Agenda item

This Council notes the 2016/17 outturn position of the Children and Families budget showing an overspend of £7.985m. Council further notes that after month 2 of the current financial year the same directorate has a projected overspend of £2.9m.

 

Council accepts that some of these pressures are demand led and believes that it is vital that children with care needs are looked after in the best way possible, and moreover that demand for these services is met.

 

However, Council is concerned at the impact that the last 4 years of budget overspends in Children and Families may be having on planning and service delivery in other council departments, and believes the time has come for greater scrutiny of this issue.

 

Council calls on the Director of Children and Families, in conjunction with the Director of Resources and Housing, to bring a report to Executive Board which sets out:

 

1. How the budget planning process can better distinguish between the demand-led and core elements of the Children and Families budget;

 

2. Why the Children and Families directorate’s projections around children looked after and fostering have repeatedly been out of sync with the actual figures, and what can be done to improve the accuracy of these projections in the future;

 

3.  What more the council can do to address the number of children looked after and other demand-led elements of the Children and Families budget, including an analysis of what options may exist for consolidation of services on a regional basis.

 

It was moved by Councillor Cohen, seconded by Councillor Robinson that this Council notes the 2016/17 outturn position of the Children and Families budget showing an overspend of £7.985m. Council further notes that after month 2 of the current financial year the same directorate has a projected overspend of £2.9m.

 

Council accepts that some of these pressures are demand led and believes that it is vital that children with care needs are looked after in the best way possible, and moreover that demand for these services is met.

 

However, Council is concerned at the impact that the last 4 years of budget overspends in Children and Families may be having on planning and service delivery in other council departments, and believes the time has come for greater scrutiny of this issue.

 

Council calls on the Director of Children and Families, in conjunction with the Director of Resources and Housing, to bring a report to Executive Board which sets out:

 

1. How the budget planning process can better distinguish between the demand-led and core elements of the Children and Families budget;

 

2. Why the Children and Families directorate’s projections around children looked after and fostering have repeatedly been out of sync with the actual figures, and what can be done to improve the accuracy of these projections in the future;

 

3.  What more the council can do to address the number of children looked after and other demand-led elements of the Children and Families budget, including an analysis of what options may exist for consolidation of services on a regional basis.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Mulherin, seconded by Councillor Pryor

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

 

“……notes with disappointment the damaging £239m reduction in Government funding since 2010 and the impact this has had on the Council and other public sector bodies such as schools, the NHS and Police who play a crucial role in safeguarding and caring for children in Leeds.

 

Council notes the effort made to protect the most vulnerable with Children’s Services and Adult Social Care spend now accounting for 66% of the Council’s budget. 

 

Council further notes the impact of child poverty in Leeds and across the country as a result of the continued Government austerity measures.

 

Council notes the rapid improvement within Children’s Services, moving from ‘Inadequate’ in 2009/10 under the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Administration, to ‘Good’ with “Outstanding” leadership under this Labour Administration – the only Core City in the country to receive a “Good” rating across the board.

 

Council notes this has been recognised by the Conservative Government in their decision to award Leeds Partner in Practice status as they seek for Leeds to use its expertise to help drive improvement in other local authorities.

 

Council notes that nationally, spending on children’s social care has outstripped budgets by close to £1bn over the past three years with up to 90% of Councils reporting an overspend.

 

Council notes regular reports on financial performance are presented to Executive Board.

 

Council joins with the Conservative Chair of the Local Government Association in calling for local authorities to be put back on a sustainable financial footing following their warning that by 2020 English local government will have lost 75% of the core central Government funding it had in 2015.”

 

Full motion would read:

 

“This Council notes with disappointment the damaging £239m reduction in Government funding since 2010 and the impact this has had on the Council and other public sector bodies such as schools, the NHS and Police who play a crucial role in safeguarding and caring for children in Leeds.

 

Council notes the effort made to protect the most vulnerable with Children’s Services and Adult Social Care spend now accounting for 66% of the Council’s budget. 

 

Council further notes the impact of child poverty in Leeds and across the country as a result of the continued Government austerity measures.

 

Council notes the rapid improvement within Children’s Services, moving from ‘Inadequate’ in 2009/10 under the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Administration, to ‘Good’ with “Outstanding” leadership under this Labour Administration – the only Core City in the country to receive a “Good” rating across the board.

 

Council notes this has been recognised by the Conservative Government in their decision to award Leeds Partner in Practice status as they seek for Leeds to use its expertise to help drive improvement in other local authorities.

 

Council notes that nationally, spending on children’s social care has outstripped budgets by close to £1bn over the past three years with up to 90% of Councils reporting an overspend.

 

Council notes regular reports on financial performance are presented to Executive Board.

 

Council joins with the Conservative Chair of the Local Government Association in calling for local authorities to be put back on a sustainable financial footing following their warning that by 2020 English local government will have lost 75% of the core central Government funding it had in 2015.”

 

The amendment in the name of Councillor Mulherin was declared carried and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council notes with disappointment the damaging £239m reduction in Government funding since 2010 and the impact this has had on the Council and other public sector bodies such as schools, the NHS and Police who play a crucial role in safeguarding and caring for children in Leeds.

 

Council notes the effort made to protect the most vulnerable with Children’s Services and Adult Social Care spend now accounting for 66% of the Council’s budget. 

 

Council further notes the impact of child poverty in Leeds and across the country as a result of the continued Government austerity measures.

 

Council notes the rapid improvement within Children’s Services, moving from ‘Inadequate’ in 2009/10 under the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Administration, to ‘Good’ with “Outstanding” leadership under this Labour Administration – the only Core City in the country to receive a “Good” rating across the board.

 

Council notes this has been recognised by the Conservative Government in their decision to award Leeds Partner in Practice status as they seek for Leeds to use its expertise to help drive improvement in other local authorities.

 

Council notes that nationally, spending on children’s social care has outstripped budgets by close to £1bn over the past three years with up to 90% of Councils reporting an overspend.

 

Council notes regular reports on financial performance are presented to Executive Board.

 

Council joins with the Conservative Chair of the Local Government Association in calling for local authorities to be put back on a sustainable financial footing following their warning that by 2020 English local government will have lost 75% of the core central Government funding it had in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the requisition of Councillor G Latty and B Anderson the voting on the amendment in the name of Councillor Mulherin was recorded as follows; 

 

YES – 58

 

Akhtar, Arif, Blake, Bruce, Charlwood, Congreve, Coulson, Coupar, Davey, Dawson, C Dobson, Dunn, Gabriel, Garthwaite, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Harper, Hayden, Heselwood, A Hussain, G Hussain, Hyde, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jarosz, Khan, J Lewis, R Lewis, Lyons, Lowe, Macniven, Maqsood, J McKenna, S McKenna, Mulherin, Nagle, Nash, Ogilvie, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Selby, Smart, E Taylor, Towler, Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Wakefield, Walshaw and Yeadon.

 

 

NO – 16

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Andrew Carter, Cohen, Collins, Harrand, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, J Procter, Robinson, Stephenson, Wadsworth, Wilkinson and Wood.

 

ABSTAIN – 17

 

J Bentley, S Bentley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Campbell, Chapman, Cleasby, M Dobson, Downes, Elliott, Finnigan, Golton, Lay, Leadley, Varley, Walker and Wilford