Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Finance Manager (Adult Services), which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to the end of March, 2013 based on actual income and expenditure to the end of August, 2012. 

It was reported that the forecast for the financial year 2012/13 was a balanced budget against an approved net revenue budget of £74.157M.

The latest year end forecast showed a number of underlying budget pressures which were being offset by a number of forecast underspends:-

·        A forecast underspend on Adults General Management and Training mainly due to savings on charges for postages, telephones and printing

·        Forecast overspends within Older People’s services on In-House Residential Care, In- House Transport, further increase in demand for Direct Payments offset by underspends within Enabling Care, Independent Sector Home Care, Community Mental Health,  Carers Services and slippage on recruitment to vacant posts within Assessment and Care Management

·        Within Learning Disabilities an overspend on Residential Care budgets, recurrent budget pressure on Day Care Transport, additional high cost placements receiving Independent Sector Day Care Provision, increased demand for Direct Payments, increase in Community Support placements, new high cost placements in Independent Day Care reduced by underspend within Independent Sector Supported Living Schemes, savings on premises costs and slippage on vacant posts

·        A forecast overspend on Direct Payments within Mental Health Services together with overspends on employees’ budgets due to unmet vacancy factor were offset by projected underspends on Residential Care and savings on Community Support Services

·        Continued pressure on Independent Sector Domiciliary Care, loss of CHC funding for 1 client, increase in demand for Direct Payments, forecast overspend on Residential and Nursing Care were offset by slippage in developing alternatives to residential provision, underspend on Crossroads as clients were redirected to Direct Payment, vacant posts and savings on contracts with Voluntary Sector providers were the main variations within Physical and Sensory Disability services

·        Slight underspend on employee budgets within Adults Safeguarding plus additional fee income from court of protection

·        Efficiency savings in Supporting People subsidy contracts were being offset against Commissioning savings targets not included in this report.

Total expenditure on Agency staff for Adult Services so far was £100,184 compared with an actual cost of £185,901 for the same period last year.  The main costs were in respect of Assessment and Care Management staff to cover vacancies and sickness.  There had been no expenditure on consultancy to date.

There had been £133,477 spend up to the end of August, 2012, on non-contractual overtime for Adult Services compared with expenditure of £134,340 for the same period last year.

Discussion ensued on the report with the following issues raised/clarified:-

-        A potential risk was the future number and cost of transitional placements from Children’s Services into the Learning and Disability Service which had been raised as part of the 2013/14 budget setting process

-        Forecasts did not include any possible one-off Winter Pressure funding

-        In-house Sitting Service currently under  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29