Agenda and minutes

Venue: Town Hall, Moorgate Street, Rotherham.

Contact: Jackie Lacock (Ext. 2053) 

Items
No. Item

85.

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 15th December, 2008 pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting held on 15th December, 2008, be approved as a correct record.

86.

Adult Services Revenue Budget Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager presented the submitted report which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department to the end of March, 2009, based on actual income and expenditure to the end of November, 2008.

 

The approved net revenue budget for Adult Services for 2008/09 was £68.5m. This included the approved budget funding for demographic and existing budget pressures together with a number of efficiency savings identified through the 2008/09 budget setting process.

 

The report showed that there were budget pressures, with a projected net overspend of £997,000 (1.45%) to the year end.

 

The latest year end projections showed there were the following main budget pressures:-

 

  • Delays in shifting the balance of home care until January, 2009, due to the decision taken by the Council to undertake a further round of consultation with the Trade Unions and employees.  This was expected to result in a forecast overspend of £1M by the end of the financial year.  The latest forecast assumes the target of a 35/65 split would be achieved by the end of March, 2009.  Any further delays would impact on these financial projections and would continue to be closely monitored.
  • Direct payments (£194k forecast overspend), within Physical and Sensory Disabilities and Mental Health Services, which should be seen in a positive manner as it represented a substantial increase in support service users.  This was part of the Local Area Agreement action plan to increase the numbers of people accessing direct payment, and in return for this excellent level of performance, the Council was on track to exceed the target which will lever £360k in Performance Reward Grant funding by March, 2009.
  • Additional unforeseen placements into residential care for clients with Physical and Sensory Disabilities (£140k : a net increase of 7 placements).
  • Overspends within employees budgets (£127k) within domiciliary care management and administration teams were over and above budget.
  • Pressures had also been identified in respect of increased energy costs (£215k) within residential and day centres.  This increase, together with energy costs across all directorates, was being monitored.

 

The above pressures were being partially offset by additional income from continuing health placements (£-546k) and slippage in the implementation of supported living schemes (-£154k).

 

The overall forecast outturn included the impact of the delays in finalising the construction on the two new residential care homes, and the decommissioning of the five residential care homes which was now scheduled to take place in the second week of January.  Any further delays would impact on the current financial projections and further impact on budget, which would be reported as soon as it was identified.

 

Budget clinics with Service Directors and managers would continue to take place on a monthly basis to monitor performance against approved budget and to further consider options for managing expenditure within the budget.

 

Resolved:-  That the latest financial projection against budget for the year based on actual income and expenditure to the end of November, 2008, for Adult Services.

87.

Adult Services Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2008/09 pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Adult Services) presented the submitted report which informed members of the anticipated outturn against the approved Adult Services Capital Programme for the 2008/09 financial year.

 

Actual expenditure to mid-December, 2008, was £7.5M against an approved annual programme of £9.8M.  The approved schemes were funded from a variety of different funding sources including, unsupported borrowing, allocations from the capital receipts, Supported Capital Expenditure and specific capital grant funding. 

 

The report provided a brief summary of the latest position on the main projects within each client group.

 

Older People

 

The construction of the two new residential homes was now complete but the timetable for full decommissioning of existing homes into the two new homes had been delayed and would now commence from 19th January, 2009.

 

The Assistive Technology Grant (which included funding from NHS Rotherham) was being managed jointly and was being used to purchase Telehealth and Telecare equipment to enable people to live in their own homes.  The procurement of equipment had now commenced which included lifeline connect alarms, low temperature sensors and fall detectors within people’s homes.

 

A small element of the Department of Health specific grant (£20k) issued in 2007/08 to improve the environment within residential care provision was carried forward into 2008/09.  The balance of grant was being allocated across the independent residential care sector in accordance with the grant conditions and would be fully spent in 2008/09.

 

Learning Disabilities

 

The small balances of funding carried forward from 2007/08 were to be used for the equipment for Parkhill Lodge and within supported living schemes.

 

The refurbishment at Addison Day Centre, funded from the Council’s Strategic Maintenance Investment Fund, was now complete.  There had been delays in the start of the refurbishment of the REACH Day centre due to insufficient funding, and the scheme was now due to commence in January, 2009.

 

Mental Health

 

A small balance remained on the Cedar House capital budget and would be used for the purchase of additional equipment.  A large proportion of the Supported Capital Expenditure (SCE) allocation had been carried forward from previous years due to difficulties in finding suitable accommodation for the development of supported living schemes.  Suitable properties were being identified and spending plans were being developed.  The possibility of funding equipment purchased for direct payments was also being considered to reduce the current pressures on the revenue budgets.  Further options were also being considered to provide more intensive supported living schemes with a range of providers and to fund a range of new assistive technologies for this client group, which would allow them to live in the community with access to 24 hour support.

 

Management Information

 

Part of the capital grant for Improving Management Information was carried forward into 2008/09.  The funding had been earmarked to further develop Electronic Social Care Records within Health and Social Care working with the Council’s strategic partner RBT and Children and Young People’s Services.  At the end of August the Department of Health announced a new capital  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.

88.

Date and time of next meeting:- 26 January 2009

Minutes:

Resolved:- That the next meeting be held on Monday, 26th January, 2009 commencing at 10.00 am.