Issue - meetings

Purpose

To inform the Cabinet Member of the projected revenue expenditure within the portfolio cash limit and the capital programme for the current financial year 2020/21. This report sets out the budget position and contributing factors to the projected spend within the portfolio as at the end of December 2020.

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member:

Notes the Children, Families and Education Portfolio forecast revenue and capital budget positions, as at the end of December 2020, together with the variance and pressure explanations.

The report was introduced by Angela Mann, Finance Manager.

In response to a question regarding the effect on families due to the underspends, Angela advised that a big area of the underspend was Home to School transport due to schools being only partially open during the pandemic and the risks around infection which were making parents of SEND children very anxious. In relation to Looked After Children this was due to the additional grant income received during the year that was not budgeted for.

Alison Jeffery said that due to the Covid restrictions, some disabled young people could not receive some services that were part of their package such as the befriending service.  PCC worked with Enableability to stand up more services and put in place one to one activity sessions.  Those families were under particular pressure as a result of the pandemic and subsequent restrictions.  Sarah Daly added another effective measure put in place was the Outreach service to ensure the authority kept in touch with families.  Also the triangulation between the service and the schools. There was a very good support system in place to ensure the families needing the most support received this and this was still continuing. 

In response to a question regarding the Home to School Transport service, Mike Stoneman said that there were no concerns with any of the transport operators throughout the pandemic.  The operators that the authority contracts with would have had their own arrangements and no doubt would have furloughed some of their staff whilst schools were partialy closed.  In terms of the passenger assistants employed by the authority, it was confirmed that no-one was furloughed and the passenger assistants were deployed elsewhere. 

DECISIONS:

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education noted the Children, Families and Education portfolio forecast revenue and capital budget positions, as at the end of December 2020, together with the variance and pressure explanations.