The Finance Manager presented a report on behalf of the Director of Finance which set out the financial monitoring information for the Children, Young People and Education Committee as at Quarter 3 (1 Apr – 31 Dec) of 2023/24. The report provided Members with an overview of budget performance, including progress on the delivery of the 2023/24 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.

The report noted that at the end of Quarter 3, there was a forecast adverse position of £0.364m on the Committees net revenue budget of £88.344m. This position was based on activity to date, projected trends in income and expenditure and potential mitigation to offset areas of adverse/favourable variance.

Members queried whether the figures for looked after children included unaccompanied asylum seekers and asked how many of those were in care in Wirral. Officers noted that they did and that the total number unaccompanied asylum seekers looked after was 17 out of 764 children looked after in total but noted that this figure changed frequently.

Members queried whether the restructuring of services would be noticed by parents in terms of capacity. Officers noted that while services were being re-modelled to be more efficient, targets had been met the previous year and more were to be met this year, they noted that a further report on the remodelling of services would come to the committee in future.

Members raised the spending on the IT system used for Children’s services and whether a bespoke system had been bought in. Officers noted that the system, called Liquid Logic, was already in use for social care and effectively was being expanded to cover the school system as well to help centralise information.

Members queried the senior management restructure costs and were informed that they were related to the creation of a Joint Health Commissioning post.

Resolved - That:

1.  The forecast revenue position presented at Quarter 3 be noted.

2.  The progress on delivery of the 2023-24 savings programme at Quarter 3 be noted.

3.  The forecast level of reserves and balances at Quarter 3 be noted.

4.  The forecast capital position presented at Quarter 3 be noted.