PAPER B

 

 

ADULT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE –  18 NOVEMBER 2004

 

BUDGET MONITORING REPORT AS AT END OF SEPTEMBER 2004

 

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 September.  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 3. 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

To debate and make recommendations

 

 

 

REVENUE EXPENDITURE (2004/5)

 

The net expenditure statement up to 30th September 2004 for the Adult and Community Services Directorate 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 along with the on-going effect of the shortfall in the Promoting Independence Grant of £148,000.

 

The Directorate is working towards a balanced budget for the year.  At this stage in the year the Directorate is projecting an overspend of approximately £72,000. This is approximately 0.3% of the net budget of the Directorate. This is deemed to be within the limits of tolerance and will continue to be closely monitored.

 

This budget monitoring report now includes the ‘Safer Communities’ service area and the Cultural Services division.  Also included for information at Appendix 2 is an income monitoring report.

 

The Committee should be aware that we have early indication of a potential pressure around the Preserved Rights funding which could nationally be moving from a caseload basis to a FSS formula basis.  Due to the number of Preserved Rights clients our funding is higher under a caseload basis than our share under the formula system. The pressure at this stage is only an estimate and subject to the actual formula adopted but it could be as much as approximately £1m in 2005/6.  In addition the governments funding formula for 2005/6 will not be based on the 2001 census data which would have yielded Social Services approximately £1.6m extra funding.  The net effect of these two factors is a pressure in 2005/6 of £2.6m.

 

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (2004/5)

 

The capital expenditure is set out in Appendix 4. 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. 

 

FREE NURSING CARE POOLED BUDGET

 

The Free Nursing Care Pooled Budget Monitoring Report to the end of quarter 2 (1 April – 30 September 2004) is attached at Appendix 5. The report shows that there is a projected year-end underspend of approximately £154,000.  Any underspend at year-end will be shared between the organisations based on the respective contributions made to the pool.  Based on the projected underspend amount, Social Services would receive approximately £116,000 and the Primary Care Trust would receive approximately £38,000.  However at this stage it is anticipated that this underspend may be required to fund any increase in costs arising from the approaching winter period.

 

Contact Point: Kerry Hubbleday ( 520600 ext.2213

 

 

COUNCILLOR GORDON KENDALL

Portfolio Holder for Adult and Community Services