Agenda item - Strategic Risk Focus: SR15 Keeping Children safe from harm and abuse; SR17 School Places Planning; and SR24 Welfare Reform

Report of the Executive Lead Officer, Strategy Governance & Law

1)           That the Audit & Standards Committee notes the Strategic Risk Assessment Report at Appendix 1.

77.1      The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning provided a verbal update and answered Members questions for SR15: Keeping Children Safe from Harm and Abuse and SR17: School Places Planning.

77.2      Councillor Sykes asked for the Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning views on the recent reductions made as part of Budget Council and the likely impact upon management controls, strategies and the first line of defence.

77.3      The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning replied that financial resources were declining and that had led to a necessary review of structures to continue a high standard of provision. Furthermore, in his statutory role, he had the mechanism to formally raise the issue of resource with the Chief Executive if he felt that budget allocations meant that the council’s duty to keep children safe from harm was compromised which he had not done.

77.4      Councillor Taylor asked what was meant by the terms ‘two front doors’. In addition, Councillor Taylor noted that progress against the risk actions was currently 75% and asked if this would reach 100% to the deadline of 31 March 2017.

77.5      The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning clarified that ‘front doors’ was a summary of the entrance into support services. The first front door was the multi-agency safeguarding hub including the police, NHS and community staff. Cases were assessed and responded to on the basis of shared, secured information. The second front door was a reference to the Early Help Hub that would soon be joining up with the multi-agency safeguarding hub. The Risk Management Lead clarified that 75% of risk actions were complete as at the review date of 19 January 2017 and would have progressed since that point.

77.6      Diane Bushell noted that BHCC had historically higher levels of Children in Care (CiC) and on Child Protection Plans (CPP) than other authorities. Diane added that last time Pinaki had presented on this item he had stated that numbers in both these areas had declined. Diane asked if that decline had continued and furthermore, asked why children in poverty were no longer listed in the strategic risk document.

77.7      The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning answered that levels of CiC had increased and the reason for that was a rise in unaccompanied asylum seekers into the City, a bilateral agreement with Kent to become responsible for some of their unaccompanied asylum seekers (although they continued to be based in Kent) and a certain number given refuge in co-ordination with central government. The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning noted that Brighton & Hove was a city of sanctuary and decisions were made in accordance with that status. He added that excluding the above, the number of CiC would have declined. The level of children with CPP had continued to decline and was now below some surrounding authorities. In relation to Child Poverty being listed as a strategic risk indicator, the Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning clarified that it had been removed because it showed only a symptom and not the cause. Levels of child poverty were still collected and plans for continuing reduction were in place.

77.8      In relation to the potential new secondary school site, Councillor Sykes noted that there had been lengthy delays to the process of identification and securing a site and asked if alternative options were in place should negotiations fall through.

77.9      The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning stated that identifying a site for a secondary school was a more complicated process that for primary schools as a larger site was required and temporary expansion was not feasible. The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning added that due to changes in government legislation, local authorities were no longer permitted to open new schools and therefore the council were working with four partners on the development of a free school that in itself had complications. In relation to alternative options, the Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning stated that whilst the council had a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, there was no duty to provide places based on proximity and therefore, school capacity could be increased across the city.

77.10   Councillor Taylor stated that the council had recognised there would be bulge in population for some time and asked why solutions for pressures on school places had not been adequately anticipated.

77.11   The Executive Director, Families, Children & Learning responded that the council had firstly considered whether existing school structures could be expanded to accommodate for the increase in secondary school children and it was eventually found that the cost of doing such would be beyond the financial capability of the council. The issue of a new school was also complex as it was a decision made by the Department for Education (DfE) and not one the council could make. Furthermore, sufficient resource to invest in a new school had only recently become available and had not been at the time the initial assessment of options had been made.

77.12   The Revenues & Benefits Manager and Head of Revenue & Benefits provided a verbal update and answered Members questions for SR24: Welfare Reform.

77.13   Diane Bushell asked for details of the financial impact of the benefit cap upon the council and the predicted financial impact of universal credit.

77.14   The Revenues & Benefits Manager stated he was uncertain as to a precise figure as the changes also encompassed a housing benefit cap. Locally there had been a £1.3 million reduction in housing benefit payments and the discretionary housing payment fund provided by central government was £776,000 during the current financial year and would rise to £1.3 million in 2017/18. Officers were working actively and in a multitude of ways with the people and families affected to provide a package of support. In relation to universal credit, ground work for its implementation was being undertaken with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach. It was as yet too early to anticipate what the risk to the council was.

77.15   Councillor Sykes enquired as to the challenges to the service in decreases to the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme and Discretionary Support funds.

77.16   The Revenues & Benefits Manager answered that other sources of funding and new revenue streams were being pursued and officers were reviewing the programme on a year on year basis. The council worked closely with other agencies to ensure that the resources that were available, particularly in the third sector were used as effectively as they could be.

77.17   RESOLVED- That the Audit & Standards Committee notes the Strategic Risk Assessment Report at Appendix 1.