Next month senior figures within the crisis-hit Powys Children’s Services Department are expected to explain why their budget is a long, long way in the red.
Along with Children’s Services portfolio holder, Cllr Rachel Powell, the management team will face questions from members of the Finance Scrutiny Panel.
Despite all the funding being pumped into the department, the latest figures show that an extra £483,000 was given to the department in a month.
The financial overview report for the situation at the end of September said: “Costs continue to escalate within Children’s Services with a projected overspend of £6.026 million for the year, an increase of £483,000 since that reported in August.”
This is on top of the £6 million given to the department earlier this year to help turn things around.
The department has 14 extra members of staff above the maximum, but the report adds that “many posts” are covered by costly agency staff.
Audit committee chairman, Cllr John Morris, had expressed concerns to the cabinet and felt the department needed to explain that they had control of the finance.
Cllr Morris told the Audit Committee: “The portfolio holder (Cllr Rachel Powell) has answered our request for a meeting.”
“In a month they have gone up another £500,000 is that going to the end of the year? Is that it? We don’t know.”
“We have requested that the team come to FSP to go through where they are and where they think they will be. That will happen on December 13.”
In October 2017, the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), now known as the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), produced a damning inspection report into Children’s Services, which revealed missed opportunities to safeguard children, poor risk assessment and serious performance issues with frontline services.
In recent weeks inspectors have been back at the department to assess the situation a year on.
They will be publishing their report in the new year.
