Agenda item

Following consideration of this budget statement at the Special Meeting on 3 February 2011, the Board is asked to re-consider the Safer and Stronger Communities Divisional Budget Statement, which includes additional information as requested by the Board, and make its comments to Cabinet.

Following consideration of the budget statement at the Special Meeting on 3 February 2011, the Board was asked to re-consider the Safer and Stronger Communities Divisional Budget Statement, which included additional information as requested by the Board.

The Head of the Youth Offending Service explained that the budget papers had been amended to reflect further information that was requested by the Board, but that further information was still awaited from Central Government.  He noted that this could still alter the budget projections as the Youth Offending Service (YOS) and the Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) received 80% and 97% of their budgets respectively from Central Government.

Members heard that since the last meeting, the overall level of reduction was not as high as initially anticipated.  In respect of the DAAT, the reduction in Government grant would be 5%, but that it was still proposed to reconfigure a maximum of three posts.  The YOS were to receive a 12.5% reduction in funding, and that within this area, 10 posts were placed as at risk, which equated to 10% of the services’ workforce.

In terms of the Community Safety Team, the Head of the Youth Offending Service stated that an additional resource of £75,000 had been redirected to the service.  As a result, only two posts within this area would now need to be reconfigured.

In respect of commissioning arrangements for the DAAT, it was explained that a tendering process was to commence with a view of implementing new contracts in July.  The Head of the Youth Offending Service reported that this exercise had been difficult in view of not receiving all of the necessary budgetary information from Central Government.  In relation to the YOS, the Board heard that a number of services were likely to be decommissioned and it was confirmed that several were currently at risk.

Officers were thanked for supplying clearer information in relation to the extent of the budget reductions within the Safer and Stronger Communities Division.  Despite the outlook being better than originally anticipated, members were generally of the view that the reductions proposed were likely to significantly affect many service users.  In particular, concerns were expressed in relation to the extent of the reductions within the YOS, and the consequential affect on many of the most vulnerable young people in Leicester.  The Head of the Youth Offending Service stated that he shared the concerns of Members and reported that all of the services within the division were the subject of discussions in relation to early intervention grants, and that the outcome of these discussions would help to signify future service delivery.

Councillor Naylor, Cabinet Lead Member for Health and Community Safety, was in attendance and acknowledged that the reductions were difficult to propose, but felt that the budget would still enable services to move forward.  He was particularly thankful for the additional resources placed within Community Safety, and felt that this would help to bridge the gap in service provision. 

RESOLVED:

That, in considering the draft budget plans for the Safer and Stronger Communities Division, Cabinet be requested to take account of the comments recorded above.