Item 13 - Educational Services Budgetary Control Report to 31 August 2023 (Period 5)
West Dunbartonshire Council · 13 December 2023
Back to Educational Services Committee — 13 December 2023 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by the Chief Officer (Resources) Educational Services Committee: 13 December 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Educational Services Budgetary Control Report to 31 August 2023 (Period 5). 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of the report is to provide Committee with an update on the financial performance of Educational Services to 31 August 2023 (Period 5). 2. Recommendations 2.1 Committee is asked to: (a) note that the revenue account currently shows a projected annual adverse revenue variance of £1.460m (1.26% of the total budget); and (b) note that projected expenditure on the capital account is lower than the 2023/24 budget by £0.112m (1.12% of budget), due to project re-profiling. 3. Background Revenue 3.1 At the meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council on 1 March 2023, Members agreed the revenue estimates for 2023/2024, including a total net Educational Services Committee budget of £113.150m. Since then the following budget adjustments have taken place revising the budget to £115.908m. Budget Agreed by Council 1 March 2023 £113.150m Summer Programme Pay Award Additional Funding ISDN budget savings Mobile licences budget realignment PAT testing £0.080m £2.724m (£0.058m) (£0.001m) £0.013m Revised Budget £115.908m 3.2 While the teachers’ pay award has been agreed (to August 2024) the APT&C pay award for APT&C staff from 1 April 2023 had not been agreed at the time this report was written. This report assumes a pay award of 4%. However, indications are that the 2023/24 APT&C pay award will be materially higher. ITEM 13
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3.3 A list of agreed management adjustments totalling £2.453m is shown within Appendix 4. Current indications show £2.438m – all but £0.015m - is on target to be achieved. Capital 3.4 At its 1 March 2023 meeting, the Council also agreed the updated General Services Capital Plan for 2023/2024 to 2031/32. The three years from 2023/24 to 2025/26 were approved in detail with the remaining years being indicative at that stage. After adjusting for anticipated re-profiling from 2022/23 into 2023/24 and £0.200m programme acceleration at Renton, the budget agreed for 2023/24 was £9.993m. 4. Main Issues Revenue Budget 4.1 The current departmental budgetary position is summarised in Appendix 1, with detailed analysis by service in Appendix 2. 4.2 The overall projected full year variance is £1.460m adverse. Information and all individual variances of over £50,000 are detailed in Appendix 3. Capital 4.5 The overall Educational Services programme summary report at Appendix 5 shows that the expected spend on the project life is anticipated to be £0.112m less than the original budget. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no direct people implications. 6. Financial and Procurement Implications 6.1 Other than the financial position noted above and within the appendices, there are no financial or procurement implications of the budgetary control report. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 The main financial risks to the ongoing financial position relate to unforeseen costs and/or reduced income streams being identified between now and the end of the financial year. Finance staff are in regular discussion with budget holders to ensure potential issues are identified as early as possible in order to mitigate this risk. 7.2 A more specific uncertainty surrounds the outcome of the APT&C pay award for 2023/24. The figures in the attached appendices have assumed that the pay award is 4%.
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8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 8.1 The report is for noting and therefore, no Equalities Impact Assessment was completed for this report. 9. Consultation 9.1 The views of Education, Finance and Legal services were requested in the preparation of this report and they have advised there are neither any additional issues nor concerns with the proposal. As the report is for noting no further consultation is envisaged. 10. Strategic Assessment 10.1 Proper budgetary control and sound financial practice are cornerstones of good governance and support Council and officers to pursue the 5 strategic priorities of the Council’s Strategic Plan. This report forms part of the financial governance of the Council. Laurence Slavin Chief Officer - Resources Date: 15 November 2023 Person to Contact: Joe Reilly - Business Unit Finance Partner (Education), Church St, Dumbarton, G82 1QL, telephone: 01389 737707, e-mail joe.reilly@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: Appendix 1 - Revenue Budgetary Control 2023/24 - Summary Report Appendix 2 - Revenue Budgetary Control 2023/24 - Service Reports - Appendix 3 - Analysis of Revenue Variances over £50,000 Appendix 4 – Analysis of Revenue Efficiencies Appendix 5 - Capital Programme Summary
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Appendix 6 – Capital Projects at Red Status Appendix 7 – Capital Projects at Green Status Background Papers: Ledger output – period 5 General Services Revenue Estimates 2023/24 Wards Affected: ,All