Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Panel noted that there were no substitute members.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

Pursuant to the Member’s Code of Conduct, Councillor John Knapman declared a personal interest in Item 6 of the agenda – Discussions with ECC, by virtue of him being a member of the ECC Children and Young Person Scrutiny Committee.

To agree the minutes from the last meeting of this Panel, held on 25 January 2011.

The notes from the meeting held on 25 January 2011 were agreed as a correct record.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) To note the attached Terms of Reference. The Panel are asked to review the document at each meeting.

The Panel noted their Terms of Reference.

To engage in a discussion and a Q&A session with ECC Councillor Ray Gooding, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Schools, Children and Families and a West Children’s Commissioning and Delivery Board member and Wendi Ogle-Welbourn, Director for Commissioning, Schools, Children and Families.

The Chairman welcomed Essex County Councillor Ray Gooding, the Deputy Portfolio Holder for Schools, Children and Families and a West Children’s Commissioning and Delivery Board member; Wendi Ogle-Welbourn, ECC Director for Commissioning, Schools, Children and Families; and Lonica VanClay, ECC Locality Commissioner in West Essex.

Wendi Ogle-Welbourn tabled notes on what the Schools, Children and Families section did and their strategy for the delivery of services within a constrained budget. The Council knew that savings were on their way and they needed an analysis of spending and where cuts could be reasonably made. 

The Panel noted that:

• The County had a budget for 2011/12 of £228million and would have to make a saving of £46 million over the next three years;
• They were looking at back office functions and taking out duplications of actions, both outside and within the Council;
• They were improving the IT systems and access to information;
• They were re-negotiating on pricing with providers of residential and school places;
• There was about £30million spent on fostering and about £7million on school placement;
• They were presently going through a tendering process;
• Last year there were cuts in commissioned services related to Area Based Grants (sustainable travel, school travel advisors, school development projects, teenage pregnancy);
• There will be a restructure and re-provision of Children’s Residential Services;
• ECC will now look at each child’s needs and tailor services to fit;
• That child care was to be reduced by just over £8 million;
• The integrated youth services budget was to be cut by approximately 50% from £14million to about £7million;
• They will carry out a ‘Needs’ analysis and a ‘Value for Money’ analysis;
• £1.5million would be held back on NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training);
• There will be a review of Home to School transport provision to remove the discretionary elements (escorts to be provided on a needs basis). The review will be on needs, the transport provisions would not be just withdrawn;
• Cumulative total savings across 3 years would be just over £46 million;
• They hope to reduce the number of Children that needed to be looked after, particular those in residential care (noted that there are 1600 looked after children in Essex, other similar authorities have about 1300, if this could be reduced large savings could be made);
• However, of the 1600 looked after children only 120 were in care homes. It should be emphasised that most of the children were not in care homes.
• If the number of looked after children are reduced and savings made, ECC would reinvest 25% of that saving into childcare; and
• They were also looking to increase the number of foster carers for difficult to place children, instead of putting them in homes.

The meeting was then opened up for questions:

Q.        Child Protection issues, this is something faced by most Councillors, what should they do? I was told that there were no resources to deal with this and that cases like this should not be dealt with by local councillors but  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

No other business was introduced.