Agenda, decisions and minutes

Resolved:

The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2013.

Resolved:

The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2013.

Councillor Feakes declared a personal interest as a member of Voluntary Services Lewisham, who have received a grant from Lewisham Council.

Resolved:

The Committee resolved to advise the Mayor and Cabinet of the following:

The Committee endorsed the recommendation by the Children and Young People Select Committee regarding proposal CYP12 (Attendance and Welfare Service). The Children and Young People Select Committee recognised the rationale for making the Attendance and Welfare Service a partially traded service but noted that not enough information was currently available about the proposals. Therefore the Children and Young People Select Committee should have the opportunity to scrutinise, in January, the full report on the savings proposal going to the Mayor and Cabinet on 18 December to review:

·         The response from schools to the consultation currently in progress; 

·         The plans to ensure that staff are fully consulted on proposals.

·         Whether there will be a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged children.

·         Whether there will be a disproportionate impact on schools that have high numbers of disadvantaged children.

The Committee also endorsed the recommendation by the Children and Young People Select Committee regarding proposal CYP13 (Youth Service). The Children and Young People Select Committee expressed concern that a reduction to the funding available for commissioned youth work during the first re-designed commissioning process would be confusing and unhelpful.  They noted that the fuller reshaping of the youth service has not yet been fully implemented and further reductions at this stage could represent a significant risk to the successful implementation of these changes.

The referrals made by all the Select Committees to the Public Accounts Select Committee will also be referred and the Committee asks that the Mayor and Cabinet takes note of the concerns raised and comments made by the Select Committees.

The Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, introduced the item and highlighted the following key points:

·         The report presents a broad picture of the financial challenges the Council faces over the next few years as well as a number of specific savings proposals for 2014/15.

·         There are fewer savings proposed for 2014/15 than in previous years, however the budget requirement for 2015/16 will be more challenging.

·         Previous savings have taken a more traditional approach by addressing specific services. The Strategic Financial Review will develop thematic and cross-cutting approaches to address the large savings needed.

·         The Mayor has not yet expressed a view on the savings to officers.

·         The details of the local government financial settlement have not yet been provided, but it is expected to be in line with the predictions.

Councillor Paul Maslin, Cabinet Member for Resources, then spoke to the Committee and highlighted the following key points:

·         £16m of savings have already been agreed for 2014/15 and the proposals here will release a further £6m savings.

·         There have been £82m of savings agreed since 2010, with a further £85m required over the next 4 years

In response to questions from the Committee, the Mayor advised that:

·         Officers have been asked to look at ways in which the savings required can be delivered while accounting for the existing priorities of the borough. The elections in May 2014 will provide an opportunity to refresh those priorities.

·         There should be recognition of the context of Lewisham and its local priorities, for example the third sector may not be a priority for other authorities but it is in Lewisham.

·         In Lewisham the community expects its services to engage with residents. Lewisham people do things for themselves in partnership with the Council and other public services, such as the development of Community Libraries. A priority will always be to protect the vulnerable in society.

·         Lewisham will work closely with neighbouring boroughs who largely share Lewisham’s values.

·         Large scale efficiencies and savings can be generated through shared procurement with other local authorities. However it is unknown how far it is possible to scale up procurement and contracts before economies of scale are lost. Part of the challenge will be to establish where the limits of economies of scale in procurement are.

·         Historically the Council has sought savings through efficiencies. However, simply creating efficiencies will not be enough to achieve the savings required and larger scale savings proposals will start to emerge in the summer.

·         The end of a 4 year administration is not the right time to make substantial savings commitments.

·         Across local government, organisations have been exploring and identifying potential ways to reduce expenditure. There has been a lot of information sharing and Councils are talking to each other about how to achieve the savings required.

·         One of the most important areas where savings can be made is the integration of health and social care and the work carried out here so far will now need to deliver savings.

·         The current situation is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Resolved:

The Committee agreed the work programme.

Resolved:

The Committee agreed the work programme.

Resolved:

The Committee agreed to refer the comments agreed under item 3 to Mayor and Cabinet.

Resolved:

The Committee agreed to refer the comments agreed under item 3 to Mayor and Cabinet.