Agenda item

To receive an overview of the staff changes, service impact and response to the budget reductions proposed under the Croydon Renewal Plan.    

The Interim Executive Director of Children Families and Education introduced the report which detailed the proposals and the projected savings implications of the proposals.

A Member asked what the principles were that lay behind the determination for reassessment of services. Officers said that in response to the report in the public interest, the financial pressure the Council was under which was not dis similar to other local authorities, they had looked at where the service was in context of Croydon as well as against other LA’s. The department had high spending in general and also as a result of the interventions that were put in place following the inadequate Ofsted rating in 2017. Spending was increased in order to drive improvement and standards which resulted in an outstanding Ofsted rating in 2020. In order to meet the requirements of a reduced budget, proposals had been put forward which has undergone rigorous risk assessments.

Members further challenged that the report stated that there was a requirement to reduce Council spending to a statutory minimum and sought clarification on what this meant for services. Officers assured the Sub-Committee that the proposals do not take services down to a statutory minimum and that they had been diligent in decision making on the details put forward. The proposals do however detail what steps would have to be taken if the Council received a minimum statutory offer.

The Cabinet Member for Children Families and Learning added that the proposals were put together ensuring that services were not only being delivered for young people but that a good service was maintained and their voices continued to be central to the work done. All measures were being taken to prepare for any eventuality.

It was asked what was being done to make certain that areas where children could fall through the gap would be spotted early through the process of changes that were occurring. Officers said that they were working diligently to identify the impact of risk in reduction of spend in all services by exploring the balance between investment, savings and what was being proposed.

In response to a Member question on what was being done to ensure that core skills were being retained as part of the reconfiguration process. Officers said that they were working diligently on maintaining development and growth in spite of reconfiguration of services.

Members’ expressed concerns on what the alternative plan would be in the event that the MHCLG did not approve the Capitalisation directive as this was a risk that had to be prepared for. Reassurance was sought that there was an alternative plan in consideration should the Council have to prepare for more extensive cuts. The Cabinet Member for Children Young People and Learning  said that there were no specific areas that had been divided into different plans based on the outcome of the Capitalisation Directive but extensive discussions had been and were taking place in case of all eventualities. The priority was to ensure that the services delivered to children were safe and of good quality regardless of the outcome from MHCLG. The Council was working closely with community organisations, schools and also listening to voices of young children to ensure that if services changed, their needs would continue to be met.

It was asked what advanced provision was being made in terms of the implications of budget reductions for Early Years and Family Support and the consequences this would have on schools and their resources. Officers acknowledged that difficult decisions had to be made in putting forward suggested savings and one of those savings was across the Children’s Centre’s budget which was not a statutory service, funding for which comes from the General Fund. The department was working closely with the centres to look at the current provision, and what could be delivered amidst cuts being made. Schools were being consulted as part of the proposals as the impact would affect them most. It was important that the Council worked with the voluntary sector to explore how best they could provide additional support as it was essential to be clear about the services offered by organisations external to the Council.

Members were clear that it was important that the Council not only recognised the vital role that the Voluntary Sector played in the community but understood the challenges and pressures face. Pressures which had been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and be clear on the level of support they could offer due to their own limited resources.

The Cabinet Member for Children Young People and Learning added that it was important to highlight that discussions in relation to the reconfiguration of children’s centres had been ongoing prior to the serving of S114 notice and the Council’s financial challenge. Work was being done closely with all parties to ensure that needs were being met in different sections of the Borough. There was a commitment to ensure that the Best Start service for 0-5 year olds remained an area of priority and ensuring that the Boroughs Early Years provision remained an area of focus.

In reaching its recommendations, The Sub-Committee came to the following Conclusions:

1. The intention to maintain services above the statutory minimum in spite of the need to significantly reduce costs across the Council, was welcomed.
2. The plan to retain expertise to enable expansion of the services offered as funds allow was welcomed, as was retaining a culture of continuous improvement.
3. Clarity was needed on the future role of the voluntary sector which has provided immense support to families during this time and was experiencing unprecedented challenges. If the intention is that the voluntary sector should replace some of the services cut due to the need to save costs, we need to be reassured that they are in a position to do so.

4.    In future reports, officers to ensure that there was detailed information on the UASC financial gap, how this was being managed and what the alternative plans in place were to support this group.

The Sub-Committee Recommended that:

1. Reduction in Early Help will impact schools. The Council needs to be clear on the level of support to be provided to school and consider how to ensure effective timely communication to schools about what support is available and how to access it in order to make suitable alternative arrangements.
2. There was a risk that the Council may not secure MHCLG approval for a capitalisation directive. Consideration be given by the Executive Leadership Team as to how this risk will be managed.