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Council must address £9.14m funding gap to set one year budget

4 February 2020
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News

Sefton Council must address a further £9.14m funding gap to set a balanced budget for 2020/21.

For the past 6 years, the local authority has worked towards setting 2 three-year budget plans to ensure that the Council’s financial statutory obligations are met.

However, the Government’s latest settlement is for one year only, which makes it extremely difficult to forecast the funding the Council is likely to receive in 2021/22 and 2022/23.

A report outlining a budget plan for 2020/21 has just been released that will go to Cabinet on February 13 with a final decision made along with setting any Council Tax increases at the Budget Meeting on February 27.

The report outlines a shortfall of £9.14m for 2020/21 and at least a further £22.83m for the following two years.

These further savings come after Sefton Council has been required to meet an overall budget shortfall of £233m since 2010.

Cllr Ian Maher, Labour leader at Sefton Council, said: “Since 2010 we have had to make savings of more than £233m – that equates to a staggering £722 per household in the borough.

“The process of trying to set a balanced budget seems to be relentless and we now have to make further tough choices for the next financial year and our budget plan will have to reflect this.

“While we have an excellent track record of effectively managing our finances and delivering financial sustainability, this is becoming increasingly difficult and what the Government is proposing is simply not a viable solution.

“There are still huge pressures on both adult and children’s social care along with our schools but our calls for help in these areas seem to go ignored. These pressures are only going to get worse and the government continues to expect the Council to increase Council Tax to ensure our most vulnerable are protected.

“However, we will strive to ensure that essential services that safeguard the most vulnerable residents across the whole borough are protected and prioritised in addition to ensuring that financial sustainability is maintained.

“This is no easy feat and when I look around the borough, I’m still amazed and impressed with the quantity and quality of services that we still continue to offer.

“The budget plan report will hopefully enable us to set a balanced budget for 2020/21 and allow us to plan for the next two years to give the Council sufficient time to identify specific proposals to deliver financial sustainability until 2023.

“We will continue to work with our elected members and partners during this uncertain period and carry on doing the best for our valued communities.”

Find your Brave during Children’s Mental Health Week

3 February 2020
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News, Young People

Leaders at NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Southport and Formby CCG and Sefton Council are backing Children’s Mental Health Week (February 3-9). They are encouraging children to talk to their parents or carers about their mental health and to seek support from local services.

 Dr Wendy Hewitt, children and safeguarding lead for both CCGs in Sefton, said: “Poor mental health isn’t something that only affects adults – children can suffer as well.

“According to Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity, around three children in every primary school class have a mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying to bereavement. So, it’s important to raise awareness of this and encourage children to speak up.

“The week shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is Find your Brave. We’re encouraging parents, teachers, friends and family to start a conversation around mental health with the children in their lives.

“By engaging in these kinds of conversations, we hope children will feel more comfortable sharing how they’re feeling, and that awareness around children’s mental health will increase.”

 For more information on how to speak to your child about their feelings, visit the NHS website.

There are a number of services available to children and young people in the area who need support.

 Children aged 11 to 18, living in Sefton have access to an online counselling and emotional wellbeing platform. ‘Kooth’ (www.kooth.com) provides free and anonymous mental health and wellbeing support to young people and can be accessed via a mobile phone, tablet or computer.

 Councillor John Joseph Kelly, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Safeguarding, said “Services such as Kooth mean children and young people have access to mental health support when they need it.  Being able to access good advice, guidance and support via mobile phone, tablet or computer is a great way to help make sure that children and young people can develop positive mental wellbeing and find their brave.”

 Children and young people, and their families and carers, with concerns about emotional and mental wellbeing can also speak with their GP or other health professional (like school nurse, social worker, health visitor or teacher) for help and advice.

National Apprenticeship Week at Sefton Council

31 January 2020
John McCabe
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council

Across the UK employers and apprentices alike will be celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (February 3 –9).  

Sefton Council is proud to be taking part and helping dispel the myths as well as stereotypes surrounding Apprenticeships. 

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2020 is Look Beyond. The aim is to encourage everyone to look beyond the outdated stereotypes surrounding apprenticeships whilst celebrating the diversity of opportunity and value that they bring. Sefton Council will be highlighting a few apprentices on the Council’s Instagram and Facebook Story features, to show the value that we as an organisation place on apprentices!  

An apprenticeship can unlock fantastic long-term career options across a diverse range of roles and industries. Apprentices can be any age, a new employee or a current employee looking to retrain. 

Another misconception about apprenticeships is that apprentices are ‘just employed to make the tea’. Today’s apprentices are making impact, not tea!  

