Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/184

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programme Tel: (01295) 221786 / Kathy Wilcox, Head of Financial Strategy Tel: 07788 302163

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources and Director of Finance (CA7).

This report presents January 2022 performance, risk and finance position for the Council.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED:     

a)            To note the January business management and monitoring report.

b)           To agree virements set out in Annex C -2b which relate to the Covid-19 costs incurred by the directorates between October 2021 and January 2022.

c)            To note virements set out in Annex C-2c

d)           To note virements for 2022/23 set out in Annex C-2d

e)            To approve the bad debt, write off in Annex C paragraphs 25 (Adult Services) and 84 (CDAI)

f)             To approve the use of the COVID Reserve in paragraphs 29, 35, 79, 85, 91, 94 and the use of the corporate contingency for the estimated cost of the pay award in paragraph 101

g)           To note the Review of Charges 2022/23 set out in Annex C-5

Recommendations agreed

Cabinet received a report for approval presenting the January 2022 performance, risk and finance position for the Council.

Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance, drew attention to continuing concerns around increased demand on children’s services reflected in the risk register where the top three risks all related to this area.  The other red-rated risks were in demand management in adult services and costs and shortages in the construction sector.

There was an expected underspend on the current year’s budget of £1m.  It was proposed to transfer £3.7m from the Covid reserve leaving £5m in that reserve.  A resolution had recently been reached in nationwide negotiations on the pay agreement and the cost of £2.8m will be taken from the contingency budget.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Young People’s Services gave more details on the risks in that sector.  There was a high rate of referrals of children to mental health services and it was necessary to ensure that the resources were in place, to look at Early Help and how families can be helped to support them.

The Council was tackling the workforce issues by looking to ‘grow’ its own social workers.  The Council was already committed to providing its own homes for children and reduce the need to use private providers out of county.

Councillor Duncan Enright welcomed the fact that Oxfordshire was top of the recycling league despite not hitting its own ambitious targets.  He also welcomed the opening of a joint advice centre in the Central Library with the City Council and hoped similar facilities could be put in place with the district councils.

RESOLVED

a)            To note the January business management and monitoring report.

b)           To agree virements set out in Annex C -2b which relate to the Covid-19 costs incurred by the directorates between October 2021 and January 2022.

c)            To note virements set out in Annex C-2c

d)           To note virements for 2022/23 set out in Annex C-2d

e)            To approve the bad debt, write off in Annex C paragraphs 25 (Adult Services) and 84 (CDAI)

f)             To approve the use of the COVID Reserve in paragraphs 29, 35, 79, 85, 91, 94 and the use of the corporate contingency for the estimated cost of the pay award in paragraph 101

g)           To note the Review of Charges 2022/23 set out in Annex C-5