The Director of Children, Young People and Education introduced her report which set out a summary of the year-end revenue and capital position for the 2022/23 financial year for the Children, Families and Education Committee. The report provided Members with an overview of budget performance, including progress on the delivery of the 2022-23 saving programme and a summary of reserves to enable the Committee to take ownership of the budgets and provide robust challenge and scrutiny to Officers on the performance of those budgets.

Members queried an area that had been delayed around approved savings. The Director of Children, Young People and Education noted that the delay had been centred around the move to buy a property to create a unit for Children and Young People with learning difficulties and mental health difficulties. The owner of the property had unfortunately died during the process of purchasing it, which meant the property had to go through probate. This process had now been completed and the purchase was moving at pace towards completion,

Members sought further information on community wealth building and whether there were other example like Juno Community Interest Company (CIC). The Director of Children, Young People and Education noted that Juno CIC was the first of its model in the whole country and stated that it was groundbreaking.

In response to a query on the level of need for provision residential care for children and young people, the Director of Children, Young People and Education noted that Wirral has just under 70 children in residential care at any one time, as well as some in supported living arrangements. She noted that work was continuing to ensure that the right homes were available to meet the needs of those children that needed them.

Resolved – That:

1.  The year-end revenue position of £3.471m adverse variance reported for 2022/23 be noted;

2.  The progress on delivery of the 2022-23 savings programme be noted;

3.  The level of reserves at the end of 2022/23 be noted; and

4.  The capital position at the end of 2022/23 be noted.