Treasury and Resources Department
Ministerial Decision Report
Transfer of funding from Central Contingencies for investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children
- Purpose of Report
To enable the Minister to approve non-recurring budget transfers of up to £723,850 in 2017, £768,400 in 2018 and £768,400 in 2019 to various departments for investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children and increases to staffing levels associated with these transfers.
- Background
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).
As set out in MTFP2, that allocation is to support delivery of initiatives that include outstanding recommendations from key reports (e.g.: Williamson, Care Inquiry and Serious Case Reviews), where it anticipated that those initiatives may feature in the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry recommendations (IJCI) which are currently due to be published in December 2016.
As acknowledged in MTFP2, whilst the contingency allocation will enable some actions to be taken in the short term, it is expected that there is likely to be a requirement for further investment, but this cannot be assessed properly until after the IJCI has made its final report and the recommendations are assessed.
Category 1
Category 1 projects are time critical. They are either:
- currently being delivered but have no funding identified from end of 2016 and would therefore stop; or
- currently being delivered but have insufficient funding identified to operate effectively and met need;
- they are projects which need to be commenced in January 2017 and therefore funding needs to be confirm promptly to allow for planning.
It is anticipated that all Category 1 projects will support delivery of the IJCI recommendations. Preparing for delivery at this point will allow SoJ to demonstrate, at the point at which the IJCI reports, that it already taking positive action.
A summary of Category 1 projects is set out below. All Category 1 projects have been considered by CAVA Ministers and relevant Chief Officers.
Early Help Approach (Education Department)
A holistic assessment of the children and family, focusing on strengths and needs, completed with the family. It ensures that families tell their story only once and enables practitioners from different agencies to deliver a co-ordinated multi-agency response to needs. The focus is on early intervention. |
Recommendation | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
Bull / SIP / SCR | £85,000 | £85,000 | £85,000 | £255,000 |
Children’s Change Programme (Community and Constitutional Affairs Department)
Ensure capacity to drive and deliver change across the children’s agenda (SoJ services + external providers). Includes developing and co-ordinating response to IJCI; strategic planning; developing of appropriate legislative base in order to protect vulnerable children and enhance their life chances. |
Recommendation | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
IJCI / Williamson | £168,850 | £185,900 | £185,900 | £540,650 |
Additional staffing for Public Protection Unit – PPU (Police)
Enable SoJP to recruit new child abuse investigators. Since 2010, PPU staffing has remained static at 6 investigators and demand now outstrips capacity (31cases in 2011 to 85 in 2015) |
Recommendation | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
IJCI/Op Whistle | £120,000 | £120,000 | £120,000 | £360,000 |
Development of Sexual Assault Referral Centre (Police)
Jersey currently lacks a SARC. SARC’s provide holistic service to victims of rape or sexual assault, irrespective of age, on the journey to recovery by providing an immediate health and care response with access to criminal justice services, safeguarding services and integrated follow up (erg: Victim Crisis Therapist; Service Co-ordinator; Medical Forensic examination & storage (non CJS); utilities & running costs). |
Recommendation | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
SCR/IJCI | £130,000 | £150,000 | £150,000 | £430,000 |
Development of Young Enquiry Service – YES (Education Department)
To support development of services provided to particular cohorts of vulnerable or potentially vulnerable young people. To include: 1 counsellor to support young people to deal with trauma and stress; 0.5 youth worker to support young carers; 0.5 youth worker to support young people to explore issues relating to sexuality and gender; 1 youth worker to focus on Adolescent to parent violence and abuse (APVA) and child sexual exploitation. |
Recommendation | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
ED/ SCR | £180,000 | £180,000 | £180,000 | £540,000 |
Enhanced MASH resourcing (Health and Social Services Department)
MASH is the mechanism via which Jersey identifies and responds to children who are in need or at risk. In order for the MASH to make timely, effective decisions it must receive good data and information from services. Additional funding is required to allow information to be gather from across the various systems used in primary and secondary health care and provide an analysis to support decision-making. To include: 2.0 FTE; being 1 band 5 nurse and 1 band 3 researcher from 1st March 2017 to the end of 2019. |
Recommendation | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
| £40,000 | £47,500 | £47,500 | £135,000 |
Summary of financial implications
The MTFP2 included the allocation of £1.65 million per year from central contingencies for initiatives that support vulnerable children, which totals £4,950,000 over the period from 2017 to 2019. This is the total of Category 1 and Category 2 projects. The latter are less time critical.
Category 1 projects over three-year period | £2,260,650 |
Category 2 over three-year period | £2,689,350 |
Category 1 and Category 2 total | £4,950,000 |
Governance structure
In order to ensure oversight of the use of these contingency monies, Departmental Accounting Officers will be required to report to the Chief Minister via CAVA on a 6 monthly basis. This reporting will include both financial reporting and impact reporting.
In the event that there are any proposed changes to the project (for example, changes in scope or timeframe), these will require approval of the Chief Minister.
This is in addition to the Chief Minister approving, in consultation with CAVA, all Category 2 projects.
- Recommendation
The Minister is recommended to approve non-recurring budget transfers of up to £723,850 in 2017, £768,400 in 2018 and £768,400 in 2019 to various departments for investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children and increases to staffing levels associated with these transfers.
- Reason for Decision
The MTFP and Addition 2016-2019, as adopted by the States Assembly, included the allocation of £1.65 million 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 9th November 2016, the Council of Ministers agreed that a number of projects (Category 1) should receive early funding approval as they are time critical.
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 or the insurance fund of amounts not exceeding, in total, the amount available for contingency expenditure in a financial year.
Some increases to staffing levels as a result of allocation of this funding also require approval. P67/1999 charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States.
- Resource Implications
Various departments’ revenue heads of expenditure to increase by a total of up to £723,850 in 2017, £768,400 in 2018 and £768,400 in 2019 and Central Contingencies to decrease by the same amounts as detailed in the table below. Associated increases in staffing levels, are detailed in section 2 above. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for the period of the current MTFP 2016 to 2019.
Category 1 Projects | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Total |
| | £ | £ | £ | £ |
CCA | Appendix 2 | 168,850 | 185,900 | 185,900 | 540,650 |
| Appendix 3 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 360,000 |
| Appendix 4 | 130,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 430,000 |
CCA Total | | 418,850 | 455,900 | 455,900 | 1,330,650 |
EDU | Appendix 1 | 85,000 | 85,000 | 85,000 | 255,000 |
| Appendix 5-8 | 180,000 | 180,000 | 180,000 | 540,000 |
EDU Total | | 265,000 | 265,000 | 265,000 | 795,000 |
HSSD | Appendix 9 | 40,000 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 135,000 |
HSSD Total | | 40,000 | 47,500 | 47,500 | 135,000 |
| | | | | |
Total From Contingency | 723,850 | 768,400 | 768,400 | 2,260,650 |
| | | | | |
Report author : Financial Performance Reporting Manager | Document date: 18th January 2017. |
Quality Assurance / Review : Head of Decision Support | File name and path: L:\Treasury\Sections\Corporate Finance\Ministerial Decisions\DS, WR and SD\2016-0112 - Contingency Funding - Childrens Change Programme |
MD sponsor : Director of Financial Planning and Performance |
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