Find out what was discussed at the latest meeting of Warwickshire County Council Cabinet.
Guaranteeing an education for all of the county’s children and young people; and safeguarding victims of domestic abuse were among the key items discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting.
Delivering the finance forecast coming out of the second quarter of the financial year, the portfolio holder was able to report that, amidst the national pressures that local authorities are facing, Warwickshire has stabilised its in year financial position. The ongoing spending controls, initiated earlier in the financial year, have been effective so far and put the council on track to make the necessary savings.
The half year report on the treasury management also reflected the council’s prudence, with good return on investments, some of which will be used to offset the immediate pressures faced.
Watch Cllr Peter Butlin discussing council finances in this short video:
The Integrated Performance Report for Quarter 2, which charts progress of council activity, showed solid performance across the board with notable progress highlighted in the critical areas of safeguarding arrangements for children and capital investment supporting sufficient school places.
The updated policy around supporting children who cannot attend their usual educational setting was approved. Under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a duty to provide alternative, suitable education for children who are unable to attend school. Cabinet approved a streamlined policy with enhanced clarity for families and education professionals.
A procurement process for a hardware contract for the Schools ICT Traded Service Line received the green light. The economies of scale provide multiple benefits for all parties; they will generate money for the County Council to be reinvested, save money for individual schools and, finally, ensure that pupils have access to the best hardware to support their education.
Warwickshire’s commitment to safe and inclusive communities was reaffirmed with approval of the Warwickshire Safe Accommodation Strategy 2025-2028. Stringent research and a high level of input from victims has led to a strategy which can now focus on providing the best support for victims of domestic abuse and their children.
Cllr Yousef Dahmash, portfolio holder for customer and transformation, said: “As ever, Cabinet discussed a range of issues, demonstrating the breadth of the county council’s activity. My report on integrated performance showed that, despite the pressures the services are facing with increased demand and costs, we are performing well in key areas, notably safeguarding our children and school sufficiency.”
A livestream of the Cabinet meeting can be viewed: Warwickshire County Council Cabinet - 14 November 2024