Services for young may not avoid axe
When looking at ways to save money from their budget, the leaders of Northamptonshire Council may find it a hard task when it comes to finding savings in the children and young people's department.
The 100 million department provides some of the council's most vital, and emotionally charged, services, from support to foster carers, services for severely disabled children, the county's schools and support for children in care.
But with the authority signalling it needs to save 100 million by 2014, and asking residents to come forward with their own savings suggestions as part of the You Choose campaign, the leaders of the council have said every service area must be examined to find out where costs can be trimmed.
The county council's cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Andrew Grant (Con, Brackley East), said: "We know these are very much the services people are not going to want to see cut.
"We've already seen the concern there was when we proposed taking some money away from the music service.
"And of course, we have a legal requirement to carry out many of the services, such as schools, so where we save money going forward is going to be extremely difficult."
The children and young people's service currently has responsibility for the county council's schools, adoption and fostering services, services for children in care, serious case reviews, family support work, support for children with special educational needs and the family link service, which provides short breaks for severely disabled children.
While Councillor Grant admitted it would be hard for members of the public to identify areas where savings could be made, he admitted there were areas which could be looked at, such as staffing levels and school bank balances.
He said: "What could be a very interesting debate is the matter of schools' bank balances.
"There is about 4.6 million sitting in the bank accounts of Northamptonshire's schools and I think you have to ask 'is that right?'. It's something I sometimes question myself.
"I'm not saying the schools haven't got the money there for good reasons, but there are many schools that don't always spend their money on the children of today, and that's what they are really given that money for, to spend on the children who are going through the schooling system at the moment.
"It's really there for them, not to be held back for a rainy day. And there is a considerable amount of money sloshing around in some of these schools."
On the matter of the number of council staff who support the county council's children and young people's services, Councillor Grant also admitted it was probably inevitable that some would have to go as the authority worked to save cash.
He said: "Could it come to a point where we have to remove staff? There are a number of areas we are currently looking at, so that's one thing people could certainly suggest."
To take part in the You Choose campaign, either visit youchoose.northamptonshire.gov.uk or see members of the council's cabinet when they attend the first You Choose roadshow in Northampton's Market Square on Wednesday, March 10.
Services for young may not avoid axe
By Wayne Bontoft
Chief Reporter
wayne.bontoft@northantsnews.co.uk
Staff who support children in council care may not find their jobs are safe when money-saving measures are made
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