SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT
COMMITTEE – 18 MARCH 2004
BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT END OF JANUARY
2004
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL
SERVICES AND HOUSING
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
This report sets out the
budget and spending position on revenue for the services within this Committee
remit, as at the end of January. The
figures at Appendix 1 do not include
budgets that are controlled elsewhere.
These are monitored by the Committee, which bears responsibility for the
item concerned. (For example, Resources
Select Committee monitors the building maintenance budget centrally, and
building maintenance costs are not therefore shown against individual services
below). For information a Building Maintenance monitor has been included at Appendix 1A.
REVENUE EXPENDITURE (2003/04)
The net expenditure
statement up to 31st January 2004 for the Social Services and Housing budgets
is set out in Appendix 1.
The previous year reduction in the promoting independence grant is an on-going
pressure of £148,000 on the two independent living resource centres. These are of central importance in reducing
hospital bed blocking and promoting independence.
As part of the 2003/4
budget settlement the Directorate has to achieve a savings target of
£272,000. To date £228,000 has been
identified leaving £44,000 still to be achieved on an on-going basis.
The Directorate is working
towards a balanced budget for the year, however at this time it is considered
prudent to highlight a potential overspend at the end of the financial year of
approximately £154,000. This is
approximately 0.5% of the net budget for the Directorate. This takes into
account the above cost pressures of the reduction in the promoting independence
grant and the savings target still to be identified. This is deemed to be
within the limits of tolerance and the situation will continue to be closely
monitored.
A further cost pressure
has arisen within the community care budget in relation to the residential care
costs of the Older People client group.
This is due to an increase in the proportion of higher cost
placements. This situation is being
closely monitored by the Head of Adult Services and measures are being taken to
reduce the impact of this by the end of the financial year.
The largest unknown item
in relation to the potential outturn position is the income levels relating to
residential care client contributions. This is due to changes in the benefit
system from October 03 relating to Pension Credit and Residential Allowance
which has resulted in financial assessments being undertaken for affected
clients. It is anticipated that the
full impact of this on the budget for residential care will not be fully
evident until the end of the financial year.
FREE NURSING CARE POOLED BUDGET
The next quarterly monitoring report for the nursing care pooled budget
will be produced after the end of March.
The current projected underspend attributable to Social Services as at
the end of December is £448,000 and has been taken into account across the
relevant client groups in the overall position reported in Appendix 1.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (2003/04)
The capital expenditure is set out in Appendix
2. We will be reporting on this area at each Committee. Most of the allocation is for social
housing. In most years, the Housing
Capital Programme is approved early in the year, when the funding/programme is
committed. Building works proceed
during the year, with the delivery/spend occurring largely in the last quarter
of the year.
Contact Point: Kerry
Hubbleday (
520600 ext.2213
GORDON
KENDALL
Portfolio Holder for Social Services and Housing