Agenda item

The Panel received a presentation on the adult social care reform programme and summary of the financial challenges facing the service in the future.

The key points noted by the Panel included the following:

·  The adult social care budget for 2015/16 was £34.38m.  An overspend of £1.8m was currently reported, however, a recovery plan was in place and the end of year forecast was an overspend of £600k.

·  The reason for the overspend was primarily that a careful approach was being taken to implementing agreed savings plans with a staged approach being taken.  There was also emerging evidence that some new clients had more complex needs and work was underway to understand the cost implications of this.

·  1,391 people were supported by Adult Social Care in Slough as at March 2015.  304 people were in care homes which accounted for a substantial proportion of department spending.

·  Local government funding had reduced more sharply than other areas of government spending between 2010-2015 with only health spending increasing during this period.  The cuts had a significant impact on adult social care service provision across the country.

·  The Council was undertaking an outcomes based budgeting process based on 35% funding reductions for SBC.  The outcome of the Government’s Spending Review would clarify the level of savings required.

·  The adult social care efficiency savings between 2015/19 were £7.814m and a strategy had been devised to 2019 to support this reform programme with an emphasis on prevention, personalisation and partnership working.

The Panel were informed that there were significant risks to delivery in implementing the planned reform programme and an even higher level of cuts of up to 35% may be required which would equate to £12m over four years.  This would require a different model to be developed and would involve raising the thresholds that would have significant negative impact on services.  The Panel was advised that the higher level of cuts may mean services were not compliant with the Care Act and there would also be consequential impacts for other parts of the social care system.

Members expressed concern about the funding position, particularly under the worst case scenario of future funding reductions, and discussed the process being undertaken to develop the budget for 2016/17 and beyond.  Decisions would be taken through the usual Council budgeting process and would be informed by the Spending Review to be delivered by the Chancellor on 25^th November 2015.  The Assistant Director was asked about the level of cooperation between the Council and the Health Priority Delivery Group and other health partners, particularly the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).  It was responded that the Health PDG was co-chaired by the Assistant Director and the Chair of the CCG and partnership working had improved, however, partners may not fully appreciate of the impacts of the financial challenges to be faced by local authorities.

The Panel recognised that the 1,400 people in receipt of support from adult social were the most vulnerable people in the borough and agreed to support the efficiencies and new ways of working in the reform programme to protect services as far as possible.  Members were invited to provide their comments and views on how the reform programme could be delivered and it was also agreed to bring further reports to the Panel on the progress of implementation and financial position of the service following the Spending Review.

Resolved –

(a)  That the update on the financial position facing Adult Social Care be noted.

(b)  That the Panel support the plans outlined for the Adult Social Care Reform Programme over the next four years to ensure the Council could continue to provide key services to vulnerable adults and meet statutory requirements.

(c)  That the Panel receive regular reports on the progress of the future funding position for Adult Social Care and the Reform Programme.