Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11^th June, 2012.

Resolved:-  That, subject to the inclusion of Councillor Steele’s apologies, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11^th June, 2012, be approved as a correct record.

Mark Scarrott, Finance Manager (Adult Services) presented a report relating to the Revenue Outturn position for Adult Services Department within the Neighbourhood and Adult Services Directorate for the financial year 2011/12.

It was reported that the 2011/12 revised cash limited budget was £76,530,053, and the net Outturn for the Service for 2011/12 was an underspend of £2,542,580 (variation of -3.32%).

It was an increase in the underspend compared with the last budget monitoring report largely due to the impact of the Council-wide moratorium on non-essential spend, controlled vacancy management and additional income from the NHS.

A summary revenue outturn position for Adult Social Services was given in the table within the submitted report.

The appendix to the submitted report detailed the revenue outturn 2011/12 and the reasons for variance from approved budgets.  The following key variations were highlighted:-

Adults General (-£326,000)

-        Slippage from additional funding from the NHS for the further development of Services for Carers

-        Moratorium on printing, postages and stationery

Older People’s Services (-£901,000)

-        Additional income from the NHS in the last quarter in respect of support for the Winter period and additional funding for Carers

-        Vacant Social Work posts

-        Intermediate Care pooled budget – employee costs

-        Independent sector residential and nursing care – few placements

-        Additional income from transport fees and charges

-        Overspend on Home Care provision

-        Increase in Direct Payment

-        Shortfall in income from In-House residential care fees

-        Overspend on employee costs

Learning Disabilities (-£552,000)

-        Slippage on developing new Supported Living Schemes

-        Contract efficiency savings

-        Additional income from NHS

-        Vacancies

-        Overspends on Residential and Nursing Care budgets due to additional demand for placements and a reduction in Continuing Health Care income

Mental Health Services (-£1,000)

-        Continued increase in uptake on Direct Payments

-        Savings on Community Support budgets

-        Overspends on Out-of-Hours Service and the use of agency staff

-        Additional income from NHS towards the funding of residential care placements

-        Efficiency savings negotiated with Service provider for Supported Living

Physical and Sensory Disabilities (-£340,000)

-        Continued increase in number of clients in receipt of Independent Sector Home Care

-        Slippage on new investments to provide alternatives to residential care

-        Efficiency savings on voluntary sector contracts

-        Underspends on Assistive Technology

-        Employee costs

Adult Safeguarding (-£149,000)

-        Vacant posts

Supporting People (-£274,000)

-        Efficiency savings on contracts to enable achievement of 2012-13 agreed budget savings

Members present raised a number of issues that were clarified as follows:-

-        The increase in the number of Direct Payments was a combination of new clients and clients opting to remain with their existing provider rather than the provider through the new Framework Agreement

-        Savings in management costs had been achieved through the restructure

-        Rotherham had a positive track record in recruitment to social work posts but there are usually vacancies due to retirement or leavers

-        The late receipt of additional funding from the NHS accounted for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006 – information relates to finance and business affairs).

Resolved:-  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the Council)).

The Cabinet Member received, for information, a report submitted to the Deputy Leader on 28^th May, 2012 (Minute No. 8 refers), recommending that the current contractor delivering annual I.T. support and maintenance be awarded a short-time contract of twelve months’ duration whilst a market review of ICT case management systems was completed and procurement under the EU procurement rules carried out.

Resolved:-  That the report be noted.