Letter - CEHA to Minister for Children and Education - Government Plan Review -1st November 2022

States Greffe

Deputy Inna Gardiner

Minister for Children and Education

BY EMAIL

1st November 2022 Dear Minister,

The Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel is considering the Proposed Government Plan (P.97/2022) that has been lodged by the Government. We look forward to our public review hearing, scheduled for 9th November 2022, but hope that you will be able to assist with a number of queries in writing before that date:

1. Please could you provide a full list of projects and programmes to be delivered under the Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) Head of Expenditure.
2. Please could you confirm whether the total CYPES budget of approximately £189 million directly corresponds to your Ministerial portfolio?

a.  If not, please could you outline any differences.

3. CYPES is projected to have approximately £21 million of income earned through operations in 2023. Please could you provide some detail about what the income is for each of the services?
4. The previous Government Plan had identified £460,000 of efficiencies for the Minister for Children and Education in 2022. Are you able to confirm what efficiencies have been made to date?
5. CYPES has targeted £688,000 of value for money savings in 2023. Please could you provide us with a more detailed breakdown of where the savings have been identified.

a.  The 2023 CYPES value for money target (of £688,000) is significantly more than the efficiencies identified in 2022 for the Ministerial portfolio. Is the 2023 target realistic?

6. In a table format, if possible, please could you confirm the number of FTE (full time equivalent) roles / number of staff (individuals) employed / current open vacancies as at 31st October 2022 in the following services:

1. Children's Social Care and Safeguarding;
2. Education;
3. Integrated Services and Commissioning;
4. Office of the Director General;
5. Young People;
6. Skills and Student Finance.

7. Please could you provide a more detailed breakdown of the following expenditure, as detailed in the statement of comprehensive net expenditure for CYPES:
   1. Social benefit payments;
   2. Staff;
   3. Other operating expenses;
   4. Grants and subsidies payments;
   5. Impairments; and
   6. Finance Costs.
8. Please could you clarify the list of projects that were comprised within the Schools Estate' major project, which was approved for £31.35 million in the previous Government Plan.

a.  Please could you clarify if all of this has been moved to the "New School and Educational Developments" Head of Expenditure.

9. Please could you provide a more detailed breakdown of the projects within the "New School and Educational Developments" Head of Expenditure.
10. Please could you provide some more detail about the projects within the "Upgrade to CYPES Estate" Head of Expenditure, namely:
    1. School improvements;
    2. Residential Homes and Secure Settings;
    3. Therapeutic Children's Homes;
    4. Music Development;
    5. Field Developments and Play Space; and
    6. Youth Services.
11. Please could you provide a further breakdown of the £2.215 million of funding allocated to CYPES for post COVID requirements in 2023?

a.  There is no budget for this funding from 2024 onwards and it is stated that this will be "incorporated into departmental expenditure". Will services receive additional uplifts to their budgets to accommodate this?

12. What factors / outcomes will be used to measure the success of the extended school meals programme?

1. How often will the programme be reviewed?
2. How long can you commit to the cost cap of £2.50 per meal for the pay-per- service users of the school meals programme?
3. Please could you confirm whether any secondary school pupils in receipt of the Jersey Pupil Premium will be eligible for free school meals?

i.  If so, how any pupils are in this category and what is the estimated cost?

The Panel looks forward to your formal response and would request this is received by midday on Tuesday 8th November 2022. Please direct any response or queries to the Panel through our Committee and Panel Officer, Katherine de Carteret by email at k.decarteret@gov.je or telephone on 01534 441041.

Yours sincerely,

Deputy Catherine Curtis

Chair, Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel