The next generation

When looking at the challenges councils encounter when dealing with children and young people, it seems apt to start with a quote from the 2011 Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services: “A cycle of deprivation and low aspiration has been allowed to persist because preventative measures have not been prioritised. It is estimated that as much as 40 per cent of all spending on public services is accounted for by interventions that could have been avoided by prioritising a preventative approach.”

According to the commission, chaired by the late Campbell Christie, prevention is key. This idea, laid out so starkly in this important document, is not a new or foreign concept to anyone working in and around local government. Children and young people are a vital part of the puzzle to help improve Scotland and to make its people happier, healthier and wealthier, and it is councils who are tasked with making many of the changes which will ultimately ensure this turnaround. 

Scotland has a long history of universal public education and for local government, the education budget is a huge part of their overall spend. Two councils are leading the way with an innovative look at how this service is delivered. Introduced in December 2010, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils agreed to provide education and social services in partnership. Heads of service posts for education and social services happened to become vacant at the same time in the two councils, which prompted them to think about options for working together. Two new heads of service were appointed, each with responsibility for their service across both council areas. Ultimately the aim was to provide better, more efficient services for citizens by sharing best practice and making the most of the skills, expertise and experience across both local authorities.

David Leng, Head of Education at Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils, has been in the role for a year and is looking at how the project can move forward. He told Holyrood: “In June this year, the councils committed to exploring a fuller integration along the lines of a lead authority model which basically means that Clackmannanshire would deliver social care services for the two councils, so Stirling would be commissioning from Clackmannanshire. On the other side, Stirling would deliver education for both, with Clackmannanshire commissioning. That takes us into new territory because it means a potential transfer of staff. The two councils have just agreed to commit to a fully worked up business case so that will be prepared between now and the turn of the year. It will then go back to the councils and if they agree, we will proceed to the next stage of the shared service programme which is a lead authority model.”

Another important area for councils is childcare. In August, the Scottish Government committed at least £280m over the next two years to expand annual funded provision for three and four-year-olds to 600 hours (almost 16 hours a week) and to extend this to the 27 per cent most disadvantaged two-year-olds, reaching around 15 per cent of them in the first year.

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People, said: “The Scottish Government is committed to improving and increasing high-quality, flexible early learning and childcare that is accessible and affordable for all children and families, and which matches the best in Europe. We have now expanded funded provision for three and four-year-olds by 45 per cent since 2007 – an increase worth up to £707 a year per child – and are extending this entitlement to thousands of our most disadvantaged two-year-olds.
“The legislation also requires local authorities to consult with groups of parents at least once every two years on patterns of provision that would best meet their needs. This should introduce a greater level of flexibility and choice for families as we continue working with local authorities to develop and extend provision.”  

Case study: City of Edinburgh Council

In Edinburgh, one of the pledges of the coalition administration is to ensure every child in Edinburgh has the best start in life. With a population of over 480,000, the council faces many challenges in delivering this pledge. Paul Godzik, convener of the local authority’s Education, Children and Families Committee, knows this better than most. Speaking to Holyrood, he highlighted some of the main challenges and achievement in the capital.

He said: “The committee looks after half the council budget and the subject matter is very wide and varied. One of the big issues we’ve had to deal with since the start of the session is an increase in pupil numbers coming through the education system. Between 2012 and 2020, we’re looking at a 20 per cent increase in the school population. 
“This is a huge issue to manage and we had to look at the budget for that early in this session. We have been working with school communities to try and get the best options for them to ensure they can cope with the increase in pupil demand. We’ve had a number of very good consultation events and we’ve worked with parents looking at the best options for their school. 

“Another issue in terms of numbers is around looked-after children. In Edinburgh we’ve had to look closely at this because there is an increase in demand. We’ve tried to use Early Years Change Fund monies to put in place a transformation programme, to look at early intervention and how early intervention can stymie demand. We’re trying to ensure we get the best results for children but also the best value.

“Another big challenge and opportunity is around early years. The challenge is providing the 600 hours which has been laid down by legislation. Above and beyond that, there is a need and expectation to provide more affordable and flexible care. That is something every council in the UK is grappling with. Over the next few years, we need to look at how we do that more flexibly and how we offer parents greater flexibility in terms of the care we offer.”

Edinburgh is also moving ahead with their school building programme. The sods were cut for the new Portobello High School just last week, and the council is also going forward with the new James Gillespie’s and Boroughmuir high schools.