reports received today that more extreme and complex cases were coming through Early Help services resulting in additional pressure. Councillor Hayes expressed a concern that there could  be a double risk of some children being missed by the system due to not having capacity and thresholds being reduced meaning less impact from Early Help.

·         A question was raised as to whether there is there likely to be a reduction of frontline staff proposed through this saving and what that would look like for communities. The committee were advised that the proposals were not for a reduction in frontline capacity but that a written response would be provided with more detail.

·         A further question was raised regarding the total of earmarked reserves and it was agreed that Jo Wilcox would circulate a full list to the committee.

Restructure Early Help Budget for Crewe Youth Zone:

·         It was requested that comments detailed above regarding concerns about  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50