Agenda item

The Committee considered the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring Report in relation to the Social Care and Health Service which provided an update on the latest budgetary position as at 31^st August 2018, in respect of the 2018/19 financial year.

The Social Care and Health Service was projecting an overspend of £746k on the revenue budget and a net variance of -£2k against the 2018/19 approved capital budget.

The following questions / observations were raised on the report:-

·         Asked what the £22k underspend was in Support (Appendix A).  Advised that this was due to staffing;

·         Raised concerns around staff vacancies in the care management teams. Advised that workforce pressures is one of the main problems facing the sector.  There has been a turnover of staff / retirement. A concerted effort has been made this year to ensure that the Community Resource Teams remained at full complement.  Recruitment is a pressure but it is being addressed.  Staff who have retired have returned to provide support while recruitment is being undertaken;

·         Asked how much of the £20m funding announced by Rebecca Evans A.M. the Authority had received.  Advised that it is normally based on a formula and the Authority receives 6% funding from the Welsh Government which is based on an adult population formula.  Advised that the £20m referred to was funding released by the Welsh Government to alleviate workforce pressures;

·         Asked why so much is being spent on agency staffing. Advised that a lot of work has been done to reduce dependency on agency staff including more effective rotas and reducing sickness levels.  Hoped to see more positive results over the next 6-12 months;

·         Concern raised about staffing issues especially as there is high unemployment.  Advised that in the more rural areas it was easier to recruit but in the towns it was difficult to compete with retail outlets.  There is a career path via the NVQ qualification but there is a need to make it a more attractive career path in schools;

·         Reference was made to the announcement by NHS England of £3.5b of additional funding for social care and officers were asked if Wales was likely to receive something similar.  An announcement regarding the Support Grant settlement is expected late December;

·         Asked about the on-going vacancies within the Occupational Therapy service and how this was being addressed.  Advised that there have been issues over recruiting, however, these have been resolved and staff who had moved to other areas have now returned to Carmarthenshire.  There has been a lot of recruitment and we now have a very strong Occupational Therapy service; 

·         Asked what the impact will be for the Authority regarding the recent announcement that Allied Healthcare will cease trading.  Advised that there was a contingency plan in place as the company had warned that it was in financial difficulties.  Advised that ongoing negotiations were being undertaken to ensure the service would not be affected and staff (c80) would be transferred into the employment of the Authority.

·         Asked how long schemes remain on budget monitoring reports following completion.  Advised that they continue to be monitored until the accounts have been finalised.

RESOLVED that the report be received.