Issue - meetings

Report FSD22064

The Committee considered a report providing the budget monitoring position for 2022/23 for the Adult Care and Health Portfolio, based on activity up to the end of July 2022.

The Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing advised that there was a projected overspend of £594k on the controllable budget. To provide some context, it was noted that at the Final Outturn report, presented to the Committee in June 2022, had reported full year effect cost pressures of £6.6m and growth of £4.5m had been included. Coming into the financial year, a greater overspend had been expected, which had been aided by the funding from the South East London Integrated Care Board (£3.3m). The main pressure related to hospital discharge packages, and one-off funding had been drawn down and set aside for Discharge to Assess (D2A).

A Member noted the latest full year effects, particularly in relation to Assessment and Care Management and Mental Health Care Placements, and enquired how sustainable the current position was considered to be. The Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing said that this was difficult to answer as this issue was likely to be overtaken by the Fair Cost of Care work.

In response to a question regarding the proportion of Assessment and Care Management - Care Placements spend for the 18-64 (£564k) and 65+ (£257k) age groups, the Head of Finance for Adults, Health and Housing said that a lot of the pressures related to the 65+ cohort were connected to hospital discharges, and a lesser full year effect was anticipated the following year. For those in the 18-64 cohort, if more service users entered into the service now, it would have a greater effect the following year. It was agreed that these figures would be checked following the meeting. Members were advised that the Community Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (CDoLS) budget had been set a few years previously – a growth element had been included, and to date had recorded an underspend. The Director of Adult Social Care highlighted that the projected spend could not be predicted as the service was demand led. Delivery was within budget, and there may be further referrals into the service during the year ahead.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommend to:

i.)  Note the projected overspend of £594k on controllable expenditure based on information as at July 2022;

ii.)  Agree the release of amounts carried forward from 2021/22 as set out in section 3.5 of the report; and,

iii.)  Recommend that Executive agree the release of funds from the Central Contingency as set out in section 3.6 of the report.