2016/17 Budget
Balancing the books
Presentation and accompanying notes from public meetings held in Devizes, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury in February 2016
Presentation and accompanying notes from public meetings held in Devizes, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury in February 2016
Where do we get the cash from? Ringfenced
The school’s budget is allocated by government to a formula used for all councils with education responsibility. A Wiltshire Schools Forum allocates this money to individual schools.
The council evaluates applications for housing benefit and pays the successful applicants. Each month an invoice is sent to government with a small mark up to cover administration costs.
The council homes owned by Wiltshire Council are mainly in Salisbury where there are 5,500 units. The rents are credited to the Housing Revenue Account which pays for repairs and other services. Any excess is used to fund new council houses.
All of these monies are ringfenced and cannot be used for other purposes.
Universal services These are the services that most of us use. Those listed are the most expensive ones. There are about 220 universal services covering a range of council activities.
Care of vulnerable residents This is the area where the demand pressure is intense. Some examples are:
The number of residents supported at home has increased from 5,000 to 8,000 over five years.
Life expectancy is increasing due to improvements in medicine with the result that the number of residents needing care is increasing.
More premature babies are surviving, some of whom require extra care
Government regulations have changed and now the council has care of children up to the age of 18 – previously it was 16.
There is an overlap with the NHS but the burden of care falls on the council.
The Barnet Council “graph of doom”
This was prepared to describe the financial pressures councils are under.
It shows the demand from adult social care and children’s services growing relentlessly whilst at the same time the government is reducing the grant given to local government.
It predicts that by 2021 the money local government has at its disposal would be totally absorbed by adult social care and children’s services with none left for universal services. This will not happen but it’s not clear how the government is going to address this problem and the demands on the NHS.
The Budget pressures 2016/17
This shows that adult and children services represent the highest increase in demand.
Care packages can cost more than £1,000 a week.
A child with a disability with a foster parent can cost £1,700 a week.
The reduction in government grant compounds this problem.
How do we square the circle in 2016/2017?
By raising council tax and taking into account new homes that will be occupied in 2016/17 and the new rules we have on empty homes.
The council tax is capped by Government at 2%.
The government has allowed councils with social care responsibilities to levy 2% to be ringfenced for care – it can’t be used for any other purpose.
The majority of councils are reluctantly introducing this levy due to the financial pressures. The Local Government Association reports “9 out of 10 English councils are set to have tax rises of 4% in 2016/17 to cover the growing crisis in care services for the elderly and disabled”.
Council tax since unitary
Historically councils have increased council tax in line with inflation.
Had that continued the Band D Council Tax in Wiltshire would have increased as shown by the green line
How do we do it?
We are sharing buildings with the Police and Fire and Rescue and reducing costs for them and for the council.
We continually strive to carry out work in new and different ways by using IT better and by joining up services with the NHS and other government organisations in Wiltshire.
We are delegating more and we have an army of volunteers to help us.
o We have more than 400 volunteers in our libraries which means we haven’t had to close any. o We receive help with Community Speed Watch to monitor vehicle speed in communities. o We have students helping residents to become more computer literate.
These are only a few examples, there are too many to list here.
We will invest to save to make the council more efficient.
It’s not just us
We are all in the same boat.
We are working with the government on a four-year devolution plan aimed at drawing government organisations together in Wiltshire to avoid duplication of effort and facilities.
There is a prize to be had in working closely with the NHS as we and they are involved with care of vulnerable residents.
Here are some of the projects we are working on:
• RAF Lyneham development as a forces training centre • Dyson expansion in Malmesbury • Corsham Health and Wellbeing Centre operational at Springfield • Digital Corsham • Motorway Junction 17 improvements • A350 dualling and improvements to Bumper Farm Roundabout • Station improvements in Chippenham • Relocation of Herman Miller to Melksham • Melksham Health and Wellbeing centre design well advanced
And here are some more…
Yarnbrook junction improvements near Trowbridge
Station improvements in Trowbridge
Science Park in Porton
Salisbury Health and Wellbeing Centre opening soon at Five Rivers
Army basing in advanced planning on and around Salisbury Plain
Maltings development in Salisbury
Investment in improving and creating new council housing
Investment in extra care homes for vulnerable residents
Salisbury Technical College
Marks and Spencer on the ‘Peter Black’ site in Trowbridge
Prevention is better than cure
Dementia friendly communities.
Education on obesity – can lead to diabetes in later life.
Preventing falls – slipper exchange.
Health checks – identify problems earlier.
Fire checks by Fire and Rescue - they also look for trip hazards.
Supporting people leaving hospital.
Provide aids and adaptions.
Early intervention with families with children on the edge of care.
Investment in health visitors who work with mothers from their child’s birth.
Targeted children’s services working with young families in their communities.
What’s the outlook for 2017-20 The cold harsh reality is we have to balance our books each and every year. Looking forward it’s going to be more of the same:
More demand from adult care and children’s services
Less money from government
