PAPER B
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL
SERVICES & 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 November. 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 30th November 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 £78,000 has been
identified leaving £194,000 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 next quarterly monitoring report for the nursing care pooled budget
will be produced shortly for the period to the end of December. The current projected underspend
attributable to Social Services is £525,000 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
G.GARROD
Strategic
Director of Social Services and Housing