Agenda item

The report provided the first of two opportunities within the budget planning cycle for the Committee to consider issues relating to budget planning for 2018/19. The context of the report was the broader financial position of the council, alongside signposting major issues within Social Services, Housing and Public Health Services budgets. A further report is to be considered in January 2018, and will set out the detailed budget proposals, once the proposals have been included in the report to Cabinet regarding the Medium Term Financial Forecast in December.

The Operational Finance Officer noted that in February 2017, the budget report to Council identified the savings requirement for 2018/19 as £22.2m, with £5m planned drawdown from balances and £1.1m previously developed and approved savings initiatives reducing the budget gap to £16.1m. Further social care funding announcements and a release from the Council's Collection Fund further reduced the gap to be managed to roughly £11.6m.

The Committee was informed that the Council remains strongly placed to deal with the financial challenges ahead, and retain balances of £38.7m, although £14.5m is expected to be drawn down from 2017/18 to smooth the impact of Government funding reductions.

Members questioned whether there was a risk that companies may withdraw from contracts or ask for retrospective increases due to rising social care costs and inflation, and whether current provisions were enough if this happened. The Corporate Director for Adults, Children and Young People's Services, confirmed that a range of above inflation requests have been met and were planned for, and additional increases have been prepared for and are built into current provisions. Responding to further questioning, it was confirmed that there was increased provision for high-needs children and elderly residents, and historic demographic profiling in the Borough has allowed the Council to prepare for these issues.

Councillors raised the case of a resident who had waited nine months for the Council to visit their property, and the Deputy Director of Housing, Environment, Education and Health and Wellbeing confirmed that, while he is not sure of the specific case, the Council has moved more resources to that area to help with the high demand, and improvements are being made to the team structure too. Members were also informed that the Deputy Director of Housing, Environment, Education and Health and Wellbeing sees a report of these cases on a weekly basis, and the department is trying to speed up the process to tackle these issues.

Responding to questioning regarding the High Value Void Levy, the Deputy Director of Housing, Environment, Education and Health and Wellbeing confirmed that there has been no guidance and this has led to uncertainty, particularly following the political changes over the previous year. It is understood that any changes will be staggered, however, the Council are waiting on further information and prepared for the possibility that if the levy is applied, its impact will be significant.

Members heard that the current stock has also been assessed, and 36 properties, worth roughly £14m, may be impacted by this potential levy. The Council would, however, like to retain this housing stock for its own residents, and these larger houses are particularly difficult to find for families in need.

The Committee commented on the increased pressure on Adult Social Care services and, questioned what the Council was doing to ensure expedient discharges were effective. The Corporate Director for Adults, Children and Young People's Services confirmed that a lot of work was being done on the issue, including more focus on re-engineering the clinical fitness of those patients being discharged. Furthermore, the NHS was driving schemes to assess a patient is medically optimised before they were discharged, and then an assessment of the patient takes place at their home or car home. These processes should ensure discharges are safer. Members noted that a number of organisations were successfully working hand-in-hand regarding discharges, and it was also noted that Hillingdon Health Trust was working hard on the issue.

RESOLVED: That the budget planning report for Social Services, Housing and Public Health Services 2018/19 was noted, in advance of detailed savings proposals being developed and approved at Cabinet in December 2017.