Agenda item

The Committee considered a joint report of the Corporate Director of Resources  and Corporate Director Children and Young People’s Services which provide details of the forecast outturn budget position for Children and Young Peoples Services  service grouping, highlighting major variances in comparison with the budget for the year, based on the position at the end of June 2020 (for copy see file of minutes).

The Finance Manager highlighted that costs were net of COVID-19 related costs/saving which would be dealt with corporately, outside of the service cash limit.  The figures included in the report were those that would impact on the cash limit at the year end.

Councillor Hall asked what happened with a schools deficit budget when converting to academies and the Finance Manager, Children and Young People’s Services explained that it depended on the reason for the conversion.  If the school had been subject to a DfE academizing order, i.e. a school that was not performing as well as it should, and a direction was made that it had to be undertaken under a multi academy trust, the deficit was statutorily written off and the council were forced to bear the cost.  However, for other schools, it was a council decision on what happened to the deficit.  With regards to Wolsingham and St Bede’s, there were longstanding issues and the multi-academy trusts were tasked with assisting them to operate within their regular annual budget.  It had been agreed that the council would pay for the deficit but then the school’s financial liability going forward would be the responsibility of the multi academy trust.

In response to a further question from Councillor Hall, the Finance Manager, Children and Young People’s Services advised that the Special Provision Capital Fund was made available for use, at councils discretion for special education and how it was administered was down to council with some input from schools.  He did not have the full details but the funding was being used to put additional services into SEND at a special school within the Durham.

Finally Councillor Hall was interested in the Government announcement in relation to funding for new build and he was aware that there had been some bidding for funding, but asked what the council could do to attract more funding.  The Finance Manager, Children and Young People’s Services advised that the council were still going through the bidding process for new build, replacement buildings for schools  and several schools had been prioritised to be looked at for investment but there had been no decision as yet.

Councillor Bainbridge had read that Windlestone School was joining with Elmore school and queried whether that would reduce the schools in deficit.  The Finance Manager, Children and Young People’s Services confirmed that if came to fruition there would potentially be one less school in a deficit position.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

<LAYOUT_SECTION>

1.FIELD_TITLE

FIELD_SUMMARY

</LAYOUT_SECTION>

<TITLE_ONLY_LAYOUT_SECTION>

2.FIELD_TITLE

</TITLE_ONLY_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<HEADING_LAYOUT_SECTION>

FIELD_TITLE

</HEADING_LAYOUT_SECTION>

<TITLED_COMMENT_LAYOUT_SECTION>

FIELD_TITLE