Agenda item

Adult and Health Services - Quarter Two Forecast of Revenue and Capital Outturn 2020/21

Minutes:

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 quarter two 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 September 2020 (for copy of report and presentation, see file of minutes).

 

The Finance Manager explained that Durham County Council had received a headline grant of over £40 million in respect of COVID-19 cost pressures. There were also various other recovery related funding streams made available to the council. Approximately £22 million of the headline grant had been allocated to support pressures withing the NHS budget. Overall expenditure was significantly higher than the original budget, however, the overall position was a cash limit underbudget of over £3 million after utilising the additional government funding.

 

Within the £22 million of COVID related cost pressures £19 million was to provide support to adult social care providers. Other corporate pressures included £2 million for PPE and some additional staffing and double running costs. The position also included over £5 million under budget directly attributed to the pandemic for things such as £400,000 in respect of reduced transport cost, reduction of over £4 million relating to activity in care homes and a contribution from County Durham CCG towards adult social care provider support.

 

The Finance Manager also provided details of the AHS Revenue Budget that had a projected under budget of £3.198 million. He also provided details of the five main areas of financial support provided to adult social care providers. Members were advised that there were no specific AHS capital programmes at present.

 

Councillor R Bell referred to the 10% additional uplift fee related to the occupancy levels of care homes and asked for data on what the occupancy levels of care homes and if there were any issues on the viability of care homes going forward.

 

The Finance Manager responded that they were seeing less than usual activity in care homes. In terms of the sustainability payments due to reduced occupancy, they were continuing for a number of homes. There was an additional uplift that was linked to 10% of fees which stopped on the 31 October 2020, but they were considering additional support in the short-term.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

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