Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That the future commissioning approach for the LA/school support services funded by the Council and set out in paragraphs 14 a-c  (financial details in Part 2) of the submitted report be agreed.

Reason for decision:

The recommended approach best fits the County Council’s strategic direction, financial position and enables the Council to meet its legal responsibilities. The recommendations for statutory and strategic school support services for SCC, alongside the development of schools led support and challenge for school effectiveness, will help drive improvement to achieve a high quality education for all children in Surrey. An analysis of each statutory or key strategic activity has been undertaken and an assessment of all possible future delivery mechanisms has been made.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children and Education Select Committee]

The Cabinet Member for Education introduced this report that described how schools were providing high quality inclusive education to support Surrey County Council’s Corporate Strategy 2018-21, particularly in relation to Wellbeing and Economic Prosperity. It was explained that schools were a critical part of the whole education system which drives improved outcomes for children, particularly children from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, and helped future growth of the Surrey economy.

She explained how Surrey County Council (SCC) had formed a successful joint venture in 2004 for the delivery of school support, both for the local authority and to trade directly with schools. The joint venture, now with Babcock, worked under the operating title of Babcock 4S (B4S) and provided services under contract to SCC as well as trading directly with Surrey schools and beyond Surrey. At that time, this was an innovative development, anticipating increasing school autonomy and a shift in purchasing power for school support from the Local Authority to schools.

The Cabinet Member went on to explain how, since 2004, the Local Authority’s direct purchasing has declined significantly; the value of the first service delivery agreement was £9.1m, this rose to its highest value of £12.4m in 2008/9 and it is now £2.54m in 2018/19. Trading with schools now accounts for over 80% of the joint venture’s Surrey based turnover. The direct trading with schools will continue but the Local Authority’s contract cannot be extended beyond 31 March 2019 (the end date specified within the original procurement process.) Schools were now much more diverse with 30% being academies or free schools.

She explained the rationale behind the three charts A-C which gave details of services provided and how they were to be provided. It was thought that there would not be a great saving to be had from these proposals.  There would also be a slight negative impact on some staff but none for residents.

In response to Member queries the Cabinet Member for Education confirmed that support would still be available for school governors and that the providers would be qualified to provide the same type of training.  She also confirmed that if a school was no longer managed by the local authority, they could buy back the tree safety/assessment service.

The recommendations were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED:

That the future commissioning approach for the LA/school support services funded by the Council and set out in paragraphs 14 a-c  (financial details in part 2) of the submitted report be agreed.

Reason for decision:

The recommended approach best fitted the County Council’s strategic direction, financial position and enabled the Council to meet its legal responsibilities. The recommendations for statutory and strategic school support services for SCC, alongside the development of schools led support and challenge for school effectiveness, would help drive improvement to achieve a high quality education for all children in Surrey. An analysis of each statutory or key strategic activity had been undertaken and an assessment of all possible future delivery mechanisms had been made.