Agenda item

The report (which is to be considered by each of the Scrutiny Committees on 10 January 2013) forms part of a series relating to the Service and Resource Planning process for 2013/14 to 2016/17.

Each Committee will meet in turn to consider the Business Strategies and savings proposed for their service areas. Comments from each Committee will then be considered by Strategy & Partnerships Scrutiny Committee on 17 January 2013 prior to being fed back to Cabinet in order that they can take the comments into consideration in proposing their budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) at the end of January 2013. Council will meet to agree the budget and MTFP on 19 February 2013.

The following annexes are attached:

The Director together with the Cabinet Member for the relevant Directorate will be available to respond to questions.

Cllr Waine began by referring to minutes from last year's Service and Resource Planning meeting. He noted that all of the proposed actions have been undertaken by the committee.

Cllr Tilley gave an overview of the budget process.

The committee then received a presentation from Lorna Baxter, Head of Corporate Finance, outlining the proposed budget changes.

Jim Leivers, Director for Children, Education and Families with Frances Craven, Deputy Director for Education and Early Intervention, and John Dixon, Deputy Director for Children's Social Care and the Youth Offending Service, gave a presentation.

The committee were invited to ask questions throughout the presentation as appropriate. They had discussions around each of the pressures and proposed savings.

From this discussion the committee decided that:

·        The committee will monitor the progress towards the introduction of the extra social workers as part of its on-going programme of work for 2013/14.

·        The committee would play an active role in the upcoming review of Children's Centres, given the shaping of the membership, principles and terms of reference of the member-led group.

·        The reduction in the School Improvement Service and its re-shaping in response to more schools becoming academies will be considered as a future item for the work programme.

·        Budget changes relating to national policy would be continually monitored, especially with regard to the Southwark Judgement and All Rights Exhausted.

·        The capital discussion will take place as part of the next full committee meeting scheduled for 28th February.

Overall, the committee accepted the proposals.

The meeting concluded at 12.30pm.