Issue - meetings

25.1     The committee considered a report on the Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) process which provided an update on proposed savings plans for 2018/19 and areas of search for savings in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

25.2     The following points were made in response to questions from the committee:

·         The latest position in relation to the ESCC contribution to the East Sussex Better Together (ESBT) Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) will be reported  through quarter 2 monitoring and the budget for 2018/19 determined through the usual RPPR process.

·         The Adult Social Care outturn is currently projected to be a £1.1M overspend but it is expected that this will move closer to balance as the year progresses.

·         The overall ESBT situation is affected by limited ability to move costs out of the acute sector quickly enough. The local NHS will overspend but is subject to a different financial and regulatory regime. It is expected that the NHS position will be released over the next month in line with their national timetable.

·         More detail on the impact of proposed savings for 2018/19 will be available in time for the committee’s RPPR Board meeting in December. This meeting will also be able to look at any impact on Adult Social Care from the NHS position.

·         The savings requirement is calculated based on the overall budget, existing commitments, inflation and demographic pressures. As reflected in the earlier discussion on prevention, there will be choices around balancing services that support people in a preventative way versus the increasing emphasis on meeting statutory need. These choices will have an impact on demand in the future.

·         The longer term areas of search for savings would see substantial impact on preventative services. The proposed areas are based on the expected loss of specific government grants but a longer term social care funding solution is awaited. The government proposals on social care have been delayed to spring 2018 and it is not expected that a new system would be in place until 19/20 onwards at the earliest.

·         The Department has sought to minimise the impact of savings on services for vulnerable people such as Supporting People and refuges, but there are inevitably impacts from the significant cumulative savings which have been required over several years. Supporting People services still have a significant impact but, given their preventative nature, it is necessary to look at these services in terms of savings and be clear and open about what can be provided in future.

·         Statutory services to meet critical and substantial need can’t be cut but decisions have previously been taken to scale back care packages. It is not proposed to pursue this approach further due to the impact on meeting core needs. This means that other services must be targeted for savings.

·         In relation to community safety there is discussion underway with the Police and Crime Commissioner with regard to commissioning on a Sussex-wide basis as opposed to grant funding to local partnerships. This has the potential to offer economies of scale  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25