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RESOLVED:
 
1. 
The overall financial position of the Council and in
particular the overspend and the impact of the initiatives set out
to mitigate this, as at February 2024 was noted.
 
2. 
The Connect to Work (CtW)
grant funding of £6m to provide targeted employment
interventions over five years was accepted.
 
3. 
A proposal to increase children’s centre fees by
withdrawing the subsidy from Band 3, 4 & 5 of the current
children’s centre fee structure. 
The current children’s centre fee structure is modelled on a
graduated subsidy across 5 household income bands 1-5 was
approved.
 
4. 
A 7.5% uplift to the fees for bands 1 and 2 of the
current children’s centre fee structure to reflect the
increased costs of delivering the service and in line with other
Council services, was approved.
 
5. 
Proposals for 3.3 and 3.4 to take effect from September
2025, to coincide with the national expansion of the 30-hours
funded childcare entitlement for 38 weeks of the year to eligible
children from 9-months to 5 years, were approved.
 
REASONS FOR DECISION
 
To facilitate financial management and control
of the Council's finances and to approve the CfW grant approval and the Children's Centres fee
changes.
 
DETAILS OF ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
 
This budget monitoring report is primarily an
update on the Council’s financial position.
 
On the CfW grant
approval, Hackney Council evaluated three options for delivering
the CtW programme.  The first option was for Central London Forward
(CLF) to manage the programme by commissioning local providers.
Although CLF has experience with similar programmes, this approach
would not be as well aligned with local needs, might duplicate
existing services, and would reduce direct support funding by 10%
(£600k). The second option, which we recommend, is for
Hackney to deliver the programme directly through the Employment,
Skills, and Adult Learning (ESAL) service. This approach ensures
that 100% of funding is invested in frontline services,
strengthening local capacity and delivering better long-term
employment outcomes than an outsourced model. By leveraging local
expertise and established partnerships, it enhances coordination
among agencies and maximises the impact of the £6 million
investment. The third option was not to accept the funding.
However, this would mean missing a crucial opportunity to support
our residents and would leave key groups without the necessary
employment services. Based on these considerations, the Hackney-led
direct delivery model is the best choice.
 
On the Children's Centre Fees changes, the
alternative options are considered in the attached Appendix 4