Issue - meetings

Report FSD21020

The Committee considered a report providing the budget monitoring position for 2020/21 for the Adult Care and Health Portfolio based on activity up to the end of December 2020. The Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing advised that the current position of the Adult Care and Health Portfolio was a projected underspend of £591k.

A Member noted the change of variations related to learning disability and mental health budgets included in the Adult Care and Health Portfolio Budget Monitoring Summary and enquired as to how these gains had been made. The Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing said that the reduction in the learning disability overspend was mainly due to the continued closure of day services and the related transport provision. The Quarter 2 Budget Monitoring report had been produced in September 2020 when it had not been foreseen that they would remain closed for the remainder of the financial year. It was noted that several factors had contributed to the reduction in the mental health overspend. Sadly, there had been some additional client deaths but also a reduction in packages and an increase in client contributions.

A Member noted the statement made that the closure of day care centres had led to an increased demand for domiciliary care and asked if this could be quantified. The Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing said he was unsure that it would be possible to provide this detail if the reasons for using a package of care were not recorded in the finance module of the case management system. It was considered that the majority of the overspend was likely to be linked to post-discharge packages of care. The Director of Adult Social Care highlighted that where services had been closed alternative support had been funded. This would be recorded against individual case files but not within the financial system.

The Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing noted the underspend within the department and Members were advised that the Council-wide budget monitoring report to the Executive was due to be published recommending that departmental underspends for this year be set aside in a reserve, and used to help manage COVID-19 related pressures during the following financial year. In response to a question, the Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing emphasised that the report had not yet been published, so may change, but he believed that the intention was for all underspends to be placed in a single reserve which any departments facing pressures could call upon. Any request would be subject to Executive agreement however it was considered that the source of the underspend, and its need during the next financial year, would be taken into account.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder note the projected net underspend of £591k on controllable expenditure (excluding the impact of COVID-19), based on information as at December 2020.