The County Council is facing unprecedented demand for its services. In 2010/11, the Council needs to reinvest £30.1m to:
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provide more care for older people as our population ages
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to support people with learning and physical disabilities and mental health problems
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to protect children at risk following a 43% increase in safeguarding referrals after the Baby P case
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school transport.
This extra investment needs to be found from existing budgets. This is because by law, we have to produce a budget that balances. In other words, we can’t just spend money on extra services — such as care for the elderly — simply because the demand is there.
We have to take that money away from other service areas and from our general running costs in order to redistribute it to the critical service areas
We’re not alone. The trends in Nottinghamshire match the trends nationally and all councils are facing similar challenges.
This year we face a more complex and difficult financial situation than we have in the past:
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the recession is hitting the local economy and we need to address this through regeneration and social measures.
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we face national demographic changes that will impact severely on our services in the years to come. An ageing population, more people with dementia, more people needing help at home and an increase in younger people who need care services or placements
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we are predicting that our revenue grant from central government will reduce from 2011-12 onwards (by about £7m per year) and that specific grants are likely to come under intense scrutiny. And we cannot increase council tax as that was an election promise by the new administration.
Consultation
Following the public consultation about the 2010/11 budget, the Cabinet has revised a number of budget proposals.
These changes have been included in the new portfolio saving and efficiency tables:
The following table shows the impact of reprioritisation in 2010/11 across all departments.
Impact of reprioritisation in 2010/11
| Department |
Increase £m
|
Saving £m
|
Net position £m
|
Net change %
|
| Children and Young People's |
5.8
|
-5.6
|
+1.2
|
+1.2
|
| Adult Social Care and Health |
15.5
|
9.3
|
+5
|
+2.7
|
| Communities |
2.2
|
8.3
|
-6.7
|
-8.0
|
| Corporate Services |
0.1
|
-3.7
|
-2.9
|
-10.6
|
|
Chief Executive's
|
|
-0.5
|
-1.4
|
-11.0
|
| Corporate items (including terms and conditions) |
6.5
|
-2.5
|
+2.6
|
|
| Net Impact |
30.1
|
29.9
|
-2.2
|
|
The Strategic Plan 2010-2014
Budget decisions have been made in line with the promises and priorities contained in the County Council’s 2010-14 strategic plan.
The Strategic Plan is based on what local people say they want to see happen in Nottinghamshire to improve their lives.
The Strategic Plan priorities include:
