Families, Children & Wellbeing (FCW)
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
2025/26 |
Net |
Net |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
Savings |
Savings |
Savings |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Proposed |
Achieved |
At Risk |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
|
300 |
Commissioning & Communities |
18,510 |
19,207 |
697 |
3.8% |
783 |
708 |
75 |
|
576 |
Education & Learning |
6,415 |
7,078 |
663 |
10.3% |
112 |
27 |
85 |
|
(1,938) |
Family Help & Protection |
53,916 |
56,284 |
2,368 |
4.4% |
1,563 |
439 |
1,124 |
|
0 |
Public Health |
1,459 |
1,459 |
0 |
0.0% |
1,002 |
1,002 |
0 |
|
(1,062) |
Total Families, Children & Wellbeing |
80,300 |
84,028 |
3,728 |
4.6% |
3,460 |
2,176 |
1,284 |
|
0 |
Further Financial Recovery Measures (see below) |
- |
(350) |
(350) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
(1,062) |
Residual Risk After Financial Recovery Measures |
80,300 |
83,678 |
3,378 |
4.2% |
3,460 |
2,176 |
1,284 |
Explanation of Key Variances (Note: FTE/WTE = Full/Whole Time Equivalent)
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Service Area |
Variance or Financial Recovery Measure Description |
|
|
Further Directorate Financial Recovery Measures |
|||
|
(250) |
Children's Placements |
Ongoing management of high cost placements |
|
|
(50) |
Legal Fees |
Identifying efficiencies and savings options with the legal team |
|
|
(50) |
Commissioning & Communities |
Identifying potential savings across the service including commissioning, Libraries and Home to School Transport. |
|
|
Commissioning & Communities |
|||
|
492 |
Home to School Transport |
Based on the current data held on Mobisoft the updated forecast overspend for Home to School Transport is £0.492m. This forecast takes account of the updated current contracted routes as at April and assumes 3% inflation from September and pupil number increases of between 5 and 8%. The forecast assumes average numbers of 564 5-16 pupils,125 post 16 pupils and 55 post 19-25 for the remainder of the financial year. There are several factors that contribute to the overspend in Home to School Transport. These included increased demand on the service (both at 5-16 ages, and 16 up until 19th birthday), increased numbers of children requiring single occupancy journeys, lack of local SEND school sufficiency, and increased numbers of routes required to accommodate individual post 16 learners’ timetables. Market dynamics in SEND transport also cause overspending in Home to School Transport. The service faces growing issues with local driver, passenger assistant, and vehicle shortages, along with rising operational costs. Additionally, limited competition among minibus providers has driven up contract prices. There is increasingly less capacity in the local system to meet demand, not just in the numbers of children requiring transport but the nature of the transport requirements. There is also an increase in solo routes being created, mainly to educational provisions where they are the only children attending and using HTST. |
|
|
205 |
Other |
Minor variances. |
|
|
Education & Learning |
|||
|
265 |
Schools PFI |
The Schools’ PFI (Private Finance
Initiative) was set up in 2003 to improve the facilities at four
schools within the city - Dorothy Stringer, COMART (now closed),
Patcham High and Varndean – using private finance to fund the
capital improvements. The scheme runs for 25 years and a Special
Purpose Vehicle (a legal entity created to fulfil specific or
temporary objectives) “Brighton & Hove City Schools
Ltd” was set up as part of it. This is currently owned by
SEMPERIAN. The scheme is funded partly by a DfE grant with schools
paying an annual charge back to the council and partly via an
annual drawdown of earmarked reserves. The annual charge is updated
each March for the RPIX (RPI All Items Excluding Mortgage Interest)
for the 12 months to February. Once the 25-year period is complete
(~ 31st March 2028) the contract with SEMPERIAN ends and the assets
will be transferred back to the council. |
|
|
200 |
School Closure Site Costs |
Site costs of school buildings following school closures |
|
|
198 |
Other |
Minor variances. |
|
|
Family Help & Protection |
|||
|
2,003 |
Demand-Led - Children's placements |
The overspend is the result of a relatively small number of children with extremely high cost placements due to their complex needs and requirement for specialised care. In addition, the prevailing market conditions have made the current framework contracts unattractive to providers and have resulted in the necessity to make more placements outside of the framework contract at higher rates. A further compounding factor is the ongoing difficulty in recruiting foster carers. The shortage of foster carers makes it problematic to place children in family settings, whether in-house or with external providers, forcing the need for more expensive care options. |
