Literacy news
Children’s services leaders left to decide ‘savage’ cuts
1 Jul 2010
The Government has announced details of the in-year budget reductions in local authorities. Funding provided to local authorities by the Government has been cut by £1.166 billion. This total includes a £311m reduction in the Area-Based Grant from the Department for Education (DfE). The overall area-based grant funds school support, Connexions services and teenage pregnancy work among others.
Whilst this is a significant reduction, the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) statement says that “No individual local authority will face a reduction in their revenue grant of more than 2 per cent” and it is for local authorities to decide how best meet these savings taking into account all of their income streams, not just from the area-based budgets.
As stated in Children and Young People Now, Birmingham, one of the larger authorities, is facing a £7.5m cut from DfE area-based grant, while Essex Council is losing more than £6m. Smaller authority Westminster Council in London is facing a £1.5m cut.
Councillor Pail Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour group in Westminster, said his authority could not afford to lose £1.5m without damaging frontline services.
"The (government) said these initial cuts would be about reducing waste.” “But now we find out they have targeted children for the most savage cuts.”
Kim Bromley-Derry, former president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ACDS), said removing ringfences on the grants would free up resources for local authorities. But warned that directors of children’s services would have to examine benefit and cost.
The Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children’s Services (C4EO) and ADCS are in the process of creating a tool to assist councils in calculation the cost effectiveness of service interventions.
The Government recognises that it will be challenging for local authorities to make in-year savings, as it is for other parts of the public sector. But Ministers are clear that delaying the cuts now will simply compound the impact on authorities for the future.
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