Proposed decision
To reduce the value of the core contract with The Education People in 2024/25 by £0.9m through changes to the service specification.
Reason for the decision
As part of KCC’s budget setting process discussions have taken place with TEP’s leadership to assess areas of efficiency. Proposals for £0.9m of savings in 2024-25 have been received.
It is expected that through further efficiency work with TEP, savings of £300k will be achieved in 2025/26. Any delivered saving in excess of the £900k in 2024/25 will help towards the £300k in 2025/26.
Options (other options considered but discarded)
The alternative to reducing the value of the TEP contract by £0.9m is to secure savings elsewhere in the Education Service budget. Delivery of the MTFP savings (£1.2m in 2024/25) requires action in addition to the proposals in this paper. The proposals represent a fair balance as to where savings are being made.
It is feasible to consider finding different savings from within the TEP contract to those included in the proposals. However, the proposals offer savings which best align with the Council’s statutory duties, from areas where activity levels have changed, areas where responsibility for funding these should rightly fall to other parties, and areas which are believed to add least value.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Expenditure or savings of more than £1m;
Decision status: For Determination
Division affected: (All Division);
Notice of proposed decision first published: 07/05/2024
Anticipated restriction: Part exempt - View reasons
Decision due: Not before 10th Jun 2024 by Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Reason: To allow 28 day notice period required under Exeuctive Decision regulations
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Lead director: Christine McInnes
Department: Education & Young People's Services
Contact: David Adams, Assistant Director Education (South Kent) Email: david.adams@kent.gov.uk Email: david.adams@kent.gov.uk Tel: 01233 898559.
Consultation process
The Children’s, Young People Cabinet Committee considered and endorsed the proposed decision on 16 May 2024, having received an update report on the possible proposals on 6 March 2024.
Consultees
The proposed decision will be considered by the Children’s, Young People and Education Committee on 16 May 2024.
The Committee was first informed of the proposal at the Children’s, Young People and Education Committee on 6 March 2024.
Financial implications: The savings in the TEP contract form part of the delivery solution to the overarching MTFP savings required of the Education Service of £1.2m and £0.3m in 2024-25 and 2025-26 respectively.
Legal implications: TEP is a wholly owned KCC trading company. The proposals above have been produced jointly by the company and Education Service, the contract commissioner, in line with contract requirements. There are no legal implications from a contractual perspective. The proposals will not impact negatively on the Council’s ability to deliver its statutory duties, or the standard to which it does so.
Equalities implications: Equalities implications: The equalities impact assessment indicates there will be potential impacts related to age and disability, but that these are minimal to negligible, and sufficiently off-set by mitigation. Data Protection implications: The proposed decision does not create any data protection implications. The proposed decision supports the key priority “Levelling up Kent” within the ‘Framing Kent’s Future (2022-26)’. It helps deliver our commitment to maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools and settings in Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all families. The proposed decision supports “Securing Kent’s Future – budget recovery strategy”. It contributes towards delivering the Service’s MTFP savings target, ensures value for money, and a sharp focusing of the available resources to delivering the Council’s statutory duties.