PAPER B4

Committee :    SOCIAL SERVICES, HOUSING AND BENEFITS SELECT COMMITTEE

Date :              6 MARCH 2002

Title :              SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING BUDGET : PROJECTED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR 2001-02

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING

1         SUMMARY/PURPOSE

1.1      The Revised Budget for the current financial year as recommended to the meeting of this Select Committee on 6 February, and subsequently approved by the Council on 20 February, was based on a projected overspend of £570,000 on the net budget of £24.5m.

2         BACKGROUND

2.1      The main areas of concern in the current financial year continue to be the cost of placements for children in public care, services for older people and people with a learning disability, and homelessness. Overall I still predict that the Directorate’s overspend for 2001-02 will remain within the £570,000 approved by the Council (see Appendix 1).

3         FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1      Although predictions on the levels of expenditure and income remain uncertain due to the environment in which the Directorate operates, the margin for such uncertainties diminishes as we approach the end of the financial year.

5         BACKGROUND PAPERS

Budget Report to Select Committee in February 2002.

Director of Finance and Information’s computerised information system (FIDO) monitoring reports.

Contact Point : Bob Taplin, ☎ 822213

CHARLES WADDICOR

Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing