Issue - meetings

Report CS16001

The Committee considered a report setting out the draft Care Services Portfolio Budget for 2017/18, which incorporated future cost pressures and initial draft saving options to be reported to the Council’s Executive on 11^th January 2017.  Members were requested to provide their comments on the proposed savings and identify any further action to be taken to reduce cost pressures facing the Local Authority over the next four years.

The Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance reported that no additional growth pressures had been identified within the initial budget for the Care Services Portfolio for 2016/17, but that there had been an additional allocation of £300k placed in contingency for homelessness for 2016/17, rising to £2,040k for 2019/20.  Subject to the finalisation of the Care Services Portfolio Budget for 2016/17, a request could be made to the Council’s Executive for the drawdown of these funds if required.

The Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance advised Members that a number of pressures continued to impact the Care Services Portfolio budget including the introduction of the National Living Wage, an increase in referrals to Children’s Social Care, the ongoing increase in demand for temporary accommodation and welfare reform changes.  The majority of the overspend in the Portfolio budget had been in Children’s Social Care.  The draft Care Services Portfolio Budget for 2017/18 incorporated Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the additional revenue funding that had been agreed by the Council’s Executive to deliver the Children’s Services Improvement Action Plan, and Phase 3 of this funding was held in contingency and would become part of the budget setting process when the Council’s Executive agreed the release of these funds.  There was also an overspend in the area of Adult Social Care which was currently held in contingency.

In response to a question from a Member, the Head of Education, Care and Health Service Finance advised Members that the Local Authority was permitted to levy an additional 2% Adult Social Care Precept on Council Tax for each of the next three years towards adult social care provision.  This funding could only be used to support existing initiatives and would primarily be used to contribute towards the additional staffing costs incurred by the introduction of the National Minimum Wage.

RESOLVED that:

1)  The financial forecast for 2017/18 to 2020/21 be noted;

2)  Members’ comments on the initial draft saving options proposed by the Executive for 2017/18 be noted; and,

3)  Members’ comments on the initial draft 2017/18 Care Services Portfolio Budget be provided to the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 8^th February 2016.