Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

51.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Terry Fox.

52.1

There were no items which required the exclusion of the public and press.

53.1

There were no declarations of interest.

54.1

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Finance and Performance Policy Committee, held on the 21^st October 2024, were approved as an accurate record.

55.1

There were no petitions, questions or statements received from the public on this occasion.

56.1

The Committee received two Members’ questions, for which written responses were provided.

56.2

1. In the light of the autumn budget and the NI increase can you tell me how that may exacerbate the budgetary overspend and pressures for SCC. 

There will be a direct cost for staff employed by SCC, for which a detailed estimate is being prepared by payroll.  Our expectation is that this will be matched by additional funding outside of the £1.3bn announced for Local Government.  There will be a secondary impact throughout our supply chain as suppliers and providers increase prices to cover their rising costs.  We are working on calculating the potential maximum additional pressure for social care, if we were to cover the costs across the board, as this is where the biggest immediate impact would be felt.  It will be more difficult to estimate other potential cost increases (and when they might emerge) as it will be dependent on contracts, individual supplier circumstances and market forces.

2. What analysis has been done or is intended alongside our delivery partners with especial reference to the care sector, the effect it will have on delivery in this sector and the important service it delivers.

Adult Care and Wellbeing are due to take the annual fee setting paper to Committee in Dec.  At this point in time, the proposed fee will cover the National Living Wage increase on staffing costs and CPI on non-staffing costs.  After this, consultation will begin with providers.  We are expecting a clearer picture to emerge following the consultation, at which point SCC should have received confirmation of funding from the Local Government Finance Settlement.

56.3

Councillor Hurst asked a supplementary question regarding when then decision would be taken on Adult Health and Social Care annual fees. The Director of Finance and Commercial Services responded, and stated that the settlement from Central Government was not expected until the end of the year and that the latest date would be the 19^th December 2024.

57.1

The Committee received a report containing the Committee’s Work Programme for consideration and discussion. The aim of the Work Programme was to show all known, substantive agenda items for forthcoming meetings of the Committee, to enable this Committee, other committees, officers, partners and the public to plan their work with and for the Committee.

57.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Finance and Performance Policy Committee:-

1. Approves the Committee’s Work Programme, as set out in Appendix 1, including any additions and amendments identified in Part 1 and the amendment noted in the meeting;

2. Give consideration to any further issues to be explored by officers for inclusion in Part 2 of Appendix 1 of the next work programme report, for potential addition to the work programme; and

3. Notes any referrals from Council (petition and resolutions) detailed in Section 2 of the report and agrees the proposed responses

57.3

Members noted that December’s agenda was substantial and suggested some of the work required could be covered in pre-meetings. The Chair stated that all Committee Members had been invited to the pre-agenda meeting, which would enable wider discussion on the items ahead of the formal meeting.

57.4

Members asked why some items had moved. The Chair responded that the trio had asked for additional information within the reports ahead of them being considered at Committee.