The Cabinet of Barnet Council met on Tuesday 17 September 2024 to discuss the council's financial health, the outcomes of an Ofsted inspection into children's services, and progress on the council's sustainability programme. Key decisions included approving the grant of a sub-underlease for the Hampstead Garden Suburb Library and noting the significant financial overspend forecast for the current year.

Financial Situation and Recovery Plans

The meeting addressed the council's challenging financial position, with a projected revenue overspend of £20.196 million for the financial year 2024/25. This figure is after accounting for £18.3 million in planned reserve drawdowns and £7.5 million from in-year recovery plans. Councillor Ammar Naqvi, Cabinet Member for Financial Sustainability and Reducing Poverty, presented the Chief Finance Officer's report, highlighting that the council's un-ringfenced reserves would fall to £7.987 million if the forecast overspend materialises, a position described as unsustainable.

The report detailed significant pressures contributing to the overspend, including increased demand and costs in adult and children's social care, and a substantial rise in temporary accommodation costs due to a housing crisis across London. Councillor Ross Houston, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration, elaborated on the temporary accommodation pressures, noting a 65% increase in new housing applications compared to the previous year and a significant rise in nightly paid accommodation costs.

In response to the financial challenges, the council has implemented a recovery action plan. This includes reintroducing expenditure controls, establishing recovery action plans within services, holding star chamber sessions for further savings, and reviewing the capital programme to reduce borrowing. Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council, emphasised that while the situation is serious, the administration is committed to bringing the budget under control.

The Cabinet approved changes to the capital programme, including virements totalling £2.213 million, and the write-off of £531,324.54 in Council Tax arrears, £1,472,134.41 in Housing Benefit overpayments, and £1,326,871.47 in sundry debt.

Ofsted Inspection of Children and Families Services

Councillor Pauline Coakley Webb, Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet, presented the positive outcomes of Ofsted's inspection of Barnet's Children and Families Service. The service was rated Good overall, with an Outstanding judgement for the experiences and progress of children in care. The inspection highlighted the impact of leaders on social work practice as Good, as were the experiences and progress of children in need of help and protection, and care leavers.

The report noted the commitment and stability of the leadership team, the investment in children's services, and the development of a specialist service for children with autism. While the inspection identified four areas for improvement, including return home interviews for missing children and communication about living arrangements for care leavers, the overall findings were highly positive, reflecting the hard work of staff and a child-centred approach across the council. The Cabinet resolved to note the inspection findings, consider them as part of their corporate responsibility, and refer the report to Full Council.

Sustainability Programme Update

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, presented an update on the council's sustainability programme. The Cabinet reconfirmed the council's commitment to the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency declaration made in May 2022. The report highlighted progress in delivering the Sustainability Action Plan, including retrofitting council homes, installing electric vehicle charge points, and planting trees.

A new workstream to support climate adaptation and resilience will be added to the Sustainability Action Plan. The Cabinet delegated authority to Councillor Schneiderman to monitor and update the plan and to oversee the process of producing a climate budget to address the residual funding gap. Yogita Popat, Programme Director for Culture and Sustainability, was noted as the lead officer for climate change.

Other Key Decisions

• Our Plan for Barnet - Delivery and Outcomes Framework, Q1 2024-25: The Cabinet noted the progress made in the first quarter of the financial year against the council's delivery and outcomes framework.
• Adults and Young People’s Resident Perception Surveys 2023-24: The Cabinet noted the positive top-line findings of the Adult Residents Perception Survey, which showed improvements in resident satisfaction and bucked national downward trends.
• Hampstead Garden Suburb Library: The Cabinet approved the grant of a sub-underlease and a Side Letter to the Garden Suburb Community Library Limited, allowing the library to continue operating on concessionary terms. This decision was made to ensure the preservation and sustainability of the public library service at a lower cost than a direct council service.

The meeting also included noting the Cabinet Forward Plan.