The Senior Manager Corporate Finance presented a report that set out financial monitoring information for Children and Families as at the close of Quarter 3 of the 2018/19 financial year.  The report provided Members with the detail to scrutinise budget performance for this area of activity, the financial information provided including –

•  performance against the Revenue Budget (including savings, income and debt); and

•  performance against the Capital Budget.

In presenting the report, the Senior Manager Corporate Finance presented details on the 2018/19 revenue budget, reported on changes to the agreed Children and Families budget, advised on the 2018/19 forecast outturn and reported on the 2018/19 capital programme.

Further to queries concerning funding of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, as shown at paragraph 3.2 to the submitted report, it was confirmed that funding was available to address the identified needs of pupils, and that the first phase of the Premier Advisory Group independent review of SEN provision was due to report shortly.

The Chair noted that an earlier budget exercise had set out to deliver high quality early help that would then drive down demand on statutory services.  However, the figures as presented indicated an underspend on early help that appeared to be supporting an overspend on statutory services.  The Corporate Director advised the underspend reflected a part year cost of a new service and was not a deliberate underspend.  The Committee was advised that full year spend on the early help service would cause a further budget pressure in the following year.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.