Decision details

The Service Director, Performance and Improvement provided the Cabinet with the Quarter 1 Performance Report for the financial year.

The Service Director advised that the full year projected position for the year, was a £2.9M overspend. The Service Director explained that within the projected position was the estimated financial impact of Covid-19, amounting to £27.2M, which was assumed to be fully funded by Welsh Government financial assistance. Members were informed that within the Covid-19 estimated costs were, Free School Meals Bacs payments, supporting the internal and external care sector, supporting home working and associated equipment costs, personal protective equipment, signage and screens in Council buildings to support social distancing.

The Service Director informed Members that there were fifteen strategic risks included within the Risk Register, all of which were reviewed and updated. There had been two specific updates to risks, firstly to Risk 11 – Regeneration Projects, which had been updated from a medium to a high to reflect the potential impact of Covid-19 on the delivery of Strategic Projects; and a new overarching risk in respect of Covid-19.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Estates thanked the officer for the report and noted that the £2.9M overspend was primarily in the Adult Social Care and Children’s Services. Given the continuation of pressures from those services and the impact of the floods and Covid-19, the Cabinet Member emphasised the need for funding assistance from Welsh Government.

The Cabinet Member was pleased to note that despite the pressures, the Council had continued to invest an additional £7.6M in Capital Investments to improve the County Borough and that staff sickness was down to 3.3%. The Cabinet Member referred to the ‘People’ section of the report and noted the huge amount of work carried out during Covid-19 to protect the communities, elderly and businesses.

The Deputy Leader spoke of the significant investment despite the pressures and thanked officers for their management. The Deputy Leader also took the opportunity to thank the staff and the community for their engagement in an extremely difficult year.

 The Cabinet RESOLVED:

1.    To note the unprecedented circumstances Council Services are operating within as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;

Revenue

2.    To note and agree the General Fund revenue outturn position of the Council as at the 30th June 2020 (Section 2 of the Executive Summary) and note the incorporation of confirmed and estimated Welsh Government COVID- 19 funding into this position to support on-going service delivery;

Capital

3.    To note the capital outturn position of the Council as at the 30th June 2020 (Sections 3a – e of the Executive Summary);

4.    To note the details of the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators as at the 30th June 2020 (Section 3f of the Executive Summary); and

Corporate Plan Priorities

5.    To note the quarter 1 progress updates for the Council’s agreed Corporate Plan priorities.