Fears that overspend in Dorset Council's adult services could 'accelerate'

As with children’s services, where the overspend figure is predicted to be more than £9m, the increase is mainly due to unexpected demand for services.

There are now fears that the rate of overspend could accelerate into the coming financial year as more older people need assistance because of coronavirus.

The end of year budget for adult services is expected to be 7.7% overspent – up from the start of year prediction of £111.78m to £120.41m.

A report to councillors says the directorate started the year badly, with a hangover £1.85m overspend, made up of an unaddressed base budget deficit of £0.7m from 2018/19 and £0.8m of individual Christchurch cases passed back to Dorset Council at the time of local government reorganisation a year ago. There was also a £0.3m reduction due to a delay in implementing new contributions.

Adult care packages are now predicted to be overspent by £7.4, up from an expected £88.1m to £95.5m.

The report says that both long and short-term care packages have steadily increased, beyond expectations, since last April with physical support remaining the highest area of spend at around, followed by learning disability support.

By care sector residential spending is by far the biggest, costing around £44m with over £15m attributed to community home care, slightly less for community supported living with just over £10m attributed to nursing care.

The council’s end of year report says the authority provides funding for 1,100 people in residential or nursing care and help at home to another 1,100 people. It also has 470 children and young people in its care.

The report points out that since 2010 central government grants to councils have been cut by nearly 60 per cent and Dorset no longer receives any Revenue Support Grant from central Government.

“Our councillors are lobbying Government for fairer funding, particularly for special educational needs and disabilities and social care. In last autumn’s spending review we did secure a much needed additional £10m funding through Government as a one-year settlement. However this is a fraction of the additional funding we need.”

Dorset already has more than one in four over the age of 65, one of the highest percentages in the country, with a prediction that this will rise to 47 per cent by 2045.