Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are ready to face 2024. I was lucky to have some time off over Christmas and New Year. I spent time with family and friends and enjoyed some time away from the computer.
Leading up to Christmas was a busy time for me, so here are a few highlights of what I have been doing.
I had an enjoyable day at De Montfort University attending our ‘Pride in Practice’ event. This is an annual event where the whole Social Care Team for Children comes together and celebrates some of the excellent work, we do all year with our families. There is also an award ceremony for those members of staff who have gone above and beyond.
At the end of November, I travelled to Bournemouth for the annual Children and Adult Services Conference.
This conference enables me to mix with my peers from other local authorities around the UK, attend many events that relate to my work, and an opportunity to speak to Government Ministers.
Bournemouth is beautiful at Christmas and while I was there, I enjoyed the Christmas markets and the Garden of Lights.
I have attended many Christmas events including one of the highlights for me, our Christmas concert by Beacon Voices, our Children in Care Choir.
Budget Update
The council's four-year budget proposal has been published.
The County Council is having to consider how to deliver services differently as forecasts show its budget gap could top £85m by 2028.
The authority’s four-year proposals include investing £127m more to meet growing demand, mainly in social care, and an extra £113m to cover inflation and the National Living Wage increase.
A 3% Council Tax increase for the council’s core services is planned for next year, generating £11m for front-line services. A further £7m will be raised from a 2% increase in the adult social care precept.
Spiralling social care prices, growing service demand and inflation are driving up costs for councils across the country which means that for the first time, the council is planning to use up to £12m of reserves to help balance the books next year.
The pressures include:
- Surging cost of placements for children in care - with costs for just ten children with complex needs now reaching £5m per year
- A 56% rise in unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in care and care leavers since last year
- Over £220m of net inflation and service pressures across the next four years - compared to £100m of increased income (including Council Tax).
Major redesigns of children’s and adults’ social care are underway to bring down future demand and costs by millions of pounds, such as creating more local placements, rolling out new technology, and helping more people live independently.
Controls around recruitment, procurement, and other spending have also been tightened up to help bring down the council’s budget gap.
The four-year budget plan includes:
- A £12m budget shortfall next year – rising to £33m in 2026, £60m in 2027 and £85m in 2028
- £127m more to support vulnerable people – to pay for more home and residential care, and support people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental health needs.
Major redesigns of services to manage future demand, including:
- Special educational needs and disabilities - a new approach balancing growing demand for support with getting children the right help
- Working with Barnardo’s to jointly run children’s homes locally
- Boosting ‘supported living’ - over 100 new placements have been created since 2020, enabling people with learning and physical disabilities and mental health needs to learn life skills and live independently
- Rolling out ‘care technology’ - over 2,600 pieces of equipment, including falls detectors and GPS location trackers, installed over the last year, benefiting over 1,000 people
- £36m of savings – including redesigning services, reducing the cost of back-office support services by maximising digital technology and smarter procurement
- A £445m four-year capital pot - for the cost of building roads, schools, and other one-off projects linked to new homes being built across Leicestershire.
More will be known in the new year once the government has announced the local government financial settlement.
Adult Learning Courses
GoLearn, Leicestershire County Council’s Adult Learning Service, is offering a 20% discount on all course fees for learners looking to find a new passion or gain a qualification in 2024. The 20% New Year Discount will apply to all course fees until 31st January 2024. The discount is available across the entire 2023/24 programme.
The Adult Learning Service offers hundreds of courses in venues across Leicestershire for adults aged 19+, with 70% reduction in fees available for those on a low income or receiving certain benefits.
Adult learning courses are designed to support adults in Leicestershire to improve their wellbeing and gain the confidence and qualifications needed to start their careers. Courses are part-time and designed to fit around life and work.
For those looking to develop or start their career journey, the service offers digital skills, English and Maths qualifications, alongside ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), employability, and family learning opportunities. There are also Better Mental Health courses to support people experiencing, or recovering from, mental ill-health to understand the next steps in recovery.
To learn more about what GoLearn can offer in 2024, call freephone 0800 988 0308 (lines are open Monday-Friday 8.30 am to 7 pm) or visit: https://golearnleicestershire.ac.uk/
Primary School Places
Parents and carers have until 15th January 2024 to make their primary school applications for their children for September 2024
Families with children starting primary school for the first time in Leicestershire next autumn need to apply by January 15th 2024.
Parents and carers can find out more and apply by visiting the Admissions web page on the council’s website at: www.leicestershire.gov.uk
Families are encouraged to select three schools, including one in their catchment area, to have the best chance of securing a place at a local school. There is no automatic entry for any school. Any applications made after the closing date of 15th January will be processed after those made on time.
If you are not sure if you live in a school’s catchment area, please check out their website or drop them a line. This is often a key factor in getting a place.
For further advice on your preferred schools and information about open days, please contact individual schools directly.
Allocated school places will be announced on national offer days – March 1st 2024 (secondary) and April 16th 2024 (primary).
If you have any issues or concerns, I’m here to help.
