Agenda item

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive:

a.     Noted the 2023/24 draft outturn for services. 

b.     Noted that the final 2023/24 outturn for Revenue, Capital, and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) will be reported to the Executive at a later meeting 

c.     Noted the 2024/25 emerging issues identified at Month 2

d.     Agreed to continue to receive monthly budget monitoring report which sets out the forecast outturn for the year with details of any mitigations and actions being taken to address any forecast variances. 

e.     Agreed to receive a report at a later meeting setting out proposals to change how the control boards and panels operatein light of the experience and learning over the last year.

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

Cllr Leyshon highlighted that: the outturn figure is now more favourable; the numbers are still draft and there may be minor amendments; the full outturn papers will be going to Scrutiny – Corporate and Resources in August and Executive Committee in September; the lateness of the outturn papers are due to the exceptional circumstances and the challenge of the new unitary council; the change to Microsoft Dynamics; the need to be mindful of the growing deficit in the Dedicated Schools Grant; the delivery of savings in 23/24 and the current year’s position; the emerging issues and the areas that are outside of the Council’s control such as interest rates and energy costs.

Jason Vaughan, Executive Director – Resources and Corporate Services, added to these points: the status of auditing the accounts of the predecessor councils; the budget setting process for the unitary authority; how the budget monitoring had progressed throughout the year and the actions taken; the headline figures; the comparison to other upper tier councils on the Dedicated Schools Grant; the reserves position.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Bill Revans, invited comments from other Members present, questions and points raised included: appreciation for the hard work of the staff; the comparison to other councils for Children Social Care overspends; the Dedicated Schools Grant Deficit Management Plan; the predicted overspend of £5.1m in Children’s Social Care for this year and the demand-led causes for it, including fostering and residential care; the importance of early help; the Children’s transformation programme; the work to make the Adult Social Care budget sustainable and the risk posed by capital drop; the confidence in the figures for the General Fund Reserve; the underspends in some areas masking the overspend in Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care; the progress of the work on the local plan; the importance of reducing debts; the effectiveness on the control boards; the incoming capital receipts and their impact on the budget; the impact of discharge planning on the Adult Social Care budget and how it is being addressed; Adult Social Care remaining a person-centred service.

The Leader of the Council concluded the discussion and proceeded to vote on the recommendations, which were agreed.

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive:

a.     Noted the 2023/24 draft outturn for services. 

b.     Noted that the final 2023/24 outturn for Revenue, Capital, and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) will be reported to the Executive at a later meeting 

c.     Noted the 2024/25 emerging issues identified at Month 2

d.     Agreed to continue to receive monthly budget monitoring report which sets out the forecast outturn for the year with details of any mitigations and actions being taken to address any forecast variances. 

e.     Agreed to receive a report at a later meeting setting out proposals to change how the control boards and panels operate in light of the experience and learning over the last year.