Council overspend Group leader ‘baffled’ by ongoing fund issues
THERE is dismay that Gloucestershire County Council has failed to get to grips with an average yearly overspend of £7million for children’s services.
Finance chiefs at Shire Hall said the local authority is again facing an overspend this year due to rising cost of placements for children in care.
Deputy leader and finance cabinet member Lynden Stowe (C, Campdenvale) told a recent meeting that the costs were rising due to “limited market availability”. He said the situation is disappointing and hopes central government will recognise it continues to be a challenging issue for councils and will provide more funding in future.
But Liberal Democrat group leader Ben Evans (LD, Churchdown) says the overspend is down to the Conservative administration’s mismanagement of children’s services.
He says the Tories’ budget has been woefully out of touch for six years in a row. “‘At what point does incompetence turn into dishonesty? I am completely baffled,” he said.
“I have stood up repeatedly and asked the Tory administration to be honest about their financial plans for children’s services, because we can all see the pattern of a £7million overspend every year for the last eight years. “But every year they pretend that ‘this year we have it right.’
“As a life-long worker in children’s services I know the need is to plan financially, properly, for the long term - to prevent the high cost services that are needed when things go wrong.
“This knee-jerk planning by the Tories results in human tragedy and in the ridiculous situation where every year they are ‘surprised’ by the £7m overspend. I directly asked Richard Boyles in 2020, the then cabinet member, who assured me ‘this time we have it right.’
“A £7m overspend followed. I directly asked Stephen Davies, who is the current cabinet member, in 2021 the same question – he answered, ‘this time we have it right.’ A £7m overspend followed.
“And this has nothing to do with Covid... add those figures in and the overspends are much higher!
“Our children and young people deserve better than this Tory farce who do not understand budgeting”
Linda Cohen, Lib Dem spokesperson on Children and Families said, the Conservative administration’s planning is playing them for fools and is letting down the children and young people in care.
Councillor Stephen Davies (C, Hardwicke and Severn), cabinet member responsible for Children’s Services said: “My number one priority is ensuring that vulnerable children get the specialist support they need, regardless of our budget position.
“We of course want to run a cost effective service, but balancing the books comes secondary to protecting our children and young people. We are delivering a long term investment plan - including an additional £14 million in this year’s budget. Our efforts to improve the service were recognised at our recent Ofsted and I will ensure that we keep delivering for Gloucestershire’s children”