Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement introduced the report on the Council’s capital and revenue position for the 2017/18 financial year, as at 31 May 2017.

The General Fund showed a projected year-end overspend of £4.795m against the budget of £145.129m and the Cabinet Member referred to the current areas of overspend which related to Public Realm, Homelessness, Enforcement, Leisure and Children’s Services.  In respect of the latter, it was acknowledged that considerable progress had been made during the last year to improve the financial management and efficiency of the service, although the recruitment and retention of permanent social workers continued to be an area of concern.  With regard to the Homelessness service, the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration suggested that regular progress reports should be presented to Cabinet on the implementation of the Action Plan approved on 15 November 2016 (Minute 63).

The Cabinet Member also advised on the new quarterly reporting arrangements for the £9m savings programme for 2017/18, the additional ring-fenced funding provided by the Government which should enable Adult Care and Support costs to stay within budget and the reallocation of approved revenue and capital budgets in line with the Council’s new service delivery and management structures.

The Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree the reallocation of approved service revenue budgets into the new management structures as set out in Appendix A to the report;

(ii)  Note the forecast outturn position for 2017/18 of the Council’s General Fund revenue budget as detailed in section 2 and Appendix A to the report;

(iii)  Approve the transfer of £4.385m additional funding for Adult Social Care to the Adults’ Care and Support Service;

(iv)  Approve the restatement of the Capital Programme as set out in Appendix B to the report; and

(v)  Agree that future Budget Monitoring reports include an update on the implementation of the Homelessness Action Plan.