PAPER C

 

 

ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE –  17th JUNE 2004

 

BUDGET MONITORING AS AT END OF APRIL 2004 AND PROVISIONAL OUTTURN FOR 2003/04

 

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

 

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 April.  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. 

 

A provisional revenue outturn report has also been included at Appendix 3.  This is still subject to any final adjustments that may be made as the closedown process is finalised.

 

REVENUE EXPENDITURE (2004/5)

 

The net expenditure statement up to 30th April 2004 for the Social Services and Housing budgets is set out in Appendix 1.

 

As part of the 2004/5 budget settlement the Directorate has to achieve an efficiency savings target of £349,000.  This has been identified. Compared to the position for 2003/4 (previous year) this is a considerable achievement.

 

The Directorate is working towards a balanced budget for the year.  The inflation contingency has still to be allocated and a large part of this contingency will be applied to salary budgets once the pay award has been determined.  If the pay award is in excess of the 2.8% budgeted inflation this will cause a pressure on the directorate’s budget. For example if the pay award is 3% this will cause a pressure of approximately £28,000, this figure would rise to £97,000 if the increase is 3.5%.

 

The budget monitoring report will be adjusted in the future to take into account the merger of Drug Action Team and Crime and Disorder Team budgets into the ‘Safer Communities’ service area.The Leisure and Community Development Division which will be moving into the Directorate later this year will also be shown as a separate area of activity at the appropriate time.  At this time it is also intended to include information on the income budgets as a separate item to the main revenue monitoring report as this will be a significant item for monitor and scrutiny.

 

Budget reporting for services to children will continue to be shown in this report until the actual transfer of the service takes place in September 2004.  At that time the relevant Childrens Committee will receive reports.

 

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (2004/5)

 

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. 

 

REVENUE EXPENDITURE PROVISIONAL OUTTURN FOR 2003/4

 

The provisional revenue outturn report is included at Appendix 3.  At this stage the report is still provisional and subject to any further amendments that may be required at the closedown process is finalised.  The projected outturn for the Directorate is an overspend of approximately £63,000 which is approximately 0.2% of the total net budget. 


The income position regarding community care client contributions resulted in an under-recovery of income against budgeted income of approximately £151,000.  With this factor in mind a net overspend of £63,000 is deemed to be a very satisfactory outturn position for the Directorate.

 

FREE NURSING CARE POOLED BUDGET

 

The provisional outturn monitoring report for the nursing care pooled budget is also included at Appendix 4. 

 

The Free Nursing Care Pooled Budget monitoring report for the period from 1 April 03 – 31 March 04 shows an underspend at the year end of £524,071. This underspend will be shared between the organisations based on the respective contributions made to the pool.  Based on the provisional underspend amount, Social Services would receive approximately £400,000 and the Primary Care Trust would receive approximately £124,000.  The underspend has accrued largely because the budget is constructed on a bed occupancy rate of 100%.

 

The underspend attributable to Social Services of approximately  £400,000 has been taken into account across the relevant client groups in the overall position reported in Appendix 3.

 

The contribution to the pooled budget for 2004/5 has recently  been finalised  and is set at an  occupancy rate of 90% which should prevent large underspends accruing in this budget this year.

 

Contact Point: Kerry Hubbleday ( 520600 ext.2213

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G.KENDALL

Portfolio Holder For Adult and Community Services