Agenda item

To consider the report.

NON-KEY DECISION   

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive noted the forecast overspend of £17.5m (3.6%) for the year and the recovery action being taken and mitigations put in place to address this.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

The Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Governance and Communications, Cllr Bill Revans, invited the Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources and Performance, Cllr Liz Leyshon, to introduce the report.

The Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources and Performance, Cllr Liz Leyshon, introduced the report, highlighting: that the report is the General Fund Revenue Monitoring Report for the end of December 2023, quarter three; that the Council is now projecting an overspend of £17.5m for 2023/24, which is an improvement of £0.8m from the previous forecast overspend of £18.3m; and the Adult and Children Services overspend and that the Council continues to have its control boards in place, resulting in a reduction of the forecast overspend each month.

The Service Director - Finance and Procurement, Nicola Hix, added to the above points, highlighting: the continued updating, adapting and amending of the report to provide relevant and useful information for Members; the Adults and Childrens Service budget, including an increase in forecast overspend in the Children Service areas, offset by a further forecast underspend in the remainder of the Council; and that the Council has now enforced its’ ‘no purchase order no pay policy’ ensuring services follow the correct procedure for procuring goods and services, whilst accurately budgeting for forecasting purposes.  

The Lead Member for Children, Families and Education, Cllr Heather Shearer, further added to the above points, highlighting: the challenges and mitigations to address the adverse variance in the Children Services budget, including the external placements, fieldwork (support for children at home); and SEND transport budgets, and that the unfavourable movement is due to the unachievable MTFP saving of step downs from residential to in-house fostering.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Bill Revans, commented on the importance of future key work with the wider community, including the City, Town and Parish Councils and VCSFE to support the vulnerable residents of Somerset and address the associated financial challenges. Cllr Revans proceeded to invite comments from other Members present, questions and points raised included: the financial emergency response, actions and mitigations and the risks faced by the Council; the national Local Authority funding situation; the work of control boards, implementation actions and the consequences of not following process and procedures; the Adult Services year end forecast projection challenges and mitigations, including one off payments, international recruitment, domiciliary care, the commissioning approach, and the impacts and issues affecting successful international recruitment, including risk to Adult Social Care services and the work across South West to raise the issue with central government; the differences in Commissioning in Adult and Children Services and the positives of local commissioning; local and national school transport provision; the Childrens residential and independent fostering market, including the impact of the large national providers; the capacity of care providers; and foster care recruitment, including the Children’s Services fostering campaign, the number of foster carers coming forward; and on-going external work to develop in placement support services.

The Executive proceeded to vote on the recommendations, which were agreed unanimously.????

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive noted the forecast overspend of £17.5m (3.6%) for the year and the recovery action being taken and mitigations put in place to address this.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report.???

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report.?