Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a report presented by Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Neighbourhoods and Adult Services), which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to 31st March, 2015, based on actual income and expenditure for the period ending October, 2014. 

It was reported that the forecast for the financial year 2014/15 was an overspend of £737,000 against an approved net revenue budget of £69.267m.  The main budget pressures related to budget savings from previous years not fully achieved in respect of additional Continuing Health Care Funding plus recurrent pressures and increasing demand for Direct Payments.  There were also delays on achieving budget savings proposals within Learning Disability Services.

Management actions were being developed with the aim of containing expenditure within the approved cash limited budget by the end of the financial year.

The first financial forecast showed there remained a number of underlying budget pressures. The main variations against approved budget for each Service area were as follows:-

Adults General

·         This area included the cross cutting budgets of Workforce planning and training and corporate charges and was forecasting an underspend due to higher than anticipated staff turnover within the Contract and Reviewing Officers Team and the impact of the moratorium on training budgets

Older People

·         Recurrent budget pressure on Direct Payments over budget.  Client numbers had increased since April together with an increase in the amount of a number of care packages

·         Forecast underspend on Enabling Care and Sitting Service based on current level of Service together with an underspend within Independent Sector Home Care which had experienced a slight reduction in demand since April

·         Overspend on Independent Residential and Nursing Care due to delays in achieving the savings target for additional Continuing Health Care (CHC) income.  Additional income from property charges was reducing the overall overspend

·         Planned delays on recruitment to vacant posts within Assessment and Care Management plus additional income from Health resulting in an overall underspent

·         Overall underspend on Rothercare due to savings on maintenance contracts on the new community alarm units and supplies and services

·         Underspends in respect of vacancies within Carers Service

·         The forecast now included one-off Winter Pressures funding from the CCG to increase Social Worker capacity and prevent delayed discharges from hospital

Learning Disabilities

·         Independent sector Residential Care budgets forecasting an underspend and realisation of continued work reviewing all CHC applications and high cost placements as part of budget savings target

·         Forecast overspend within Day Care Services due to a recurrent budget pressure on external transport plus provision for 7 specialist transitional placements from Children’s Services.  This was being reduced slightly due to staff turnover higher than forecast

·         Overspend in Independent Sector Home Care due to increase in demand over and above budget

·         New transitional placements from Children’s Services into Supported Living plus additional demand for Shared Lives was being offset by additional CHC and one-off funding resulting in an overall forecast underspend

·         Delays in meeting approved budget savings on Contracted Services for Employment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40

Consideration was given to a report presented by Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Neighbourhoods and Adult Services), which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to 31st March, 2015, based on actual income and expenditure for the period ending September, 2014. 

It was reported that the forecast for the financial year 2014/15 was an overspend of £900,000 against an approved net revenue budget of £69.267m, a reduction of £370,000 since the last report.  The main budget pressures related to budget savings from previous years not fully achieved in respect of additional Continuing Health Care Funding plus recurrent pressures and increasing demand for Direct Payments.  There were also delays on achieving budget savings proposals within Learning Disability Services.

Management actions were being developed with the aim of containing expenditure within the approved cash limited budget by the end of the financial year.

The latest financial forecast showed there remained a number of underlying budget pressures. The main variations against approved budget for each Service area were as follows:-

Adults General

·         This area included the cross cutting budgets of Workforce planning and training and corporate charges and was forecasting an underspend due to higher than anticipated staff turnover within the Contract and Reviewing Officers Team and the impact of the moratorium on training budgets

Older People

·         Recurrent budget pressure on Direct Payments over budget.  Client numbers had increased since April together with an increase in the amount of a number of care packages

·         Forecast underspend on Enabling Care and Sitting Service based on current level of Service together with an underspend within Independent Sector Home Care which had experienced a slight reduction in demand since April

·         Overspend on Independent Residential and Nursing Care due to delays in achieving the savings target for additional Continuing Health Care (CHC) income.  Additional income from property charges was reducing the overall overspend

·         Planned delays on recruitment to vacant posts within Assessment and Care Management plus additional income from Health resulting in an overall underspend

·         Overall underspend on Rothercare due to savings on maintenance contracts on the new community alarm units and supplies and services

·         Underspends in respect of vacancies within Community Support and Carers

·         The forecast included one-off Winter Pressures funding from the CCG to increase Social Worker capacity and prevent delayed discharges from hospital

Learning Disabilities

·         Independent sector Residential Care budgets forecasting an underspend.  Work continued on reviewing all CHC applications and high cost placements

·         Forecast overspend within Day Care Services due to a recurrent budget pressure on external transport plus provision for 7 specialist transitional placements from Children’s Services.  This was being reduced slightly due to staff turnover higher than forecast

·         Overspend in Independent Sector Home Care due to increase in demand

·         New transitional placements from Children’s Services into Supported Living plus additional demand for Shared Lives was being offset by additional CHC and one-off funding resulting in an overall forecast underspend

·         Delays in meeting approved budget savings on Contracted Services for Employment and Leisure Services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28

Consideration was given to a report presented by Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Neighbourhoods and Adult Services), which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to 31st March, 2015, based on actual income and expenditure for the period ending August, 2014. 

It was reported that the forecast for the financial year 2014/15 was an overspend of £1.270m against an approved net revenue budget of £69.290m.  The main budget pressures related to budget savings from previous years not fully achieved in respect of additional Continuing Health Care Funding plus recurrent pressures and increasing demand for Direct Payments.  There were also delays on achieving budget savings proposals within Learning Disability Services.

Management actions were being developed with the aim of containing expenditure within the approved cash limited budget by the end of the financial year.

The first financial forecast showed there remained a number of underlying budget pressures. The main variations against approved budget for each Service area were as follows:-

Adults General

·         This area included the cross cutting budgets of Workforce planning and training and corporate charges and was forecasting an underspend due to higher than anticipated staff turnover within the Contract and Reviewing Officers Team

Older People

·         Recurrent budget pressure on Direct Payments over budget.  Client numbers had increased since April together with an increase in the amount of a number of care packages

·         Forecast underspend on Enabling Care and Sitting Service based on current level of Service together with an underspend within Independent Sector Home Care which had experienced a slight reduction in demand as at the end of August

·         Overspend on Independent Residential and Nursing Care due to delays in achieving the savings target for additional Continuing Health Care (CHC) income.  Additional income from property charges was reducing the overall overspend

·         Planned delays on recruitment to vacant posts within Assessment and Care Management plus additional income from Health resulting in an overall underspend

·         Overall underspend on Rothercare due to savings on maintenance contracts on the new community alarm units and supplies and services

·         Underspends in respect of vacancies within Community Support and Carers

·         The forecast now included one-off Winter Pressures funding from the CCG to increase Social Worker capacity and prevent delayed discharges from hospital

Learning Disabilities

·         Independent sector Residential Care budgets forecasting an underspend due to additional Health funding.  Work continued on reviewing all CHC applications and high cost placements

·         Forecast overspend within Day Care Services due to a recurrent budget pressure on external transport plus provision for 7 specialist transitional placements from Children’s Services.  This was being reduced slightly due to staff turnover higher than forecast

·         Overspend in Independent Sector Home Care due to increase in demand

·         New transitional placements from Children’s Services into Supported Living plus additional demand for Shared Lives was being offset by additional CHC and one-off funding resulting in an overall forecast underspend

·         Delays in meeting approved budget savings on Contracted Services for Employment and Leisure Services had increased due to extended consultation to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3