Lib Dem Budget - Children (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dem Budget - Children

February 12, 2008 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jean Fooks in County Council

Madam Chairman, I want to be positive today. I want the very best for the children and young people of Oxfordshire.

The Liberal Democrat budget for the next municipal year and beyond aims to improve opportunity and achievement for our children and young people.

Losing that fourth star was not a reflection on our officers or our children, but on the priorities of the Tory administration.

A year ago the Liberal Democrat budget proposed family support workers - to help children achieve their potential. We opposed the cut in Educational Social workers- who are vital to reduce truancy, especially among our looked-after children whose lives are sometimes complicated and who need all the support they can get.

I could go on --- we opposed the cut in staffing for the 14-19 strategy - 2 staff for a year lost - who could have helped to improve those Key Stage 4 results. And we proposed more places in the pupil referral units to provide more specialist support for disaffected pupils.

This year we welcome the funds provided for Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation - just the sort of staff we proposed last year, working with families to improve the qualifications and life chances of disadvantaged children.

We welcome the extra experienced advice proposed to raise achievement.

We think that those children for whom we are corporate parents, our looked-after children, need more support than they are getting. Our officers are doing a splendid job with very limited resources; our extra £100,000 should fund three extra social workers to provide an even better service.

We are delighted that at last, if all goes as we hope, Oxfordshire's special needs young people will be able to stay on post-16 in their special school, if they want to, as is the case in all other local authorities. A huge number will benefit from this change.

I am a governor of Iffley Mead Special School. Their pupils have moderate learning difficulties and most also have behaviour problems as well. The school desperately wants to give their students the ability to cope with independent living and to hold down a job. Being able to stay on in school for another year or two to develop their skills and confidence will make a huge difference. The insecurity of not knowing whether or not they can stay on after July this year is proving very unsettling for students, school and families. That is why I pressed the Cabinet in January to make the possible provision definite just as soon as possible. And it is why we are putting extra money into the capital programme to ensure that the necessary facilities are there when the students need them. The Tories' budget suggests that most of this post-16 SEN capital need will have to compete with the 14-19 diplomas, more SEN and disabilities needs - with only £2m available in 2009/10 and £6m the year after. Compared with the Tory budget, we are putting an extra £112k into this area in 2008/09, and a definite extra £3m in the following two years. We think that we owe this to our vulnerable special children.

Supporting Oxfordshire's children and young people as we propose costs perhaps 2 pence a week to a Band D householder. At the workshop consultation on the budget, all age groups prioritized care placements for children and supporting disadvantaged children in schools - they all thought that children, young people and families were a top priority. So did those who responded to the Magazine consultation. I do not think that the people of Oxfordshire would grudge that extra penny or two a week.

We shall all benefit from this investment and I commend the Liberal Democrat budget to you.