Agenda item

Report CS18014

The Committee considered a report setting out the budget monitoring position for the Care Services Portfolio for 2017/18, based on expenditure to the end of May 2017. 

The controllable budget was forecast to be in an overspend position of £990k, assuming further management action was taken throughout the year to maintain this position.  This was a result of predicted overspends across a number of services including Assessment and Care Management, Learning Disabilities and Temporary Accommodation which was due to a number of reasons including higher than expected demand for services and increased costs due to the impact of the National Living Wage on some care contracts.

Members were advised that at its meeting on 20^th June 2016, the Council’s Executive approved a number of carry forward requests for funding to be transferred into contingency for 2017/18.  These carry forward requests which totalled £513k related to either unspent grant income or delays in expenditure where cost pressures would follow through into 2017/18.

In considering the report, the Chairman was concerned to note the overspend position of £990k for the Care Services Portfolio for 2017/18, and emphasised that this would have a full year effect of £3,127k unless further management action was taken.  The Chairman advised Members it was proposed that a series of meetings to scrutinise the budget be held between the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Portfolio Holder for Care Services and Executive Support Assistant with the Deputy Chief Executive and the Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance, and that the findings of these meetings would be reported to the Care Services PDS Committee.  This proposal was supported by the Care Services PDS Committee.  The Chairman noted that the aim of these meetings was to identify a range of management actions to reduce the overspend, but that there was also a need to confirm if the agreed budget for 2017/18 continued to be realistic to deliver the required services.  A Member underlined the importance of reviewing the experience of service users as part of this process.

The Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that an action plan to address the budget overspend was in development and further information would be reported to the Care Services PDS Committee as it became available.

RESOLVED that:

1)  The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Portfolio Holder for Care Services and Executive Support Assistant  attend regular meetings with the Deputy Chief Executive and the Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance to scrutinise the budget and report findings to the Care Services PDS Committee; and,

2)  The Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

i)  Note the latest projected overspend of £990k forecast on the controllable budget, based on information as at May 2017;

ii)  Note the full year effect of cost pressures of £3,127k for the Care Services Portfolio budget for 2017/18;

iii)  Agree the release of carry forward amounts held in contingency relating to Integration Funding – Better Care Fund, Better Care Fund – GoodGym, Better Care Fund, Fire Safety Grant, Community Housing Fund Grant and Implementing Welfare Reform Changes; and,

iv)  Approve the Care Services Portfolio Budget Monitoring Report 2017/18.