Agenda item

Purpose: To set out a response to the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission (OSMC) following their review of the report into the 2018/19 overspend in Adult Social Care (ASC).

RESOLVED that the suggested responses to each of the 3 recommendations of the OSMC, as shown at paragraphs 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4, be approved. 

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 21 June 2019, then it will be implemented.

The Executive considered a report (Agenda Item 6) concerning a response to the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission (OSMC) following their review of the report into the 2018/19 overspend in Adult Social Care (ASC). The review of the report into the ASC overspend undertaken by OSMC on the 26th February 2019 provided a very useful opportunity to further explore a number of issues, some specific to Adult Social Care (ASC) but others that impacted across the Council.

Councillor Jeff Cant introduced the report which had been triggered in response to the significant ASC overspend which emerged in 2018/19. The Executive was receptive of the OSMC’s recommendations and would make some changes to the budget process.

Councillor Graham Bridgman explained that a large number of recommendations had been adopted from the report produced by the Chief Executive and the Audit Manager and the OSMC report recommended a further three. In addition to the response outlined at paragraph 5.2, there would be monthly scrutiny of the ASC budget by officers and the Portfolio Holder. In respect of the response at paragraph 5.3, Long Term Services, Short Term Services and salaries now had robust modelling in place, this covered 97% of the budget. In respect of the response to the third recommendation, Councillor Bridgman did not wish to pre-empt the view of the new Executive Director (Resources) who might have a view.

Councillor Owen Jeffery noted that the OSMC had considered the report in February 2019 and asked what progress there had been six months on. Councillor Cant advised that the information would be available at the end of July once the quarter one budget monitoring report had been completed.

Councillor Jeffery asked what spending was comprised in the 3% of the ASC budget which was not modelled. Councillor Bridgman believed it was administrative costs but would confirm in a written response.

Councillor Lee Dillon welcomed the scrutiny of the ASC budget that would be undertaken by officers and the Portfolio Holder but asked if elected Members could collectively scrutinise the outcome of the review at OSMC or a Full Council meeting. Councillor Dillon suggested that the Council could consider zero based budgeting in future budget builds and noted that some Conservative Members were likely to support this. Further, he was disappointed that there was not a commitment to rebase the entire budget every four years and asked for a political view. Councillor Cant advised that zero based budgeting along with other approaches would be considered and the Executive were eager to link performance outcomes with budgets. Councillor Bridgman echoed this comment and noted that ASC was a demand led budget and it was hoped that the improved model would be more robust.

RESOLVED that the suggested responses to each of the 3 recommendations of the OSMC, as shown at paragraphs 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4, be approved. 

Reason for the decision: To set out a response to the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission (OSMC) following their review of the report into the 2018/19 overspend in Adult Social Care (ASC).

Other options considered: None