Argyll and Bute HSCP Finance and Policy Committee held on 28 June 2024
Argyll and Bute Council · 25 September 2024
Back to Argyll and Bute HSCP Integration Joint Board (IJB) — 25 September 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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MINUTES of MEETING of ARGYLL AND BUTE HSCP FINANCE AND POLICY COMMITTEE held BY MICROSOFT TEAMS on FRIDAY, 28 JUNE 2024 Present: Graham Bell (Chair) Karen Leach Kenny Mathieson Fiona Thomson Councillor Gary Mulvaney Attending: Evan Beswick, Interim Chief Officer, Argyll and Bute HSCP James Gow, Head of Finance, Argyll and Bute HSCP Caroline Cherry, Head of Adult Services – Health and Community Care, Argyll and Bute HSCP Julie Lusk, Head of Adult Services – Acute and Complex Care, Argyll and Bute HSCP Brian Reid, Senior Manager, Operations, Children, Families and Justice, Argyll and Bute Council Charlotte Craig, Business Improvement Manager, Argyll and Bute HSCP Angela Tillery, Principal Accountant, Argyll and Bute Council Lynsey Innis, Senior Committee Assistant, Argyll and Bute Council 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillor Dougie McFadzean. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest intimated. 3. MINUTES The Minute of the Meeting of the Finance and Policy Committee, held on 22 March 2024, was approved as a correct record. 4. UNAUDITED ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2023/24 The Committee gave consideration to a report which summarised the draft accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 and provided an opportunity for Members to review them prior to publication. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee:-
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1. Reviewed the Unaudited Annual Accounts and Report, including the Annual Governance Statement. 2. Noted that the IJB is reporting an underspend totalling £2.9m, carried forward in general reserves. (Reference: Report by Head of Finance, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) 5. BUDGET MONITORING 2023/24 AND PROVISIONAL YEAR END Consideration was given to a report which provided a provisional overview of the financial performance during 2023/24. The report outlined a better position that had been forecast and the reasons for this. The Head of Finance also provided a verbal update in relation to the current position in respect of the implementation of the new Care at Home contract. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee:- 1. Noted that the HSCP is reporting an improved position and a provisional year end underspend against budget of £2.6m or 0.7%. 2. Noted that savings of £7.4m have been delivered, 83% of target. 3. Noted that the HSCP holds general reserves of £7.8m and earmarked reserves of £12.1m (£19.9m total) at the end of 2023/24. (Reference: Report by Head of Finance, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) 6. FINANCIAL RISKS 2024-25 Having noted that the regular review of financial risks is an embedded aspect of financial governance, the Committee gave consideration to a report which identified the financial risks for the 2024/25 period. The report also outlined the mitigations in place to manage the likelihood of the risk occurring and the consequences. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee:- 1. Considered the 2024/25 financial risks identified and noted the mitigations. 2. Noted that the expected overspend on external placements in Children’s Services is formally reported to Council and the approach to its management agreed. 3. Requested that a follow up report be provided to the next meeting outlining the immediate planning and long term expectation for Argyll and Bute in respect of the external placements in Children’s Services. (Reference: Report by Head of Finance, dated 28 June 2024, submitted)
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7. BUDGET PREPARATION UPDATE Consideration was given to a report which provided an update on the progress against the budget preparation timeline. The report provided assurance that the ongoing work from 2023-24 could be consolidated, aligned with ongoing strategy work for long term improvement and challenged in respect of impacts that may be felt over the whole system on proposed change. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee noted the progress against the budget preparation timeline as agreed. (Reference: Report by Head of Finance/Business Improvement Manager, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) 8. DRAFT FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 Consideration was given to the annual report, which summarised the activity of the Finance and Policy Committee in the financial year 2023-24. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee:- 1. Considered and approved the draft Committee Annual Report for 2023/24. 2. Requested that the final report is placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the IJB, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 25 September 2024. (Reference: Report by Chair, dates 28 June 2024, submitted) 9. TRANSFORMATION BOARD UPDATE The Committee gave consideration to a report which detailed the key actions from the first meeting of the new Transformation Board, which met on 21 May 2024. The report also included an update on the feedback and consultation from the latest Senior Leadership and Adult Care Team development sessions. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee:- 1. Acknowledged the three key actions from the relaunch of the Transformation Board on 21 May 2024. 2. Acknowledged outputs from the development sessions with the Senior Leadership Team and a follow-up session with the Adult Care Team in identifying key transformation priorities. 3. Acknowledged the work required to ensure that the Transformation Board is able to evidence future and current budget in line with saving opportunities.
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(Reference: Report by Head of Planning, Performance and Technology, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) 10. INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE - MAY 2024 Having noted that the delivery of HSCP services is reliant on the physical building infrastructure from which it operates, consideration was given to a report which provided an update on the progress of key projects and sought endorsement for increasing infrastructure risk on the Strategic Risk Register to ‘Very High’. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee:- 1. Noted the contents of the report. 2. Endorsed the proposal to increase Infrastructure Risk as Very High on the Strategic Risk Register. 3. Noted that actions are on-going to mitigate risk and make improvements where possible. (Reference: Report by Head of Finance, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) 11. PRIMARY CARE PRESCRIBING BUDGET REPORT The Committee gave consideration to a report which outlined the reasons for the increase in prescribing costs during the financial year April 2023 to March 2024. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee noted the factors impacting on the prescribing budget and the steps take to promote cost effective prescribing. (Reference: Report by Associate Director of Pharmacy, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) Councillor Gary Mulvaney left the meeting during discussion of agenda item 11 (Primary Care Prescribing Budget Report). . 12. FUTURE OF LONG TERM CARE IN SCOTLAND The Committee gave consideration to the recently published report, commissioned by Alzheimer Scotland on the Future of Long-Term Care in Scotland. Decision The Finance and Policy Committee requested that this item be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee to allow for substantive discussion due to strategic nature of the report, with consideration to be given to which other forums it should be presented to.
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(Reference: Report by Head of Finance/Head of Adult Services, dated 28 June 2024, submitted) 13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING The Finance and Policy Committee noted that their next meeting was scheduled to take place on Friday, 27 September 2024.