Decision details

The Committee requested that the following comments be referred to the Public Accounts Select Committee:

·         CYP_SAV_01 – Review of Children Centres Budgets. The Committee was concerned about the associated risk of the move to the pilot hub model advocated by government only coming with funding committed for three years and the potential long-term impact of the cut on children and young people and their families. The Committee was concerned that the cut could reduce preventative support and result in more significant pressures on other budgets should peoples’ needs then escalate.

·         CYP_SAV_04 – Youth Services Budget Review. The Committee was concerned about the impact of the cut on levels of provision for children and young people in the borough and also for the staff providing these services.  The Committee was particularly concerned that the shift to focus Council support on more targeted provision, with a necessary reduction in support for universal provision, and the mitigations outlined in the proposal would make the recruitment of staff harder for providers. 

·         COM_SAV_08 – Reduction in Opening Hours at Lewisham Libraries. The Committee was concerned regarding any reduction in opening hours at Lewisham libraries considering the important role libraries played on a range of services and in particular in their part in the response to the cost of living crisis and the Council’s strategy on “Warm Welcomes”.