Agenda item

The Panel will receive a presentation on this item at the meeting.

The Chief Operating Officer introduced this item to the Panel and gave a presentation, a summary of which is set out below and will be attached as an online appendix to these minutes.

Budget 2021/22 Headlines

Revenue operating cost changes

•  Council growth requirement of £19.1m, driven by:

-  Material rebasing of income budgets due to Covid

-  Funding new demand pressures, Children’s and Adults Social Care

-  Contract Inflation

•  Council Savings requirement of £8.33m across all portfolios

•  Covid risk / contingency reserve of £5m proposed

Budget funding changes

•  Reserve funding requirement of £10m, to be repaid in future years

•  Council tax increase 1.99% & Adult Social Care precept 3% proposed

New 2021/22 budget pressures / Covid impacts

Emerging MTFS pressures £15.24m

•  Commercial Estate £5m

•  Parking £4m

•  Heritage Services £4.24m

•  Other pressures £2m

Strategic Financial Planning Themes

Stabilise – Short term

•  Reduce reliance on commercial income.

Transition – Medium term

•  Reset business plans looking at new delivery models

•  Revise the Council’s operating structure

•  Maximise opportunity through IT and smarter working

Change – Long term

•  Implement new strategies for:

• Social Care delivery
• Resident focussed service delivery model

Areas of strategic priority and focus over the next two years

•  Continued investment to support the most vulnerable people in our communities.

•  Continued commitment to secure action to address the climate and ecological emergency.

•  Focus on supporting the local economy to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

•  Support the “Preparing for the Future” programme to modernise the council with a focus on improved asset management and flexible working.

Adult Social Care Growth

Adult Social Care Savings Proposals

Specialist and complex commissioning – contract and procurement review: £537,000. Strategically commission and procure a range of care and support services sufficient to meet identified needs and address gaps in B&NES and provide better value for money for people with complex and specialist needs.

Community – Review of care package delivery: £1,988,000. Review of existing packages to identify efficiencies

Public Health Savings Proposals

Services to be delivered in a different way: £153,000. Following the previous uplift to the Public Health Grant, and the securing of the Integrated Sexual Health Service into a fixed payment 5 year term, funds will be reallocated to cover Public Health services delivered elsewhere within the Council.

Reduction of Post: £112,000. Part time post removed, reduction in Senior Leadership posts to be actioned, alternative grant funding will cover the Senior Leadership requirement during the continued pandemic with the removal of the post being actioned once we are through it.

Children’s & Education Services Growth

Children’s & Education Savings Proposals

Children's Centres: £43,000. Service efficiencies, provision is maintained, delivered in an alternative way.

School Improvement: £87,000. School Improvement to be funded fully from grant. This is a decrease in financial provision but due to reduced number of LA maintained schools, there is still sufficient resource to support these schools. Should support needed increase, there is a contingent plan in place to enable alternative internal resource to be reallocated.

Early Years SEND: £53,000. Delete Vacant Post (approx. 1 yr vacant).  No change to current provision, which already delivers the same outcomes from this reduced financial envelope.

Councillor Paul May asked if the proposed Adult Social Care precept increase of 3% would be ringfenced.

The Chief Operating Officer replied that it was likely to come in as one pot and be used towards the growth element of the service.

Councillor Alison Born asked what effect the proposed £603,000 saving would have on the Reablement Service.

The Director of Adult Social Care, Complex and Specialist Commissioning replied that the figure would not be coming out of the reablement budget, it is a reduction in the packages and purchasing budget. She added that the intention is to provide support to reduce the long-term needs / provision of services to patients.

Councillor Alison Born asked how confident were officers that the savings can be achieved.

The Director of Adult Social Care, Complex and Specialist Commissioning replied that a lot of work has been carried out so far on projections and forecasting, but acknowledged that there would be more to do to deliver these measures.

Councillor Paul May commented that the standard of our services regarding care package delivery should not be lowered.

The Director of Adult Social Care, Complex and Specialist Commissioning replied that it may be possible to achieve funding from another source on this matter and insisted the importance of making sure that eligible needs are met.

Kevin Burnett asked how work will be delivered in Early Years SEND when the vacant post is deleted.

The Director of Education, Inclusion and Children’s Safeguarding replied that proactive enabling work is ongoing to make sure that children continue to have a voice within this work area.

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that she was concerned at the proposed significant £43,0000 saving relating to Children’s Centres.

The Panel RESOLVED to accept the proposals made within the presentation on the basis they were given whilst awaiting clarification of how the Adult Social Care precept increase of 3% would be used.