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Q: What are the savings targets for the 14/15 financial year? A: Exact figures will not be agreed until early 2014. However, we are planning on the expectation of further significant reductions across the 2014-2015 period.
Q: What do SCC budget cuts mean for staff or services managed by voluntary organisations? Is anything changing at all? A: The budgets managed by Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) agencies who are currently managing Children’s Centres in Somerset have been a part of the savings programme, in exactly the same way as the budgets managed by SCC Centres. At present 5 of the contracts with the PVI organisations are due to expire on 31st March 2014 with one contract expiring in July 2014.
Q: How much is a saving in terms of making efficiencies, and how much is a Local Authority cut in the budget? A: The Medium Term Financial Planning (MTFP) process does not differentiate between efficiencies and a cut in LA funding; the requirement is to save a specific amount from the 2014–15 budget. Nationally, funding to local authorities has been significantly reduced over the past 3 years. This means that Somerset cannot continue to provide the same level of services it used to provide. It is our challenge, in our various roles, to ensure that we are working in ways that allow us to minimise the impact upon those we are working for.
Q: If any Children's Centres are decommissioned, is there a clawback clause that means we will have to pay money back to government? A: There is a clawback clause but this only applies if buildings do not continue to be used for Children's Services in the future. This includes provision of childcare and extended schools provision. If buildings are used for nursery provision and/or by schools for a range of community purposes, we would not be subject to any clawback.
Q: Will future funding be given to areas that are in the bottom 30% most deprived? A: At the moment it is too early to say as we are currently out for consultation on proposals to look at whether funding should be allocated based on deprivation.
Page updated 4/12/13
