Budget transfer from Central Contingency to Education Department: Vulnerable Children Initatives

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A decision made 28 June 2017:

Decision Reference: MD-ESC-2017-0015
Decision Summary Title:	Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children		Date of Decision Summary:	5 July 2017
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Finance		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Contingency Funding Request – Investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children		Date of Written Report:	5 July 2017
Written Report Author:	Head of Finance		Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Transfer of funding from central contingency to the Education Department for investment in initiatives that support vulnerable children.
Decision(s): The Minister for Education requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to approve non-recurring budget transfers from central contingency to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure of up to £91,200 in 2017 and up to £95,000 in 2018 and 2019 for the Youth Enquiry Service (YES) to support vulnerable young people and those not in education or training (NEET) and up to £57,600 in 2017 and up to £60,000 2018 and 2019 for Nursery Special Educational Needs to fund an outreach service for children with special needs. The Minister for Education also requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to increase the Education Department’s headcount for the period 2017 to 2019 by 2.0 FTE for the Youth Enquiry Service and 1.0 FTE for the Education Support Team.
Reason(s) for Decision: 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 that the Education Department be allocated a proportion of these monies for Early Years Approach and Young Enquiry Service, that proportion being up to £85,000 annually in 2017-2019 and up to £180,000 annually in 2017-2019 respectively. 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. In accordance with the Council of Ministers decision the Chief Minister, having consulted with Children and Adults Policy Group members, identified the Education Department’s Family Support Workers initiative for a further allocation of up to £153,600 in 2017 and up to £160,000 in 2018 and 2019. On 12 May 2017 the Chief Minister requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approve further non-recurring budget transfers to the Education Department for the Youth Enquiry Service and Nursey Special Educational Needs. The Education Minister therefore requested that the Minister for Treasury and Resources approves the non-recurring budget transfer of up to £91,200 in 2017 and up to £95,000 in 2018 and 2019 for the Youth Enquiry Service and up to £57,600 in 2017 and up to £60,000 2018 and 2019 for Nursery Special Educational Needs from the central contingency to the Education Department revenue head of expenditure. The Education Minister requested the increase in headcount in order to ensure compliance with P67/1999 which charges the Minister for Treasury and Resources to regulate the number of persons that may be employed by the States. 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: The Education Department’s revenue head of expenditure will increase by up to £148,800 in 2017 and up to £155,000 in 2018 and 2019 and the central contingency will decrease by the same amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States for the period of the current MTFP 2016 to 2019.
Action required: Head of Decision Support to advise the Education Finance Director that the decision has been approved.
Signature:		Position: Deputy Rod Bryans Minister for Education
Date Signed:		Date of Decision: