Agendas, Meetings and Minutes - Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online

Contact: Samantha Morris/Sheena Jones  Overview and Scrutiny Officers

Media

Items
No. Item

1181.

Apologies and Welcome

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Mr B Allbut (Co-opted Church Representative for Education Matters).

1182.

Declaration of Interest and of any Party Whip

Minutes:

None.

1183.

Public Participation

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by e-mail indicating the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case 2 February 2021).  Enquiries can be made through the telephone number/e-mail address below.

 

Minutes:

None.

1184.

Confirmation of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting

(previously circulated)

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 6 January 2021 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

1185.

Budget Scrutiny: 2021/22, Performance and In-Year Budget Monitoring pdf icon PDF 137 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader, Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer attended the meeting to update Members on the budget proposals and hear the feedback from Panel Chairmen following the Overview and Scrutiny Panels' discussions on the 2021/22 draft budget during the January/February Panel meetings.

 

Adult Care and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr Jane Potter)

 

The Panel heard that the current financial forecast (Period 8) overspend position of c£357k (0.3%) was a significant improvement on the Q1 position of £2m overspend, for which the Directorate was to be congratulated. The main reasons for the overall improved forecast were tighter control on overall spend, managing accountability, the drop in new admissions to care and nursing homes by people leaving hospital and a decrease in projected number of people coming into the care system, although the costs of those being placed were, on average, higher.

 

It was noted that a 1% increase in the Adult Social Care Levy was proposed in line with inflation for 2021/22 and the additional Social Care Grant for 2021/22 c£2.2m was welcomed.

 

The Directorate continued to monitor budget pressures around additional costs relating to the complexity/acuity for over 65’s, growth in the price and complexity of care packages for adults with a learning disability and adults with a physical disability (including those transitioning from children’s to adults care) and the greater cost of mental health packages of care. It would be important to see how shifts during the COVID pandemic evolved. For example, whether the drop in numbers entering care and nursing homes continued. Services would need to continue to deliver efficiencies, transformational change and increase levels of income generation to remain within overall recommended budget.

 

Greater certainty over adult social care funding in the long-term to enable local authorities to plan remained very important. The Panel was aware that the Council was continuing to lobby the Government in this respect and had responded to a recent consultation.

 

Maintaining an appropriate level of financial reserves was important in order to have sufficient resilience.

 

The following main points were made:

 

·         The Leader acknowledged that the demand for mental health packages required in the future was an unknown quantity. This (as with all demand led services) was difficult to budget for.

·         The Chief Executive agreed that Mental health issues resulting from Covid was a major concern as was the capacity within the system to cope with the demand. It was envisaged that this would be an issue of national concern (both for children and adults) and may require a national response as part of the Covid recovery. It was noted that there was a mental health transformation programme underway and to provide support to its staff, the Council had recently introduced a mental health first aiders scheme.

·         The current reduction in demand for care and nursing homes was due to more people choosing to remain at home (with appropriate support) which the Leader suggested should be welcomed and encouraged. This was better in terms of outcomes for the individual and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1185.

1186.

Member Update, Work Programme and Cabinet Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 142 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman requested Members to email suggestions for the Councillor Scrutiny Induction programme being run after the elections to the Scrutiny Co-ordinator.