Jonathan Essex

Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee - Thursday, 13 March 2025 10.00 am

The Surrey County Council Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee met to consider the Intensive Family Support Service (IFSS), its Adolescent Service, and Ofsted reports for two children's homes. It agreed to undertake a scrutiny in a day session in June or July to review the benefits of a preventative approach to children's services. The Committee also reviewed progress on recommendations made at previous meetings and noted the Cabinet's response to recommendations relating to the budget and alternative provision.

Budget Meeting, Council - Tuesday, 4 February 2025 10.00 am

The Council voted to adopt its budget for 2025/26, increasing Council Tax by the maximum permitted 4.99% and making £66 million in savings. The Council also noted the Memorandum of Understanding between Surrey County Council and Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Partnership and approved the revised Health and Wellbeing Board Terms of Reference.

Extraordinary Meeting, Council - Wednesday, 8 January 2025 10.00 am

Surrey Council agreed to respond to the Government's request to participate in a joint devolution and local government reorganisation programme. This acceptance will likely mean that the 2025 County Council elections will be postponed. The Council also noted that the decision to respond to the government's letter was an executive decision for the Leader of the Council to make.

Council - Tuesday, 10 December 2024 10.00 am

The Council voted to approve the scheme for admitting students to schools in 2026. It also agreed to close the Bagshot Community Recycling Centre, and to extend the opening hours of the Camberley Community Recycling Centre. It voted to adopt the reports from the Cabinet meetings that took place on 29 October and 26 November 2024, approved a motion on climate change and net zero targets, and referred motions on inheritance tax, farming and the rural economy, and the preventative approach to children's services to the Cabinet. A motion to allow parents to attend SEND panels was also referred to the Cabinet.

Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee - Tuesday, 3 December 2024 10.00 am

The committee discussed Surrey County Council’s response to their recommendations from previous meetings regarding children not in school, and its draft budget for 2025-26. The committee agreed a recommendation that frontline roles should be protected from planned staffing cuts. They also agreed to defer a decision on the Voluntary Sector budget until more information was available. The committee heard evidence about the Council's ambitious programme of library modernisation. Finally, they considered an update on alternative provision, and agreed to revise two of their four draft recommendations on the topic.