Stella Akintan

Children and Education Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Children and Education Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee - Wednesday 22nd January, 2025 7.00 pm

The Committee accepted all of the recommendations made in the Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership – Addendum to Annual Report 2023/24, the Complaints and Compliments Annual Report 2023-24 and the Family Services Quarterly Update. It also agreed to take forward an action to engage with the Barnet Youth Parliament.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Budget Scrutiny, Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday 12th December, 2024 7.00 pm

The committee considered a report on proposed changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme. It was noted that a separate public consultation was in progress, and the cabinet will consider the committee's views alongside the public consultation responses in February 2025. The committee recommended that the cabinet consider what other councils in London were doing. The committee also noted the Cabinet Forward Plan and considered a proposal to add the Open Door Homes acquisitions update to the plan for June 2025. There were no objections, so this was agreed. The committee noted the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and agreed to move their meeting from 5 June to 12 June. They also agreed to consider the budget papers on 30 January to allow members to make comments ahead of the final budget being produced. Finally, the committee considered two reports on the council's budget: the Chief Finance Officer Report – 2024/25 Quarter 2 Financial Forecast and 2024/25 Budget Management and the Business Planning and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2025-2030. These reports revealed a challenging financial position for the council, with an anticipated overspend of £25 million for 2024/25. The committee recommended that the cabinet consider how the budget consultation might be improved in future years, potentially by adopting a themed approach where each department could be scrutinized separately.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Monday 28th October, 2024 7.00 pm

The meeting considered a proposal for the extension of three contracts with Capita and the proposed new Fees and Charges for 2025/26. The committee requested further information from officers on business and Council tax collection rates and asked that an informal group be set up to look at the future of the Capita contracts. The committee also requested that officers investigate the possibility of tapering the proposed charge for arranging care for people above the capital and savings threshold.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Wednesday 18th September, 2024 7.00 pm

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the Council Tax Support Scheme.

Children and Education Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee

Children and Education Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee - Thursday 12th September, 2024 7.00 pm

The Committee noted the minutes of the previous meeting and received apologies from Councillor Woodstock-Vellaman. Councillor Naranthira sat in on his behalf. The Committee noted Councillor Conway's declaration of interest as a local headteacher at the 9th Room Primary School, a Jewish Independent School in Henson.