The game has changed. Every day, right now, thousands of businesses and apprentices are succeeding together. Apprentices get a win-win – real work, in a real company, training to get the skills companies really want, with the bonus of a guaranteed salary.  

Employers get to see a fresh injection of talent, keen, inquisitive and bursting with new ideas. Engineering, business administration, agriculture, digital marketing– if you can think of it, there’s probably an apprenticeship available.  

So, whoever you are, whatever your background – your new career could be out there. What are you waiting for?  

https://www.sefton.gov.uk/jobs,-training-and-volunteering/apprenticeships.aspx 

Council wants your view on Great George’s Road improvements

31 January 2020
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Business and Economy, Essential Sefton, Front Page, Latest News

A consultation has launched to allow people to have their say on a series of fantastic improvements to Great George’s Road in Waterloo.

Sefton Council have recently explored a number of ways to regenerate facilities for pedestrians and cyclists along the A565, which includes improvements to the junction with Great Georges Road.

Works will include improvements to the Five Lamps crossing to increase safety for pedestrians, while the addition of a separate cycleway aims to provide a safe route for family cycling.

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Locality Services, said: “Following on from our declaration of a Climate Change Emergency, we have been committed to doing all we can to reduce carbon emissions.

“One way of helping us meet our carbon reduction target and to improve air quality is to encourage people to walk and cycle rather than use their cars.

“We want to make an environment where walking and cycling is more enjoyable, fun and the best way to travel.

“The aim of the works will look to improve accessibility between Crosby Coastal Park and Litherland. Funding for the scheme will come through the Liverpool City Region’s Sustainable Transport Enhancements Programme (STEP).”

Residents of Waterloo and those who use the A565 will have a chance to have their say on the proposals until Monday, March 2. 

Three public events will take place next week to allow people to see the proposals face to face. These are:

  • Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre (Feb 4, 17:00-20:00)
  • Waterloo Community Centre (Feb 6, 11:00 – 14:00)
  • Crosby Library (Feb 7, 12:00 – 16:00)

To have your say online, visit https://yourseftonyoursay.sefton.gov.uk/ or to request a paper copy please call 0345 140 0845 or email transport.planning@sefton.gov.uk.

 

Police Commissioners seeks your views on funding for frontline policing

29 January 2020
Ollie Cowan
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Categories: Latest News, Police, Your Sefton

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner has today launched her annual consultation on police funding, asking local people if they would be willing to pay a little more to protect frontline policing.

The consultation follows the Government’s announcement last week which confirmed Merseyside would receive an extra £23m in direct grant to cover the costs of recruiting 200 new officers this next year, including providing items such as uniforms, vehicles, and additional office space and infrastructure as promised by the Prime Minister.

However, the Government have not provided any additional money to cover the increase in the force’s day-to-day running costs, in particular last year’s pay rise. Instead ministers expect Police and Crime Commissioner to raise the local council tax to cover such costs to ensure the budget can be balanced for the next financial year.

The increase in council tax would see the majority of householders on Merseyside – those living in a Band A household – pay an extra 13p per week or £6.67 a year. This would generate an extra £4.8m for Merseyside Police for the year ahead.

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy said: “It is my duty to ensure Merseyside Police has the resources to protect you and serve our communities. In recent years this has been difficult and the Government have cut their financial support to police forces.

“During austerity Merseyside Police had its funding reduced by the Government every year, leading to the loss of more than 1,100 officers and many departments being cut to the bone. This has led to a greater reliance on the money local council taxpayers contribute.

“The funding settlement announced last week shows that the Government has listened to Police and Crime Commissioners, police leaders, trade unions and staff associations and finally recognised the damage they have done with 10 years of cuts to policing.

“However, funding pressures still exist and even with the officers promised by the Prime Minister, Merseyside Police will still be short of the number we had in 2010.

“If I don’t take the opportunity to increase the police precept, as expected by central government, Merseyside Police will be left struggling to cover the inflationary pressures it faces, such as meeting the increased pay for officers approved last year.

“I have launched this snap survey to get the feedback of local residents. This is a chance for local people to voice their views and say if they would be willing to support an increase of 13p a week to protect frontline policing. This increase would give the Chief Constable an extra £4.8m to police Merseyside. It does not compare to what we have lost, but it is essential if the Chief Constable is to keep up with the increasing demands he faces.

“I am keenly aware of the impact on local people of an increase to their council tax and I will be taking the public’s opinion into account when I make my final decision.”

Since 2010 Merseyside Police has had to make cuts of £110m. In that time, the size of the organisation has reduced by a quarter, with 1,120 fewer police officers now patrolling the region’s streets.

People are invited to have their say through a short online survey available at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MerseysidePoliceFunding by midnight on Thursday 6th February.

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