Information from Oxfordshire

I requested information from Oxfordshire County Council after looking at their Annual Efficiency Statement (AES) - I had some useful information in return:

• £16k from spot purchasing of nursing beds: Oxfordshire County Council made this saving by reducing the number of block beds purchased, whilst at the same time maintaining the number of National Health beds purchased. The council no longer purchases beds in a block at Southerndown Care Home in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
  
• £13k from identifying health care tasks: A number of clients served by Oxfordshire County Council are shared care clients. This saving was made by improving the identification of tasks within a care package that are eligible for health funding in general.
  
• £16k from reducing book binding spending: Oxfordshire Libraries’ expenditure on book binding had been decreasing previous to the 2007/08 AES. This was due primarily to two factors:
  

1. The increasingly larger proportion of stock bought in paperback format.
   
2. The increasing investment in on-line information resources. 
   

• £32k from more effective income generation: At the time of the 2007-08 AES, Oxfordshire County Council was looking at ways that its Educational Advisors could generate further income for the Educational Effectiveness Service. Some examples include advisors who are registered Ofsted inspectors. Some of these advisors generate income for the Service by carrying out inspections in other authorities for Ofsted, but during County Council time meaning the income for these inspections was paid to the Service. Similarly a number of advisors have skills or experience in other aspects of work beyond the specific remit of Educational Advisor. Where possible this knowledge and experience has been made available to other authorities and organisations as a paid service. However, since the 2007-08 AES, Oxfordshire County Council’s Children, Young People and Families Directorate has been undergoing a restructure.  This previous method of income generation by Educational Advisors i not being given the same priority as it was seen to be detrimental to our own service delivery.  Our core purpose is to challenge and advise Oxfordshire schools.

Thanks to Oxfordshire County Council for this information.