The Senior Democratic Services Officer – Scrutiny presented a report which requested the Committee to nominate one Member as its Corporate Parenting Champion to represent the Committee as an invitee to meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

She explained that the role of the Corporate Parenting Champion is to represent their Overview and Scrutiny Committee, partaking in discussions with Cabinet over items relating to children in care and care leavers. She added that in this role each Champion considers how all services within the remit of Scrutiny affect children in care and care leavers and encourage their own Committee to bear their Corporate Parenting role in mind when participating in Scrutiny. Champions can greatly support the Committee by advising them of the ongoing work of the Cabinet Committee and particularly any decisions or changes which they should be aware of as Corporate Parents

RESOLVED: That the Committee nominated Cllr David White as the corporate parenting champion to represent the Committee at meetings of the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting.

Invitees:

Councillor Huw David – Leader

Councillor Hywel Williams - Deputy Leader

Councillor Jane Gebbie – Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help

Councillor Dhanisha Patel - Cabinet Member for Future Generations and Wellbeing

Claire Marchant - Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing

Carys Lord - Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change

Mark Shephard - Chief Executive

Kelly Watson - Chief Officer Legal and Regulatory Services, HR & Corporate Policy

Jacqueline Davies - Head of Adult Social Care

Laura Kinsey - Head of Children's Social Care

Deborah Exton - Deputy Head of Finance

Christopher Morris - Finance Manager – Social Services & Wellbeing / Chief Executive’s Directorate

The Chief Officer – Finance Performance and Change presented a report which updated the Scrutiny Committee on the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-23 to 2025-26, which sets out the spending priorities of the Council, key investment objectives and budget areas targeted for necessary savings. The strategy includes a financial forecast for 2022-2026 and a detailed draft revenue budget for 2022-23.

She explained that on 24th February 2021, Council approved a net revenue budget of £298.956 million for 2021-22. As part of the Performance Management Framework, budget projections were reviewed regularly and reported to Cabinet on a quarterly basis.

The Chief Officer – Finance Performance and Change outlined the financial overview covering the last 10 years and the budget reductions that were required of the Council totalling £62 Million. The Table at 4.1.1 outlined the year-on-year reductions.

She explained that while the Council’s net revenue budget is planned at £319.510 million for 2022-23, its overall expenditure far exceeded this. Taking into account expenditure and services which were funded by specific grants or fees and charges, the Council’s gross budget was estimated to be around £480 million in 2022-23.

She stated that the Council gets the majority of its revenue funding from Welsh Government through the Revenue Support Grant and a share of Non Domestic Rates. This was then supplemented through council tax collection, other grants and fees and charges. Council tax was a charge that local authorities used to help to pay for their services.

The amount that council tax payers pay was made up of 3 elements:

• Bridgend County Borough Council charge

• Town or Community Council charge

• Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales charge

The Chief Officer – Finance Performance and Change explained that Council Tax funded almost 30% of the Councils total budget.

The Chief Officer – Finance Performance and Change stated that the Council had continued to support education, early intervention, social services and wellbeing services to ensure that we prioritise the vulnerable in our society. The MTFS reiterates that going forward. The Council looks at as many ways as possible to maximize the use of the resources that it has to be able to continue to protect these services.

She added that the Council would seek to raise additional income wherever possible, however there will be limited opportunities to do so given the challenges of Covid-19. The Council would continue to seek alternative ways of delivering services to provide sustainability and efficiencies. Savings for the coming year included reviewing and rationalising council supplies and services.

The Chief Officer – Finance Performance and Change explained that Social Services and Wellbeing was a significant part  of the budget requirements and for the coming financial year the Council proposed to spend £78 million on this area.  She also highlighted the Corporate Financial Overview of other areas for information. These were highlighted in detail at 4.1.1 of the report and covered some key areas listed below:

• general efficiencies
• property savings
• alternative delivery models
• Changes to Service Provision  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

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