Issue - meetings

The Chair introduced item 8, the Budget 2020/2021 and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) assumed Savings and explained that the full list of assumed savings had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Board at their meeting on 13 January and that it was suggested that the Health and Adults Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee consider the assumed savings relevant to their scrutiny remit.

The Director of Adult Social Care Commissioning presented the item and provided the Committee with a document, which can be found as Appendix ‘A’ to these minutes in the official Minute Book, outlining the savings that were expected within the Adult Social Care Service area from the 2020/2021 Budget and MTFP.

Members were informed that some of the assumed savings concerned staff structuring which would be subject to a formal consultation with employees and would therefore require a broad level of discussion if the Committee requested further information. The Directors of Adult Social Care Commissioning and the Director of Adult Social Care Services proceeded to explain each item individually, highlighting the key information for the Committee.

Members asked questions on the possible impact that the assumed savings would have on the quality and provision of services within adult social care, such as night care, catering services and the reablement service. The Committee heard that there was no intention to reduce the quality or outcomesof these or any services. There was, instead, the aspiration that technological and efficiency improvements would maintain or improve the quality and outcomes of services within Adult Social Care.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Adults emphasised that the starting point for all of the budgetary planning was for there to be no reduction in outcomes for people who need services , to which a member of the Committee congratulated the service area for identifying  assumed savings of £5.5 million within 3 years while maintaining the quality of outcomes for the public.

RESOLVED that:-  having understood the assumed savings and scrutinised the areas of potential high impact, the Committee agreed to note the item.