Budget Transfer: Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children

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A decision made on 5 July 2017:

Ministerial decision reference MD-C-2017-0092
Decision summary title Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children
Decision summary author	Director, Social Policy: Community and Constitutional Affairs Department	Is the decision summary public or exempt?	Public
Report title Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children
Report author or name of person giving report	Director, Social Policy: Community and Constitutional Affairs Department	Is the report public or exempt?	Public
Decision and reason for the decision The Chief Minister requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to approve a budget transfer from central contingency of up to £1,793,250 over 2017 – 2019. The total drawn down will be up to £445,750 in 2017, up to £710,000 in 2018 and up to £637,500 in 2019, but the amount for each year may be varied without exceeding the total amount for the three years. The monies will be used to support six initiatives that support vulnerable children: 1) Legal advisers (children and family): up to £168,000 in 2017, up to £350,000 in 2018 and up to £350,000 in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Law Officers Department’s revenue head of expenditure to increase capacity in the child and family section of the Law Officers Department. Headcount increase for the period 2017 to 2019 up to 3FTE; and 2) Pilot Parent/Infant Psychotherapy Service: up to £35,000 in 2017, up to £70,500 in 2018 and up to £70,500 in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department’s revenue head of expenditure to support the development of a pilot parent and infant psychotherapy service. Headcount increase for the period 2017 to 2019 up to 1FTE; and 3) Children's Change programme: up to £79,550 in 2017 and up to £16,500 in 2018 from Central Contingency to the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department’s revenue head of expenditure to support public participation in the development and delivery of a strategic children’s plan. Headcount increase for the period 2017 to 2019 up to 1FTE; and. 4) Youth Enquiry Service (YES): up to £91,200 in 2017, up to £95,000 in 2018 and up to £95,000 in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure to support further development of Youth Enquiry Service (YES) to support vulnerable young people and those not in education, employment or training (NEET). Headcount increase for the period 2017 to 2019 up to 3.0FTE; and 5) Nursery Special Educational Needs project: up to £57,600 in 2017, up to £60,000in 2018 and up to £60,000in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure to fund an outreach service for children with special needs; and
6) On-Island social work training: up to £14,400 in 2017, up to £90,000in 2018 and up to £90,000in 2019 from Central Contingency to the Health and Social Services Department’s revenue head of expenditure to support establishment of an on-island social work training programme. The MTFP2, as adopted by the States Assembly, included the allocation of £1.65million per year from central contingencies for initiatives that support vulnerable children (£4,950,000 in total over the period from 2017 to 2019). Further to that: - on 9 November 2016, the Council of Ministers collectively agreed nine projects to be allocated a proportion of those contingencies monies (totalling up to £2,260,650 over the period from 2017 to 2019). The Council of Ministers also collectively agreed to delegate to the Chief Minister the decision to request the Treasury and Resources Minister to fund other initiatives that support vulnerable children from the remaining contingency allocation. - on 12 May 2017 the Chief Minister requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approves the non-recurring budget transfers of up to £896,150 over 2017 – 2019 to the Education Department and the Community and Constitutional Affairs Department (MD-C-2017-0038). The Chief Minister now, in accordance with the Council of Ministers decision and having consulted with the Children and Adults Policy Group members, has decided to request that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approves the non-recurring budget transfers, as detailed above. The Chief Minister also requests that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approves the increase in headcount as detailed above. The Law Officers Departments headcount will increase for the period 2017 to 2019 up to 3 FTE The Community and Constitutional Affairs Department headcount will increase for the period 2017 to 2019 by 2 FTE. The Education Department’s headcount for the period 2017 to 2019 by 3 FTE. Article 17(2) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 states that the Minister for Treasury and Resources is authorised to approve the transfer from contingency expenditure of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year.
Resource implications There are no resource implications in relation to the Chief Minister Department. The Law Officers Department’s revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to up to £868,000 over the period 2017 to 2019 (up to £168,000 in 2017, up to £350,000 in 2018 and up to £350,000 in 2019). The Community and Constitutional Affairs Department’s revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to £272,050 over the period 2017 to 2019 ((up to £114,550 in 2017, up to £87,000 in 2018 and up to £70,500 in 2019) The Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to £ £458,800 over the period 2017 to 2019 (up to £ £148,800 in 2017, up to £155,000 in 2018 and up to £155,000 in 2019) The Health and Social Services Department’s revenue head of expenditure to increase by up to £194,400 over the period 2017 to 2019 (up to £14,400 in 2017, up to £90,000 in 2018 and up to £90,000in 2019.

Action required

The relevant Departments to request the approval of Minister for Treasury and Resources for these budget transfers and headcount increases.

Signature

Position

Senator Ian Gorst

Chief Minister

Date signed:

Effective date of the decision