|
|
315 |
Family Support for children with disabilities |
The Overspend is due to the known weekly costs for the children receiving support to prevent entry to care. |
|
|
50 |
Other |
Minor variances. |
|
Homes & Adult Social Care (HASC)
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
2025/26 |
Net |
Net |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
Savings |
Savings |
Savings |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Proposed |
Achieved |
At Risk |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
|
(1,445) |
Adult Social Care |
85,113 |
86,884 |
1,771 |
2.1% |
5,275 |
4,657 |
618 |
|
1,712 |
S75 Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust (SPFT) |
21,578 |
24,244 |
2,666 |
12.4% |
1,306 |
1,175 |
131 |
|
(229) |
Commissioning & Partnerships |
5,234 |
5,270 |
36 |
0.7% |
155 |
123 |
32 |
|
2,347 |
Housing People Services |
8,804 |
15,553 |
6,749 |
76.7% |
2,520 |
950 |
1,570 |
|
46 |
Homes & Investment |
912 |
904 |
(8) |
-0.9% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2,431 |
Total Homes & Adult Social Care |
121,641 |
132,855 |
11,214 |
9.2% |
9,256 |
6,905 |
2,351 |
|
0 |
Further Financial Recovery Measures (see below) |
- |
(1,856) |
(1,856) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2,431 |
Residual Risk After Financial Recovery Measures |
121,641 |
130,999 |
9,358 |
7.7% |
9,256 |
6,905 |
2,351 |
Explanation of Key Variances
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Service Area |
Variance or Financial Recovery Measure Description |
|
|
Further Directorate Financial Recovery Measures |
|||
|
(804) |
Adult Social Care |
The directorate has developed a Financial Recovery Plan to address the above pressures. The total target is £6.736m. £5.363m has been achieved with a further £0.679 to be achieved as at Month 2 while £0.693m is at risk. The savings include the following: |
|
|
|
|
- Targeted Reviews |
|
|
|
|
- Staffing Vacancies |
|
|
|
|
- Limited fee uplifts |
|
|
|
|
- Review of some in-house services |
|
|
|
|
- Increase in Carefirst fees |
|
|
(1,052) |
Temporary accommodation (TA) |
The service has implemented a Financial
Recovery Plan to address in-year pressures. The savings include the
following: |
|
|
Adult Social Care |
|||
|
2,116 |
Physical & Sensory Support |
Increase in demand and cost, in Day Care, Nursing Care & Residential Care with a reduction in Community Support |
|
|
468 |
In-house provision |
Staffing spend projected to be over budget due to Agency, Overtime & Sessional workers covering vacancies, sickness and leave |
|
|
(640) |
Adult LD Community Care |
Underspend projected due to forecast unit cost being lower than budgeted |
|
|
(159) |
Assessment teams |
Temporary vacancies within assessment teams |
|
|
(14) |
Other |
Minor variances. |
|
|
S75 Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust (SPFT) |
|||
|
2,352 |
Community Care - Mental Health, & Memory & Cognition |
Increased costs of Community Support, Nursing Care and Supported Living within Mental Health as well as Nursing Care and Residential Care within Memory & Cognition |
|
|
314 |
S75 Mental Health Staffing |
Projected overspend on SPFT staffing recharges |
|
|
Commissioning & Partnerships |
|||
|
36 |
Contracts |
Carers support spend projected above budget |
|
|
Housing People Services |
|||
|
6,464 |
Temporary accommodation (TA) |
The budget for Temporary Accommodation (TA)
was overspent by £6.464m for 2025/26. |
|
|
0 |
Commissioned Rough Sleeper and Housing related Support Services |
This budget is forecast to break-even. |
|
|
50 |
Homemove |
The overspend is due additional cost and loss of income whilst implementing a new system. |
|
|
165 |
Housing Options |
Overspend is due mainly to high initiative spend |
|
|
71 |
Travellers |
The main reasons for the overspend is that security costs are still higher than budgets allow. |
|
|
0 |
Seaside Homes |
This budget is forecast to break-even. |
|
|
Homes & Investment |
|||
|
(8) |
Housing Strategy and Enabling |
Underspend is due mainly to lower than budgeted salary costs |
|
|
0 |
Private Sector Housing |
This budget is forecast to break-even. |
|
City Operations
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
2025/26 |
Net |
Net |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
Savings |
Savings |
Savings |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Proposed |
