SOCIAL SERVICES,
HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE –
19 FEBRUARY 2004
BUDGET MONITORING
REPORT AS AT END OF DECEMBER 2003
REPORT OF THE
PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING
REASON FOR SELECT
COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
This report sets out the
budget and spending position on revenue for the services within this Committee
remit, as at the end of December. 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.
|
ACTION REQUIRED BY SELECT COMMITTEE To make recommendations |
REVENUE EXPENDITURE (2003/04)
The net expenditure
statement up to 31st December 2003 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 £123,000. This is
approximately 0.4% 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. 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 later
in the financial year.
FREE NURSING CARE POOLED BUDGET
The
quarterly monitoring report to the end of December for the nursing care
pooled budget is attached at Appendix
1B . The report indicates a projected underspend at the year end of
approximately £587,000. This has
decreased from that reported as at the end of September 03 (£688,000) due to
the number of placements increasing during the last quarter. Any underspend is to be shared between the
organizations based on the respective contributions made to the pool. Based on the projected underspend amount,
Social Services would receive approximately £448,000 and the Primary Care Trust
would received approximately £139,000.
The underspend has accrued largely because the budget is constructed on
a bed occupancy rate of 100%.
The current projected underspend attributable
to Social Services 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