Priorities - Essex County Council unveils plans to both help families stay together and boost the Essex economy
Essex County Council is set to become the first council in the country to introduce a ground-breaking approach to help vulnerable children avoid being taken into care.
Plans for a Social Impact Bond were among the measures supporting vulnerable members of the community and boosting the county’s economy announced by the leader of Essex County Council, Cllr Peter Martin, in his budget speech at full council last month.
Under the bond, outside investment will be gained to commission intensive family and community-based work with children at risk of being taken into care or through the court system to help them remain with their families.
This will help improve their quality of life and employment opportunities in the future.
SUCCESS
Cllr Martin said: “This work will strengthen families’ own capacity to cope and avoid young people having to enter care or custody. The council will pay only for success, keeping families together, preventing care and improving young people’s life chances.”
The whole package of measures agreed at last month's budget meeting means residents will continue to receive value for money services and benefit from a freeze on council tax for a second successive year.
The council is set to make £123million savings in 2012/13. In total, it is projected to have saved nearly £330million by March 2013 through its transformation programme and other savings.
Cllr Martin added: “We fully understand the difficulties people are having during this tough economic time and this is why we have frozen the council tax for the second successive year.
“The budget we have agreed has prioritised spending on our economic infrastructure and on safeguarding our most vulnerable but it is also a budget that ensures we are ready and able to take on the challenges of the future.”
The council is committed to working smarter by delivering efficiency savings and improving services and the budget has been developed to help prepare for a predicted funding shortfall in the coming years.
Essex County Council’s share of the band D council tax will be £1,086.75.
Budget highlights
Listen to Cllr Martin speak about the budget