Agenda item
Joint report of Chief Officer for Children’s Services and County Treasurer (DEF/19/06) attached.
Minutes:
DISCUSSION:
The Forum considered the report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services and County Treasurer (DEF/19/06).
The Forum also noted the respective minutes of the Schools Finance Group (SFG) of 5 June 2019.
The Chief Officer for Children’s Services gave an overview of Children’s Services wider investment picture, including for example where Devon had retained youth services and children’s centres investment where some LAs had not. However significantly more challenges were expected during 2020/21 financial year and preparations for managed efficiency savings across the whole of Children’s Services were underway, before the Council’s November 2019 Cabinet meeting. A holistic look at better reintegration would assist investment targeting.
The report (DEF/19/06) covered:-
DSG and Schools Funding Outturn 2018/19
Allocation of Carry Forward from 2018/19 (previously approved in principle)
Growth Fund
Mutual Fund
Members also noted that balanced budgets were being achieved by schools by taking appropriate management action (paragraph 1.2);
It was also requested that a short brief be sent to schools on High Needs Block invest to save (paragraph 1.2).
(a) that the DSG Draft Outturn position (subject to Statement of Accounts sign off) as set out in Section 1 of report (DEF/19/06) be noted, subject to:-
(i) the Forum records its thanks that the County Council has met the £2.8m overspend DSG 2018/19 as part of the Outturn position;
(ii) £17,000 being used against the £173,000 Subscriptions and Trade Unions underspend (paragraph 1.3 of the report), to give a revised figure of £156,000 (due to increased costs in 2019/20 subscriptions);
(Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members)
(b) that the allocation of the carry forwards from 2018/19 as set out in Section 2.1 and Table 5 of report (DEF/19/06) be noted or approved:-
2.1, Table 5: Carry Forward from 2018/19
|
Budget Line |
Amount £’000 |
Notes |
Resolved |
|
Mainstream School balances |
13,872 |
Automatically carried forward in Individual School budgets |
2.2 noted |
|
Total School balances |
13,872 |
|
|
|
Maternity |
662 |
Balance to fund ongoing maternity cover |
2.3 noted |
|
Schools and DSG Contingency |
1,660 |
Balance to fund contingency agreements in 2019/20 onwards |
2.3 noted |
|
Phase Associations |
8 |
DASH balance to carry forward to 2019/20 |
2.3 noted |
|
Trade Unions and Subscriptions |
156* |
Costs lower than expected, Invest to save project for High Needs agreed by DEF |
2.3 noted |
|
Growth Fund |
(93) |
Deficit Balance – agreed to be carried forward by DEF |
2.3 noted |
|
Total De-delegated and Central Provisions budgets |
2,410 |
|
|
|
Special School Balances |
2,255 |
Automatically carried forward as Individual School budgets |
2.4 noted |
|
Hospital Education |
78 |
Automatically carried forward as Individual School budgets |
2.4 noted |
|
Mainstream SEN |
35
|
Digitalisation of EHCP records – purchase of new system delayed to 2019/20 £31k and £4k Post 16 Element 2 |
2.5 noted |
|
Other Special Schools |
(2,473) |
Deficit Balance – agreed to be carried forward by DEF |
2.6 noted |
|
Total High Needs |
(105) |
|
|
|
Early Years Other Early Years Grants |
206 |
PVI Pupil Premium and Teachers Pay Grant arrangements in 2019/20 |
2.7 approved |
|
Early Years |
85 |
Disability Access Fund |
2.8 approved |
|
Total Early Years |
291 |
|
|
|
Total Carry forward requested |
16,468 |
|
|
*Trade Unions and Subscriptions revised figure £156K (see minute (a) above)
(Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members)
(c) that the Growth Fund criteria changes as set out in section 3 and Appendix A of report (DEF/19/06) be approved, to be implemented from April 2019 with a revision made to exceptional growth funding if the ESFA deem necessary, ie paragraph 16 of Appendix A;
(Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members)
(d) that the year-end Mutual Fund position as set out in Section 4 of report (DEF/19/06) be noted.
ACTION:
County Treasurer (Adrian Fox) – brief to schools
Supporting documents:
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