Agenda item

The Chairman, also the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Finance presented the report which covered the period up to the end of September 2021. The main points were that there would be modest pressure until the end of the year with a £1.3 million overspend forecast; savings were on track apart from the £1.5 million expected savings for the restructure which was currently suspended; the capital programme was ambitious at £197 million, which would ensure the right infrastructure was place for the County and more money was available for the Dedicated schools grant (DSG) but there was significant pressure in the high needs block.

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Services felt there had been good news for Covid funding as spending had been fully paid for by the Government. There was some concern that some local schools were in deficit despite substantial money being distributed through the DSG and Local Members were asked to take an interest in their local schools and see if they could assist in any way.

Pressures were increasing in the social care market, especially with other Councils offering golden hellos or bonus’ to staff. There was also pressure in the budget due to the increased cost of learning disability placements despite numbers being relatively low. Demand for home care was expected to be high over the winter and that had been highlighted as a risk in the report. It was hoped that the hospital discharge system could continue past March and although it had been expected to be part of the new social care funding system details were uncertain, however the way the CCGs had managed and distributed the grant was applauded.

In response to queries from Members outside the Cabinet it was clarified that:

·       The increase to the DSG meant that more money was going into the system but it had not kept up with the deficit. The Council had resisted top slicing the budget so far, as the scale of the deficit was relatively small, but it was hoped that there would be some recognition of the situation by the Government in response to the lobbying which had been taking place

·       There had been a reduction in the numbers of carers but the Council aimed to make social work and domiciliary care more attractive as a profession, perhaps with increased pay, so that people see the roles as a career

·       The paragraph about HR implications on the agenda was a standard paragraph and the reform process was very modest so there were no plans for redundancies. It was pointed out that the JMB consultation on strike action was not helpful as it meant that the pay settlement would not be sorted until next year.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(a)  endorsed the conclusions concerning revenue budget monitoring up to 30 September 2021;

(b)  noted the financial impact and forecast for COVID-19 expenditure;

(c)  noted the current progress regarding savings plans approved by Council in February 2021; and

(d)  noted the report on borrowing and lending transactions during 2020/21 detailed in paragraphs 39-40 of the report.