To comment on the Cabinet report.

The Panel considered the Cabinet report showing proposed savings for the 2017-18 budget.  The report highlighted that the Medium Term Financial Plan had identified the need to make savings of £5.6m in 2017-18.  Some of the proposed savings would be subject to further reports to Cabinet for approval.  The final savings proposals would form part of the budget build and be presented to Council.

The Panel were informed that Corporate Services O&S Panel had raised concern that report summary point three and the recommendations implied that officers and Lead Members would be able to implement saving proposals without any formal scrutiny proses.  At that meeting Members were informed that they would discuss concerns raised by the Panel with Cabinet Members and seek to alter the recommendations.

With regards to commissioning Adult Social Care and Health the main saving proposals were:

·         Efficiencies in Operational Commissioning - £28k

·         Savings to the pan-Berkshire Chlamydia screening contract -£31k

·         Direct Payment efficiencies - £46k

·         Self financing of homeshare service - £50k

·         DAAT – implementation of Task & Finish group recommendations - £150k

Sheila Holmes (Healthwatch WAM) asked for clarification regarding the direct payment efficiencies and was informed that this related to individuals who wished to commission their own care and as the BCF funded part of the funding via links to the CCG there was an opportunity to recover payments no longer required.

The Panel were informed that there was also £75k proposed savings for commissioning business support and this related to an ongoing vacancy and management post being deleted.

With regards to Health and Adult Social Care saving proposals the Panel were informed that these totalled £453k via:

·         Additional income from financial assessment AA/DLA - £335k

·         Improved commissioning of Best Interest Assessors - £7k

·         Outcome based commissioning savings from fixed price contract - £80k

·         Review of block contract for care services -£31k

Cllr Story asked for clarification on the attendance allowance element of the proposals and was informed that when the Care Act came into force allowances received could be taken into account when assessing income.

Cllr Jones questioned the contract savings and was informed that officers were negotiating the price paid for those needing intensive care; there would be the same provision but at a reduced cost.

Resolved unanimously: that The Adult Services & Health O&S Panel reviewed the Cabinet report regarding savings proposals for the 2017-18 budget.  The Panel were informed that the Corporate Services O&S Panel had already considered the report and had recommended changes to the reports recommendations.  The Panel agreed with the CSOSP recommendations that:

(i)            Note the savings listed in Appendix A for submission to Council in the 2017-18 budgets and authorise officers to undertake work on proposed schemes where approval would be subject to any subsequent reports  to Cabinet between October 2016 and January 2017 to allow them to be included in the 2017-18 Budget report to Council.

(ii)          Authorises Strategic Directors in agreement with Lead Members to develop requirements to  implement savings proposals.

The Panel felt it was important that when presenting proposed savings to scrutiny that sufficient information should be provided for them to make an informed decision and that any saving proposals being worked upon before the Budget is presented to Council should be subject to scrutiny.  The Panel also requested that in future where a savings proposal was subject to a future cabinet report that this was made clear.