Council - 15/10/2019

■■■ Sandwell

Metropolitan Borough Council

Minutes of the Budget and Corporate
Scrutiny Management Board

11 th September, 2019 at 5.45pm
at Sandwell Council House, Oldbury

Present: Councillor L Giles (Chair);

Councillors E M Giles and Singh.

Apologies: Councillors Moore and Rollins.

In attendance: R Griffiths (Strategic Finance Manager);

S Lilley (Business Partner - Finance).

16/19 Minutes

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 7 th August,
2019 be approved as a correct record.

17/19 Quarter 1 Budget Monitoring 2019/20

The Cabinet, at its meeting on 28 th August 2019, had referred the
Council-wide budget monitoring report for Quarter 1 for consideration
by the Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board.

Details of the Council’s revenue and capital expenditure as at the end
of June 2019 were received by the Board.

At a service level, excluding Public Health and the Flousing Revenue
Account, there was a forecast year-end overspend of £1.5m made up
as follows:

Corporate Management - balanced budget;

Resources - surplus of £0.162m;

Adults Social Care - surplus of £0.107m;

Children’s Services - deficit of £1.531 m;

Regeneration and Growth - deficit of £0.252m;

Flousing and Communities - surplus of £0.014m.

[IL0: UNCLASSIFIED]

Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board - 11 th September, 2019

In addition, there was a projected year end surplus of £0.864m within
Public Health. Including Public Health, the directorate-level forecast
outturn position was an overspend of £0.352m.

The Board noted the reasons for the variances at the end of Quarter 1
for each service area.

Following comments and questions from members of the Board, the
following responses were made and issues highlighted:-

The budget monitoring information presented related to the
Children’s Services that were retained by the Council and did
not include the Sandwell Children’s Trust budgetary information.
The Board requested that an additional meeting be arranged,
with the Council’s representatives on the Strategic Partnership
Board to discuss matters relating to the contract monitoring
arrangements and the resourcing of the Trust.

Transport Services for young people with Special Educational
Needs (SEN) was an area of particular pressure which was
currently the subject of a detailed review. Members asked for
an update on the review.

The Board noted the budget pressures around the provision of
temporary accommodation for the homeless and asked for
further information, including if the introduction of Universal
Credit had impacted upon numbers of people needing
temporary accommodation.

Section 106 monies were paid by developers towards the cost
of providing community and social infrastructure that must be
used for specific purposes. Directors were working to
investigate how the Council could best make use of the Section
106 monies that it held and the Board asked for further
information on this work.

The Board requested further information on the performance for
Business Rates collection rates for 2019/20 so far.

Work was underway to review Providence Place to secure
effective commercial use on floors not occupied by Council
services.

[IL0: UNCLASSIFIED]

Budget and Corporate Scrutiny Management Board - 11 th September, 2019

Resolved that:-

(1) the relevant Directors provide the Budget and Corporate
Scrutiny Management Board with briefing notes on the
following matters:-

(a) Homelessness - further information on the increase
in numbers and any impact of Universal Credit;

(b) Section 106 - further information on the use of
Section 106 monies and the impact of covenants
placed on their use;

(c) Business Rates - request for information on the
collection rate.

(2) the Council’s representatives on the Sandwell Children’s
Trust Strategic Partnership Board be invited to an
additional meeting of the Budget and Corporate Scrutiny
Management Board to discuss matters relating to the
contract monitoring arrangements and the resourcing of
the Trust;

(3) an update on the progress of the review of Special
Education Needs Transport be brought to an additional
meeting of the Budget and Corporate Scrutiny
Management Board.

(Meeting ended at 6.14 pm)

Contact Officer: Alex Goddard
Democratic Services Unit
0121 569 3178

[ILO: UNCLASSIFIED]