Achieved |
At Risk |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
|
(3,302) |
City Infrastructure |
(3,119) |
(5,446) |
(2,327) |
-74.6% |
588 |
367 |
221 |
|
(993) |
Environment & Culture |
8,571 |
9,429 |
858 |
10.0% |
388 |
295 |
93 |
|
577 |
Environmental Services |
33,055 |
33,553 |
498 |
1.5% |
303 |
303 |
0 |
|
324 |
Place |
3,044 |
3,391 |
347 |
11.4% |
393 |
393 |
0 |
|
(403) |
Digital Innovation |
8,817 |
8,567 |
(250) |
-2.8% |
110 |
30 |
80 |
|
(3,797) |
Total City Operations |
50,368 |
49,494 |
(874) |
-1.7% |
1,782 |
1,388 |
394 |
Explanation of Key Variances
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Service Area |
Variance or Financial Recovery Measure Description |
|
|
City Infrastructure |
|||
|
(1,438) |
Parking Services |
Parking Services are forecasting a surplus position of £0.707m against a £27.216m net income budget. Within this, on-street and permit income are expected to breakeven, off-street parking, leased car parks and barrier car parking are forecasting a combined pressure of £1.485m. Offsetting these pressures is a forecast overachievement of PCN income of £1.951m following a projected move to a new accounting policy for PCN's. There is also a net predicted pressure of £0.621m which is primarily driven by a £1.066m in Contract costs (links to more tickets issued) offset through unsupported borrowing and other surpluses. Included in the forecast is the use of the risk reserve set aside to fund the bad debt provision of £0.730m set aside in 2024/25. |
|
|
0 |
Network Management |
Surpluses on streetlighting costs (£0.143m) and traffic enforcement (£0.260m) balancing out the pressures on Road Works Permits scheme of £0.281m and section 278 development assessments of £0.128m. |
|
|
(839) |
Transport Projects and Engineering |
Main surplus is in public transport (£0.900m) as a result of savings made on the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) contract, Bikeshare are reporting a £0.176m pressure against their unsupported borrowing which is offset in part by other smaller surpluses across the service. |
|
|
(50) |
Regulatory Services |
Surplus as a result of staffing vacancies within the existing structure. Regulatory services are currently going through a restructure consultation and the forecast will be revised once the restructure is completed. |
|
|
Environment & Culture |
|||
|
(172) |
Venues and Events |
Forecast surplus incomes to the Brighton Centre. |
|
|
485 |
Museum and Culture |
Pressure relating to the NJC arrangements with the Royal Pavilion Museums Trust under a contractual obligation. |
|
|
566 |
Bereavement |
Income pressure in Bereavement services mostly related to forecast cremations. |
|
|
(40) |
Sport and Leisure |
Underspends of £0.030m on Golf Course contracts |
|
|
19 |
City Parks |
£0.300m pressure relating to tree disease control and base clearance. Mostly offset by vacancies within wider city parks. |
|
|
Environmental Services |
|||
|
(1,497) |
Environmental Services |
£0.861m underspend due to vacancies within Collections service and Streets Cleansing. Further underspends of £0.320m in Public Conveniences and a £0.338m surplus in commercial and green waste collections due to increased customers. |
|
|
2,140 |
Fleet & Maintenance |
Overspend on Refuse/Recycling collection vehicle hire of £0.735m in addition to ongoing maintenance charges and other vehicle costs in keeping an ageing fleet operational. Pressure of £0.197m for ensuring Hollingdean Depot remains operational due to the state of the site. Forecasts of essential PPE to ensure service operates showing £0.287m overspend, though it is anticipated this will reduce during the year as part of the Stores and Vehicles Parts project. Capital financing costs for fleet procurement is forecast at £0.471m overspent and is caused by vehicle renewals in recent years and the additional costs from the transition to electric vehicles. An action plan has been developed to take longer term actions to address spend in this area and deliver a more resilient service for residents. |
|
|
(145) |
Strategy and Service Improvement |
Underspends as a result of held vacancies and spending controls |
|
|
Place |
|||
|
120 |
Director of City Operations |
Overspend relating to prior year corporate savings yet to be allocated |
|
|
131 |
Development Planning |
Underachievement of Building Control income of £0.647m due to uncertainty in the development and finance markets. Planning application incomes are currently forecast to be on target. Also, anticipated legal fee and consultants overspends of £0.107m relating to Business Usual activities greater than budget. This is offset mostly by staffing underspends of £0.595m from held vacancies as part of spending controls. |
