Agenda and minutes

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting held on 25^th January, 2010 be approved as a correct record.

Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Adult Services) presented the submitted report which provided a financial forecast for the Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate to the end of March 2010 based on actual income and expenditure to the end of December 2009.

The approved net revenue budget for Adult Services for 2009/10 was £72.9m which included additional funding for demographic and existing budget pressures together with a number of new investments and efficiency savings identified through the 2009/10 budget setting process.

The latest budget monitoring report showed some underlying pressures of £2.1m.  However after taking account of a number of identified savings and management actions achieved to date these pressures were reduced and assuming the assuming the balance of management actions (£85K) were achieved there was a forecast overall net overspend of £69k by the end of the financial year.

The latest year end forecast showed the main budget pressures in the following areas:-

• Home Care as a result of delays in shifting the balance provision to the independent sector (+£612k).  The 70/30 split was achieved at the end of July 2009 and the balance had now moved beyond 70/30.
• Increase in residential and nursing care short stays over and above approved budget for clients with a physical and sensory disability (+£85k)
• Independent sector home care provision for Physical and Sensory Disability clients had increased by an additional 970 hours since April 2009, a further 38 clients were now receiving a service.  This was resulting in an overspend of £378k against the approved budget.
• A significant increase above approved budget in clients receiving a Direct Payment within Physical and Sensory Disabilities and Older People’s Services (+£405), reduced by Social Care Reform Grant Allocation of (-£100k).
• Additional one-off expenditure was being incurred in respect of the costs of boarding up, removal of utilities and security costs at the former residential care homes prior to them transferring to the Council’s property bank (+£200k)
• Delays in the implementation of budget savings agreed as part of the budget setting process for 2009/10 in respect of meals on wheels (+£290k), laundry (+£141k) and the bathing service (+£40k)
• Continued pressure on the cost of external transport provision for Learning Disability Day care clients (+£82k).

These pressures have been reduced by:-

• Additional income from continuing health care funding from NHS Rotherham (-£222k)
• Delays in the implementation of new supported living schemes within Learning Disability services
• Savings within independent residential care due to an increase in income from property charges (-£668k) and slippage in intermediate care spot beds (-£40k)
• Savings on the reconfiguration of Extra Care housing (-£340k)
• Planned delay in developing rehabilitation and supported living facilities for clients with a physical and sensory disability (-£157k) plus agreed delay in developing respite care provision (-£157k)
• Slippage in recruitment to a number of new posts (-£74) where additional funding was agreed within the 2009/10 budget process.

The Directorate continued to identify additional management actions to mitigate the outstanding budget pressures above.  The majority (93%) of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84.

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 2009/10 financial year.

It provided detail of the approved capital programme for the Adult Services department of the Neighbourhoods and Adult Services Directorate, actual expenditure for the period April 2009 to 15^th January 2010 and the projected final outturn position for each scheme.

Actual expenditure to the mid January 2010 was £477k against a revised programme of £1.2m for 2009/10. Total funding of £480k had been carried forward into 2010/11 since the last report. 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 following information provided a brief summary of the latest position on the main projects within each client group.

Older People

The two new residential care homes opened in February 2009. The balance of funding (£230k) related to outstanding fees and the cost of any final minor works.  

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. A procurement plan to spend the remaining NHSR funding was currently being finalised and would now be procured in 2010/11. The RMBC funding was approved and included the purchase of lifeline connect alarms, low temperature sensors and fall detectors within peoples homes.

A small element of the Department of Health specific grant (£13.5k) issued in 2007/08 to improve the environment within residential care provision was carried forward into 2009/10.  The remaining balance of funding was being spent within in-house residential care services.

Learning Disabilities

The small balances of funding (£10k) carried forward from 2008/09 were to be used for the purchase of equipment for Parkhill Lodge and within existing supported living schemes.

The refurbishment at Addison Day Centre (Phase 2) was now complete and awaiting final invoices.

Since the last report a new scheme to refurbish the respite centre at Treefields had been approved from the Councils Strategic Maintenance Investments fund and would be completed in early May 2010. 

Mental Health

A small balance remains 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 continued to be identified and spending plans were being developed jointly with RDASH.  The possibility of funding equipment purchased for direct payments was also being considered to reduce the current pressures on the mental health revenue budgets and was included as a management action (£50k). 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 mental health  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

Chrissy Wright, Director for Commissioning and Partnerships presented the submitted report in respect of Shield (HIV and Aids) proposal for Group Sessions.

Shield is the only specialist HIV and Aids service operating in the Rotherham area currently contracted to provide housing related support through the Supporting People Programme on a floating basis to this client group.  The service was contracted to provide support to 45 clients; however they currently had 42 clients with HIV and Aids and 7 with Hepatitis C.  In addition the service also provided education to people in schools.

The 2010-11 budget for the HIV and Aids grant was £45k, and the expenditure on this grant per annum was £22,700, leaving £23,300 uncommitted.

From the gaps analysis undertaken in collaboration with key partners, it became apparent that there was a need in the Rotherham area for group sessions, particularly for women and their children.

Supporting People developed a service specification and sent it to Shield requesting a quote for the service (maximum £20k).  They submitted costings to demonstrate they could provide this service in the premises already established in the local area for £15,784 per annum.

The Supporting People (SP) team contacted the Public Health Specialist to identify any other providers of these services in the area and the Gate Surgery was indentified as the only other possible provider.  The SP team requested a quote from them against the specification, but the response was that Gate Surgery could not provide a VFM service as it employs psychologists who would not normally deliver this type of service and who were paid at much higher rates of pay than suitably qualified person would be paid.

It was not appropriate to request quotes from providers working outside the Rotherham area as this would require them to obtain premises which would exceed the value of the contract.

The Cabinet Member felt it was important to receive more information on the work of Shield and asked that arrangements be made for someone to come to give him a briefing some time in the future.

Resolved:- That it be agreed that the contract for the delivery of group sessions on HIV and Aids to women and their children be exempted from the requirement of standing order 47.6.2, and the contract be awarded to Shield.

Councillor Walker reported on the good work which was being undertaken by South Yorkshire Police in that they had been installing security devices on their homes and other property.  It was anticipated that they would spread this good work across the whole of Rotherham.

Councillor Doyle reported that the meeting scheduled to take place on Monday 8^th March 2010 had now been moved to Tuesday 9^th March 2010 at 10.00 am. 

This was due to the CQC Inspection taking place on 8^th March, which all officers had to attend.  It was therefore felt that the meeting should be rearranged to enable them to be present.