Agenda item

The Chair introduced the item and invited Council officers Harriet Duncan (Strategic Commissioner for Adult Learning) and Steven Lord (Head of Registration Services) to present the proposals for Adult and Family Learning and Registrars respectively.

The Strategic Commissioner for Adult Learning explained that the Council’s Adult Learning service was fully funded via a grant from the Greater London Authority, however the funding had been cut by 1.65% in year with a further 1.65% cut for 2026/27. The Committee:

1.     Discussed where Adult Learning activities were carried out. Officers advised the Council did not operate an in-house adult learning centre, choosing to instead commission services in community locations around the borough, allowing the Council to minimise expenditure in delivering the service.

2.     Discussed numbers of service users and opportunities to reach more residents. Officers said approximately 3000 residents accessed adult and family learning services, with around 4000 enrolments across over 400 courses. A higher number of courses for qualifications were being delivered, which had higher costs.

3.     Highlighted the need to effectively measure outcomes, including where qualifications led to employment, to understand which courses were creating the most value.

4.     Welcomed more alignment and integration of the adult learning service across the Council and with partners to improve reach and more effectively utilise funding.

The Head of Registration Services stated the Registrars service was funded directly via the Council’s General Fund as a statutory service. The service applied fees and charges for the recovery of costs and was able to generate significant revenue from wedding services at Chelsea Old Town Hall. The Committee:

5.     Asked if sufficient resources were allocated in the Budget proposals to continue to improve wedding facilities and sustain revenue growth. Officers advised the current level of resource would enable the service to continue to provide a high quality product, but this was contingent on effective facilities management contracts. A business case was being drafted for a proposed expansion into Chelsea Library to add capacity and drive further revenue growth.

6.     Discussed opportunities to increase fees and charges to maximise revenue growth. Officers were conscious of the possible detrimental effects of raising prices too high.

7.     Recommended the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Budget Working Group review uncontrollable costs across the Council.

The Chair invited the Executive Director for Children’s Services, Lead Strategic Finance Manager and Strategic Finance Manager to present the budget proposals for Children’s Services. They drew attention to the forecast overspend for 2025/26, the identification of significant savings proposals and the growth bid of £1m to meet the real costs of meeting the needs of care leavers.

The Committee:

8.     Discussed in detail the proposed savings. Officers were confident that savings would be achieved and that service quality would be maintained.

9.     Requested future budget reports cover in greater detail the departments transformation work.

10.   Welcomed further savings in transport for children with Special Educational Needs (SEND).

11.   Discussed plans to reduce departmental spend on high cost placements for children with complex needs, including methods of procurement.

12.   Highlighted the need to hold the Government to account regarding its stated intention to absorb Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) costs in 2028/29, as announced in the Chancellor’s budget, and how to absorb costs in the meantime.

13.   Discussed the proposal to transfer two day nurseries to local primary schools. Members enquired whether nurseries would move locations or if the management costs of the nurseries would shift to the primary schools, questioned whether the local primary schools would have sufficient resources to sustain the provision, and raised concerns about loss of savings due to possible capital expenditure needs. Officers confirmed the proposals were to maintain the existing nurseries whilst consolidating management costs with local schools, with initial analysis of demand suggesting success over the long term. There was no indication that capital expenditure would be required.

14.   Asked which services were most exposed to the worst case fairer funding settlement. Officers expressed concern about the Council’s ability to keep children safe given the possible significant reduction in funding, but reiterated that front line and preventative services would be maintained as far as possible.

15.   Noted government’s children’s social care reform through the Families First Partnership would put pressure on the budget. Officers advised the Council would have to coordinate work across early years services to ensure that children’s development targets were met. Members recommended the Children and Young People’s Plan reflect the change in the way Family Hubs and schools would function and welcomed opportunities to contribute to the formulation of the new Plan.

ACTION: Scrutiny and Policy Officer

16.   Noted falling school rolls and associated loss of funding was identified as a major risk for the budget area. Officers advised the Council was looking at ways other local authorities had managed falling rolls, including methods of increased integration. Members also raised potential pressures around deprivation funding.

17.   Discussed opportunities to work with other Council departments to effectively manage budget pressures. Officers advised Children’s Services were working closely with Adult Social Care (ASC) teams to review how packages of care for individuals with disabilities were managed together, focusing on the transition from childhood to adulthood. Members requested the Committee receive an update on joint working with ASC in the 2026/27 municipal year.

ACTION: Scrutiny and Policy Officer

The Chair invited comments or questions from other Councillors in attendance. They:

18.   Sought greater detail regarding the pressures driving budget growth and highlighted the need for effective long-term forecasting of the numbers of looked after children and care leavers. Officers agreed, noting that a better understanding of the number of looked-after children passing through the system would enable improved commissioning.

The Chair summarised the Committee’s recommendations:

• Supported exploring opportunities to increase capacity at Chelsea Old Town Hall to maximise wedding revenue generation.
• More alignment and integration of the adult learning service across the Council and with partners to improve reach and more effectively utilise funding.
• Continue to hold the Government to account regarding its stated intention to absorb Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) costs in 2028/29, as announced in the Chancellor’s budget and identify means of funding 2026/27 and 2027/28.
• The budget working group 2026/27 should be presented with an analysis of uncontrollable costs across the Council.
• Officers should report on long-term forecasting of the numbers of looked after children and care leavers.