|
|
100 |
Regeneration |
Black Rock borrowing costs offset by rental incomes from the site |
|
|
(4) |
Net Zero |
Minor underspends |
|
|
Digital Innovation |
|||
|
(250) |
Digital Innovation |
||
Central Hub
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
2025/26 |
Net |
Net |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
Savings |
Savings |
Savings |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Proposed |
Achieved |
At Risk |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
|
(248) |
Cabinet Office |
1,641 |
1,641 |
0 |
0.0% |
100 |
0 |
100 |
|
109 |
Corporate Leadership Office |
975 |
996 |
21 |
2.2% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
703 |
Finance & Property |
7,775 |
9,769 |
1,994 |
25.6% |
655 |
630 |
25 |
|
(648) |
Governance & Law |
5,052 |
4,749 |
(303) |
-6.0% |
132 |
120 |
12 |
|
83 |
People & Innovation |
14,792 |
15,278 |
486 |
3.3% |
289 |
289 |
0 |
|
(42) |
Contribution to Orbis |
2,912 |
2,912 |
0 |
0.0% |
115 |
100 |
0 |
|
0 |
Directorate wide |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
115 |
0 |
|
(43) |
Total Central Hub |
33,147 |
35,345 |
2,198 |
6.6% |
1,291 |
1,254 |
137 |
Explanation of Key Variances
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Service Area |
Variance or Financial Recovery Measure Description |
|
|
Corporate Leadership Office |
|||
|
21 |
CEO |
Service is forecasting an overspend of £0.021m in respect of recruitment and interview cost of senior officers following the council redesign in 2024/25 |
|
|
Finance & Property |
|||
|
1,994 |
Estate Management |
A combination of Lost rental incomes from the decanting of New England House, void costs including NNDR and fire safety waking watch amounting to £1.230m pressure. £0.241m pressure from agricultural estate. £0.200m income pressure on Bartholomew house where rental incomes are not meeting income targets yet, however leasing of 3rd and 4th floors has achieved savings where operating costs are with tenants. £0.270m pressure on Commercial Portfolio from voids and rent free periods of new tenants. £0.195m pressure at Phoenix house due to voids and rent-free periods.
|
|
|
Governance & Law |
|||
|
(26) |
Legal Services |
Legal Services is forecasting a £0.0026m underspend resulting from a combination of small savings across the service offset by overspends £0.078m on library books. The overspend on library books is a legacy pressure from an unachievable income target. |
|
|
(277) |
Elections, Registrars and Local Land Charges |
The service is forecasting an underspend of £0.277m, mainly driven by forecast over achievement in income due to the delayed transfer of the local land searches service to the government but pressure funding for that loss of income is already in place ahead of HMLR transfer which is not expected until 2026/27. The service has seen no change in the number of searches compared to same period for 2024/25 and is therefore the forecast is maintained at that same level. A further £0.151m underspend is forecast in Registration services across the staffing budget with the service holding vacancies pending the conclusion of consultation on new structure in Autumn 2025. These have been offset by a staffing budget pressure of £0.034m and an expected professional fees income shortfall from ESCC contract with mortuary due to lower numbers of post-mortems in Mortuary Services. |
|
|
People & Innovation |
|||
|
55 |
Strategic communications |
£0.055m overspend relating to staffing. |
|
|
(5) |
Innovation Services |
Vacancy Savings |
|
|
183 |
HROD |
Human Resources and Organisation Development is forecasting an overspend of £0.183m at Month 2. The overspend is a combination of £0.130m budget pressure split as £0.054m pressure for Security/Safety assessments and related works required for members/staff and a £0.076m pressure on for Health, Safety and Wellbeing relating to ongoing compliance works, Fire Safety, Building Safety and associated costs. A further £0.053m is a net staffing budget pressure. |
|
|
253 |
Facilities and Building services |
Facilities and Building Services is
forecasting a net overspend of £0.253m resulting from a
combination of factors. There is a £0.113m staffing budget
pressure which has been historically mitigated by underspends
elsewhere in the service. However, the disaggregation of the
service together with the increasing pressures on facilities
management requirements including corporate offices, helpdesk
function for corporate landlord portfolio, contractor management
