Witnesses:
Becky Rush, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources
Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children and
Families
Denise Turner-Stewart, Cabinet Member for Education and
Learning
Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for
Communities
Rachael Wardell, Executive Director for Children, Families and
Lifelong Learning
Marie Snelling, Executive Director for Customer and
Communities
Susan Wills, Assistant Director for Cultural Services and
Registrations
Rachel Wigley, Director – Finance Insights and
Performance
Daniel Peattie, Strategic Finance Business Partner –
Children, Families and Lifelong Learning
Nikki O’Connor, Strategic Finance Business Partner –
Improvement and TPP/Resources
Mark Hak-Sanders, Strategic Finance
Business Partner – Corporate
Key points
raised in the discussion:
- The Cabinet Member
for Finance and Resources explained that the council’s draft
Budget for 2022/23 contained a gap of £19.5 million,
including a £2.2 million gap in the Children, Families and
Lifelong Learning (CFLL) Directorate and a £8.6 million gap
in the High Needs Block. There was a focus on self-funding
opportunities within the Capital Programme, as well as those which
would deliver revenue savings in the future.
- The Strategic Finance
Business Partner – Corporate explained that the budget
setting process was underpinned by core planning assumptions
developed under the PESTLE Framework (political, environmental,
social, technological, legal and economic factors). Funding
projections were based on expected council tax, business rate and
government grant income. The Local Government Finance Settlement
was expected later in the week, which would establish central
government funding and provide clarity on the council’s
funding position. Each directorate had been asked to identify
efficiencies to contribute towards closing the gap for 2022/23 and
the medium-term. The Capital Programme was described as being at
the limit of what the council could afford. Consultation with
residents and stakeholders on draft proposals and Equality Impact
Assessments would conclude at the end of December. The final budget
was to be presented to Cabinet in January 2022 and approved by
Cabinet in February 2022.
- The Strategic Finance
Business Partner highlighted that the budget setting process was
built around the Community Vision 2030 and the council’s
priority objectives. The draft corporate budgetary position
presented net pressures of £71.1 million, which was expected
to be offset by an assumed funding increase of £2.4 million
and efficiencies of £49.8 million, leaving a net gap of
£19.5 million to close. The pressures were largely associated
with pay and contract inflation and increased demand for services.
Efficiencies which had been rated as red (achievable but
challenging and/or complex to deliver) accounted for £11.1
million of the overall efficiencies, similar to the £10.8
million in the 2021/22 budget.
- At month seven of
2021/22, an overspend of £17 million for the directorate
budget envelope was forecast. The overspend was largely across
Adult Social Care (£3 million), CFLL (£7.1 million),
and the DSG High Needs Block offset (£8.8 million). These
were offset largely by an underspend in Environment, Transport and
Infrastructure due to an improvement in waste prices. The overall
council position at the end of the 2021/22 financial year was
expected to be balanced, with ...
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