Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services

Recommendations:-

1.          That the current General Fund Revenue Budget forecast of £0.5m underspend be noted.

2.          That it be noted that actions will continue to be taken to ensure that a balanced financial outturn is delivered.

3.          That the proposed use of the Rapid Testing Fund allocation as set out in Paragraphs 2.47 to 2.48 is approved.

4.          That the Capital Programme update be noted.

Consideration was given to the report which set out the financial position of the Council as at the end of December 2020 and was based on actual costs and income for the first 9 months of 2020/21 and forecast for the remainder of the financial year.

Financial performance was a key element within the assessment of the Council’s overall performance framework and essential to achievement of the objectives within the Council’s Policy Agenda. As such, this was the fifth financial monitoring report of a series of reports for the current financial year which would continue to be brought forward to Cabinet on a regular basis.

As at December 2020, the Council had a forecast year-end overspend of £22.2m on the General Fund which was mitigated by planned savings the Council had been able to deliver in year, the Government’s provision of COVID-19 Emergency Support Grant and Sales, Fees and Charges Income Compensation. As a result, the Council expected to deliver a balanced budget position or slight underspend at financial outturn 2020/21. It was, however, noted that the impacts of the latest national lockdown were still to be fully defined.

The Council had been allocated £741k of funding to support the setup, training and implementation of additional rapid testing of staff in cares homes, and to support testing visiting professionals. 80% of the Fund had been distributed as per the guidance. The remaining 20% (£148k) had to be used to support the care sector to operationally deliver rapid testing and was to be allocated at the Council’s discretion. It was proposed that the Fund be used to support care homes and other providers that were experiencing an outbreak to ensure that they had the resources and equipment to administer the Lateral Flow Device (LFD) testing. The Fund would also support smaller care homes to implement LFD testing as they may face higher costs compared to larger homes and to enable other settings such as home care, supported living and extra care that are eligible to rollout LFD testing. The discretionary element would be allocated based on an assessment of the emerging risks and in line with the wider testing strategy.

Resolved:-

1.      That the current General Find Revenue Budget forecast of £0.5m, underspend be noted.

2.      That it be noted that actions will continue to be taken to ensure that a balanced financial outturn is delivered.

3.      That the proposed used of the Rapid Testing Fund allocation as set out in Paragraphs 2.47 and 2.48 be approved.

4.      That the Capital Programme update be noted.