and compliance needs relating to the corporate landlord portfolio
have resulted in the need to flag the budget pressure. |
|
Centrally-held Budgets
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
2025/26 |
Net |
Net |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
Savings |
Savings |
Savings |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Proposed |
Achieved |
At Risk |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
|
764 |
Bulk Insurance Premia |
4,348 |
4,348 |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
(1,131) |
Capital Financing Costs |
12,628 |
12,128 |
(500) |
-4.0% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
Levies & Precepts |
249 |
249 |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
Unallocated Contingency & Risk Provisions |
2,185 |
2,185 |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
(509) |
Unringfenced Grants |
(29,188) |
(29,188) |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
896 |
Housing Benefit Subsidy |
699 |
1,299 |
600 |
85.8% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1,360 |
Other Corporate Items |
(1,775) |
(449) |
1,326 |
74.7% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1,380 |
Total Centrally-held Budgets |
(10,854) |
(9,428) |
1,426 |
13.1% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of Key Variances
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Service Area |
Variance or Financial Recovery Measure Description |
|
|
Housing Benefit Subsidy |
|||
|
600 |
Housing Benefit Subsidy |
There is insufficient data to make a detailed forecast but based on the 2024/25 outtturn and the pressure funding provided in the 2025/26 budget an overspend of £0.600m is estimated. |
|
|
Capital Financing Costs |
|||
|
(500) |
Borrowing Costs |
Previous year slippage and reprofile of the capital programme has delayed borrowing costs resulting in an underspend in the current financial year. |
|
|
Other Corporate Items |
|||
|
805 |
2024/25 Pay Award |
Estimated additional cost of 2024/25 pay award above amount provided for in budget. |
|
|
(283) |
Corporate Pension Costs |
An underspend of £0.177m on the unfunded pension costs budget. Of this, £0.085m relates to an overpayment in respect of 2024/25 and £0.092m is an in-year underspend. Over achievement of £0.106m on National Insurance savings on AVC scheme. |
|
|
804 |
Organisational Redesign |
At this stage £0.804m of the 2024/25 organisational redesign saving is forecast to be at risk. |
|
Housing Revenue Account (HRA)
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
2025/26 |
Net |
Net |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
Savings |
Savings |
Savings |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Proposed |
Achieved |
At Risk |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
|
210 |
Repairs & Maintenance |
19,267 |
19,049 |
(218) |
-1.1% |
(1,555) |
(1,555) |
0 |
|
306 |
Tenancy Services |
16,242 |
15,870 |
(372) |
-2.3% |
(170) |
(170) |
0 |
|
543 |
Housing Management & Support |
6,671 |
6,550 |
(121) |
-1.8% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
394 |
Housing Investment & Asset Management |
3,391 |
4,808 |
1,417 |
41.8% |
(184) |
(184) |
0 |
|
(91) |
Housing Strategy & Supply |
2,073 |
2,073 |
0 |
0.0% |
(145) |
(145) |
0 |
|
447 |
Council-owned Temporary Accommodation |
1,071 |
1,297 |
226 |
21.1% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
(1,959) |
Rent & Service Charges |
(76,979) |
(77,227) |
(248) |
-0.3% |
(164) |
(164) |
0 |
|
(150) |
Service Area Total |
(28,263) |
(27,578) |
685 |
2.4% |
(2,218) |
(2,218) |
0 |
|
166 |
Capital Financing Costs |
11,579 |
11,579 |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
(16) |
Direct Revenue Funding |
16,684 |
16,449 |
(235) |
-1.4% |
(250) |
(250) |
0 |
|
0 |
Total Housing Revenue Account |
0 |
450 |
450 |
0.0% |
(2,468) |
(2,468) |
0 |
Explanation of Key Variances
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Subjective Area |
Variance Description |
|
|
Repairs & Maintenance |
|||
|
(906) |
Employees |
Increased capitalisation of salary costs, largely in respect of the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) programme, plus forecast underspend against the net staffing budget as a result of vacancies across the service. The underspend equates to approximately 9% of the net salary budget. |
|
|
(855) |
Premises - Business as Usual |
There is a forecast underspend against the subcontractor business as usual budget, based on spend to date. This will be closely monitored over the remainder of the financial year. |
|
|
800 |
Premises - Repairs backlog |
