Agenda item

24.1     The Deputy Chief Finance Officer introduced the report, which incorporated the recent RPPR Cabinet report which provided an update on the policy context, the Medium Term Financial Plan and capital programme. The report presented a further opportunity for the Committee to ask questions on the planning context and to request any additional information required for the RPPR Board in December.

24.2     The Committee discussed and asked questions on the following areas:

•     RPPR process – The Committee welcomed the information provided as part of the RPPR process. Opportunities for Members from all political groups to contribute to the budget-setting process were queried. The Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability (ISEND) and the Lead Member for ASCH responded that there was a current transparent process which sought to engage all Members through scrutiny, Whole Council Forums, Cabinet and Council and that councillors could ask questions at any time.

•     Medium Term Financial Plan – The Committee raised concerns about the financial outlook and the impact this may have on the Council’s ability to provide services, including those which were seeing increased demand. The Lead Member for Education and ISEND acknowledged the challenges and noted the lobbying work underway, including on the need for longer term sustainable funding. The Committee also sought clarification on ESCC’s position compared with other authorities, noting the increasing need in the county and the lack of funding for preventive work. The Lead Member for Education and ISEND clarified that the report’s reference to ESCC’s more positive position related to the budget deficit and did not take into account wider factors. The Committee agreed that prioritising preventative approaches was difficult when previous service reductions had been required in response to financial constraints.

•     Lobbying – The Committee noted the problems with short term specific grants from Government, and the limits these placed on departments in addressing local priorities, and asked for further information about current lobbying work, including service-specific lobbying to Secretaries of State. The Lead Member for Education and ISEND highlighted his recent engagement with the Secretary of State for Education and local MPs, as well as wider lobbying work through the County Councils Network and South East7 partnership. The Directors of ASCH and Children’s Services also outlined the specific engagement by their departments at local, regional and national levels, including lobbying for an end to one off settlements and annual funding.

•     ASCH funding – The Committee raised concerns about ongoing costs and pressures on ASCH and noted the difficulty in implementing recent Government reforms to social care with short term funding commitments. In response to a query about how funding from Government allocated for 2024/25 would be used within ASCH, the Director of ASCH told the Committee that the majority of this funding would support fee uplifts for the independent sector, where most people received their care, to ensure a sustainable care market. The Director noted that last year this included a 10% uplift in fees in the independent sector to reflect the national living wage and inflation. Although inflation had since reduced, the living wage was increasing so a fee increase for next year would support the care home and home care providers in meeting this.

24.3     The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.