Report
Social Work Services Committee
26 January 2012
SOCIAL WORK SERVICES REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING FOR THE
PERIOD ENDING NOVEMBER 2011
1.
Purpose of Report
This report provides Members with the revenue monitoring report in relation to the Social
Work Services budget for 2011/2012.
2.
Recommendations
Members are asked to note:2.1
that initial projections based on expenditure to the end of November 2011 for Social
Work Services indicate a potential overspend of £39k, 0.05% of the Social Work Services
2011/12 budget. This is an increase of £17k from the report presented to the October
meeting of this Committee.
2.2
Social Work Senior Management Team are continuing to examine areas of both
under and overspends to ensure that the Social Work Service remains in a balanced
budget position.
3.
Considerations
3.1
This report reflects revenue monitoring position for Social Work Services and
indicates a potential overspend of £39k, details of the variances are shown in Appendix 1.
3.2
On 10 February 2011, the Full Council agreed to overall cash limit for the Council
for 2011/12. The Social Work Services cash limit budget for 2011/12 was set at
£80,352,071. Appendix 2 details the budget adjustments and virements that have taken
place since the start of the financial year with the cash limit now £80,300,691.
3.3
Children and Families Sector
3.3.1 Children and Families is forecast to underspend by £339k or 1.7% of the budget
available for the Children & Families Sector. Whilst there are some areas of significant
overspend there are some projected underspends which are helping to offset the
overspend.
3.3.2 Agency Placements are forecasting to underspend by £603k this is an improvement
on the position that this budget line has experienced in previous years and is due to
rigorous monitoring of placements and the use of alternative methods of service provision,
such as Intensive Fostering and ensuring that the Council’s own facilities are utilised
where possible and appropriate for the young person.
3.3.3 Family Placement is forecast to overspend by £253k, with Kinship Care payments
are forecasting to overspend by £364k based on 283 children in Kinship Care placements
at the end of November 2011. This is partly offset by an underspend of Fostering
Payments of £122k. The reduction in the number of children in Foster care is likely to be a
consequence of the introduction of the Kinship Care Scheme.
3.3.4 Residential Care is forecast to overspend by £314k, Social Work Senior managers
are taking steps to reduce the projected overspend. SSSC imposed a deadline of
September 2012 for all staff to be qualified in SVQ + HNC and most staff are able to now
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Report
Social Work Services Committee
26 January 2012
meet this requirement, whilst undertaking these qualifications posts have to be backfilled to
meet care commission registration requirements. Staff roles are being reviewed and a
new framework for key working, which will see more effective and measurable work being
undertaken with young people which will increase efficiency, is being implemented. Staff
sickness is being tackled in line with maximising attendance procedures and staff who
have been displaced for various reasons are now moving off the residential staffing
establishment to other positions within the council in line with human resource policies.
This has resulted in one member of staff being redeployed.
3.4
Adult Services Sector
3.4.1 Adult Services Sector is forecast to overspend by £377k in 2011/12. Details on the
main variances are provided below.
3.4.2 Service Strategy and Commissioning is forecast to underspend by £446k due to
rigorous monitoring and control of contracts.
3.4.3 Within the Older People sector a forecast underspend in Residential care of £436k
is partly off set by an overspend in Nursing Care of £168k and homecare is forecasting to
overspend by £355k. This is a consequence of keeping people in their own homes as long
as possible.
3.4.4 Within the Learning Disabilities homecare is also forecast to overspend by £69k,
residential care is forecasting to overspend by £241k due to the increased use of relief
staff within the outreach service to support clients in their own homes, this is partly offset
an underspend with the ARC’s due to a reduction in the use to relief staff and in
assessment and fieldwork where staff vacancies have contributed to the forecast
underspend.
3.4.5 The housing sector is forecast to overspend by £648k with the Homelessness
sector forecasting to overspend by £229k within temporary accommodation, the service is
currently examining its use of temporary accommodation and will report back to members
at the earliest opportunity. The Social Work Services Management Team are currently
examining ways to reduce this overspend.
4.
Governance Assurance
The Social Work Senior Management Team and the Head of Finance and Technology
have been consulted. All those consulted have responded and are in agreement with the
terms and information contained in this report.
5.
Impact Assessment
As this report does not propose a change in policy, the formal adoption of a plan, policy or
strategy it is not necessary to complete an Impact Assessment.
Author(s)
NAME
DESIGNATION
CONTACT DETAILS
Janet Sutton
Finance Officer
Janet.Sutton@dumgal.gov.uk
01387 260442
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Report
Social Work Services Committee
26 January 2012
Approved by
NAME
DESIGNATION
SIGNATURE
John Alexander
Director of Social Work
Appendices – 2
Appendix 1 - Budget Monitoring Report – Sector Analysis
Appendix 2 - Budget Adjustments and Virements
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