Sustainable Savings in Children's Services at Islington Council

The 'Why'

Islington Council has an OFSTED ‘Outstanding’ Children and Young People’s Service that delivers excellent outcomes from children and families in the borough.  However, like many Councils, Islington is faced with needing to make significant savings to its budget over the next three years. Roretti was commissioned to support the development of a 3-year savings strategy that would deliver a balanced budget while protecting the excellent services of the borough.

What We Did

We worked together with staff across the CYP directorate to develop a set of savings that they developed and owned. 

• Data-driven analysis: We conducted a comprehensive data analysis to understand Islington's current spending patterns and identify potential savings opportunities.

  
  

• Collaborative workshops: Our subject-matter experts facilitated a series of workshops with staff across the directorate. These sessions created a space for leaders to look at the analysis and options for savings, with the ability to consider service and political impact.

  
  

• Independent scrutiny: We provided external insight including benchmarking performance and service delivery models from other local authorities to determine levels of possible savings, and reviewing existing governance to ensure successful delivery of savings

Outcomes

• Substantial cost savings: We identified and validated £11.9 million in savings over the two phases.

  
  

• The art of the possible: Our benchmarking helped determine where costs could be reduced while protecting services that work well for local people.

  
  

• Sustainable foundation: We helped lay the groundwork for implementing the savings plan and transitioning to a more cost-effective operating model.