Agenda item

To receive a report by the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement, the Cabinet Members for Education and Health Reform, Specialist Children’s Services and Community Services as well as the Corporate Director for Education and Young People’s Services and the Corporate Director for Finance and Procurement, which sets out the proposed draft Budget 2016/17 and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2016/19 as it affects the Education and Young People’s Services Cabinet Committee.  The report includes extracts from the proposed final draft budget book and Medium Term Financial Plan relating to the remit of this committee.

1) Simon Pleace, Revenue Finance Manager, introduced the Budget 2016-17 and Medium Term Financial Plan 2016-19 report which focused on the budget for areas covered by the Education and Young People’s Services Cabinet Committee’s remit.

2) Mr Pleace confirmed that the Dedicated Schools Grant settlement for Kent County Council was received on 17 December 2015 and, as expected, it contained no increase for inflationary pressures.  He confirmed that the Local Authority is receiving increasing feedback from schools and early year’s providers that they are finding it more and more difficult to find year on year efficiency savings to offset these annual inflation pressures.  These difficulties are compounded if you are a school with low pupil numbers.

3) In regards to savings Mr Pleace explained that in total £7.5m worth of savings are proposed from the Directorate, with £600k coming from increased income.

4) Patrick Leeson, Corporate Director of Education and Young People’s Services, went on to explain that the Directorate would have to focus resources and effort on where it would have the greatest impact with the further £7.5m being cut from the Education and Young People’s Services budget. He expressed a view that more income needs to be generated around key areas by working in innovative and different ways. He also brought attention to the fact his Directorate had achieved considerable savings of £7.6m in the current financial year by integrating services across Early Help and Preventative Services.

5) Mr Cowan expressed a view that education being considered a protected service by Government was contradictory with them allowing Local Government cuts which impact on local education budgets.

6) RESOLVED that the Education and Young People’s Services Cabinet Committee noted the Budget 2016-17 and Medium Term Financial Plan 2016-19.