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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Civic Centre. View directions

Contact: Daniel Cooke  Scrutiny Adviser

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None

2.

Minutes of the Meeting held on the 26 November 2018 pdf icon PDF 90 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 26/11/2018 were approved as a true and accurate record

3.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 4 December 2018 pdf icon PDF 92 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 04/12/2018 were approved as a true and accurate record

4.

2019/20 Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Attendee:

-           Sarah Morgan – Chief Education Officer

-           Meirion Rushworth – Head of Finance

 

The Chief Education Officer presented a brief overview of the report to the Committee and highlighted the key areas for consideration. The saving proposal within Education was the only saving to be presented to the Committee from the People Directorate. When the Council looked for savings it had to take into account the statutory education obligations and grant funded roles, which limited the potential areas for savings. The Officer confirmed that the workforce in Admissions had already been cut, the Special Educational Needs (SEN) provisions were overburdened, and many roles, including Gwent Ethnic Minority Service (GEMS) and Gwent Music, were grant funded.   The Authority had seen a growth in pupil numbers, which had been accommodated with a £3.1 Million increase in budget.

 

·                Members of the Committee asked the Chief Education Officer if the reduction in the budget could have been made in any other areas within the Education Department, the Officer was also asked where future reductions would be made and what would happen in the next few years to come.  The Officer replied to Members explaining that the Heads of Service in the Organisation had an incredibly hard job to make savings year on year. This leads to entire departments being scrutinised for which areas potentially could change for savings to be made. The Officer continued by informing the Committee that she could not discuss which other areas of Education were looked at or which areas of Education could face cuts next year.

 

·                Members enquired if any correspondence had been received from Schools, or meetings taken place, to gain information on what others thought of the proposed saving. The Officer confirmed that the public consultation was ongoing. Trade Union representatives had communicated their concerns, and the Employee Partnership forum and Head Teacher forum was meeting before the consultation closed. Officers explained that Head Teachers had been addressed at a meeting regarding the budget proposal, but they could not suggest any alternative cost savings.

 

·                A Member expressed concerns regarding the proposal to cut Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) and an Education Psychologist post.  Members commented that by reducing the EWO role, it would likely have a knock on effect on attendance results, which Estyn would criticise. Members felt that a reorganisation would be required to ensure support could be provided to all schools in Newport. The Officer replied to the Members explaining that the less visual back office staff often receive less empathy, it was explained that there were only three back office staff to support the whole of Newport. The Officer continued by stating that it was important to keep front line staff but equally important to keep back room staff for a functioning service, the decision was the best of the worst option.

 

·                Members commented that the proposed saving was two hundred and fifty thousand pounds and asked could the Officers confirm what figure would be saved in 2019/2020.  The Officers confirmed that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Scrutiny Adviser Reports pdf icon PDF 90 KB

A)   Forward Work Programme

 

B) Action’s from the 26 November 2018 and the 4 December 2018 Meetings

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Attendees:

·                    Daniel Cooke (Scrutiny Adviser)

 

a)  Forward Work Programme Update

 

The Scrutiny Adviser presented the Forward Work Programme, and informed the Committee of the topics due to be discussed at the next two committee meetings:

 

19 February 2019;

·               ALN Framework and Act – Briefing

 

9 April 2019;

·               Transition from Children to Adults Social Services

 

 

 

b)  Action Arising

 

The Scrutiny Adviser presented the Action Sheet and advised the Committee that as indicated in the table, the actions from the last meeting had been drawn to the attention of the relevant Officers, and the Scrutiny Team were waiting for their response, before disseminating the information to the team