Agenda item

The Committee considered a report and presentation of the Corporate Director of Resources, presented by Andrew Gilmore,Finance Manager for Adult and Health Services, which provided details of the initial forecast outturn budget position for the Adult and Health Service grouping, highlighting major variances in comparison with the budget for the year, based on the position to the end of June 2020 (for copy see file of minutes).

The Finance Managerremarked on the challenge of Covid-19 which had led to significant uncertainty from a budget monitoring perspective and the Committee was asked to note that the forecast presented included a number of assumptions which could be subject to change.

The Finance Manager explained that the council received a headline grant of £38 million in respect of Covid-19 costs pressures, Over £21 million of which was allocated to support pressures in the Adult and Health Services budget. Covid-19 costs included adult social care provider support, supply of personal protective equipment, and, additional staffing.  Covid-19 underspends included reduced transport costs, a reduction in contracted placements in care homes, and, a contribution from County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group toward the cost of adult social care provider support.

The Finance Manager referred to the test and trace grant, referred to earlier in the meeting by the Director of Public Health, of approximately £4.5million to develop tailored outbreak control plans.

The Finance Manager also provided details of five main areas of financial support provided to adult social care providers in response to the pandemic, Advance Payment, Sustainability Payments, Stability Payments, Additional Uplift and the Infection Control Fund.

Councillor Tucker thanked the Finance Manager for the comprehensive report, and, referring to infection control, she asked if any of the additional money had been allocated to increase the number of staff in infection control. The Finance Manager explained that some of the money had been used to cover staff double-running costs, however, government guidelines regulate how the finance is utilised by care homes.

Councillor Bell referred to reduced occupancy within care homes, and asked the Finance Manager, what the financial implications will be if the trend continues.  The Finance Manager confirmed that there had been an increase in home-care recently, which may be a future trend and monitoring is taking place as to how this will impact care home management in the future.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.