Good progress continues to be made and the latest forecast assumes that the repairs backlog will be largely cleared by December. |
|
|
2,542 |
Supplies and Services |
The service continues to experience significant costs arising from disrepair claims. These by their very nature are difficult to forecast and will be closely monitored each month, this assumes that action is taken to manage the claims early in the process, enabling better management of spend. |
|
|
1 |
Transport |
Minor net variance. |
|
|
(1,800) |
Contribution from earmarked reserves |
Allocation from earmarked reserves of £1m for disrepair claims as set aside in the 2025/26 budget and £0.8m to be allocated from the repairs backlog reserve to cover the latest estimate costs. |
|
|
Tenancy Services |
|||
|
(24) |
Employees |
Minor net variance. |
|
|
10 |
Premises |
Minor net variance. |
|
|
(399) |
Supplies & Services |
There is a one-off reduction in the planned contribution to the General Needs rent bad debt provision, following confirmation that the Leasehold bad debt provision is no longer required and will be transferred in-year. |
|
|
41 |
Third Party Payments |
Minor net variance. |
|
|
Housing Management & Support |
|||
|
(88) |
Employees |
There is a net underspend forecast against staffing costs. |
|
|
(25) |
Premises |
Minor net variance. |
|
|
(8) |
Supplies and Services |
Minor net variance. |
|
|
Housing Investment & Asset Management |
|||
|
40 |
Employees |
Increased staffing resources required for the Building Safety case team and interim arrangements for the Fire Safety team. The part-year costs have been largely offset by a number of vacancies across the service at Month 2. |
|
|
118 |
Premises |
There is a forecast overspend against the servicing and maintenance budgets, based off the first 2 months of spend and early projections. |
|
|
1,259 |
Supplies & Services |
Enhanced building safety measures for a few of our blocks, with significant costs arising from a 24-hour security service to help manage items being taken into the building and to support with floor walks and maintaining clear egress and exits to the building. |
|
|
Council-owned Temporary Accommodation |
|||
|
62 |
Employees |
The recharge of staffing costs from the General Fund is forecast to be slighter higher than budgeted and based largely on last year’s spend. |
|
|
241 |
Premises |
Council-owned Temporary Accommodation can by its nature be volatile. There is a significant overspend in respect of empty properties and repairs costs, based on spend incurred to date. |
|
|
(77) |
Supplies and Services |
There is a forecast underspend against the Transfer Incentive Scheme budget. |
|
|
Rent & Service Charges |
|||
|
(248) |
Rents & Service Charges |
The income budget is approximately £77m for the financial year and at Month 2 there is a minor over-achievement of £0.248m (equating to 0.3%) based on the first two months of data and assumptions made around level of voids and changes in number of properties across the year. |
|
|
Direct Revenue Funding |
|||
|
(235) |
Depreciation |
There is an anticipated underspend against the depreciation budget, based on latest assumptions. |
|
Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)
Revenue Budget Summary
|
2024/25 |
|
2025/26 |
Forecast |
Forecast |
Forecast |
|
Outturn |
|
Budget |
Outturn |
Variance |
Variance |
|
Variance |
|
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
Month 2 |
|
£'000 |
Service |
£'000 |
£'000 |
£'000 |
% |
|
0 |
Individual Schools Budget (ISB) |
145,996 |
145,996 |
0 |
0.0% |
|
(564) |
Early Years Block (excluding delegated to Schools) (This includes Private Voluntary & Independent (PVI) Early Years 3 & 4 year old funding for the free entitlement to early years education) |
41,079 |
41,089 |
10 |
0.0% |
|
1,066 |
High Needs Block (excluding delegated to Schools) |
41,486 |
42,819 |
1,333 |
3.2% |
|
178 |
Exceptions and Central Services |
3,055 |
3,149 |
94 |
3.1% |
|
0 |
Grant Income |
(232,295) |
(232,295) |
0 |
0.0% |
|
680 |
Total Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) |
(679) |
758 |
1,437 |
211.6% |
Explanation of Key Variances
|
Key |
|
|
|
|
Variances |
|
|
|
|
£'000 |
Service Area |
Variance Description |
|
|
Early Years Block (including delegated to Schools) |
|||
|
10 |
Central Early Years Block |
Minor variance. |
|
|
High Needs Block (excluding delegated to Schools) |
|||
|
540 |
Post-16 High Needs |
There has been a significant increase in the number and cost of high needs learners accessing FE colleges and specialist post-19 provision in the last year and there has also been a movement of high needs learners moving into the city with responsibility for education falling to Brighton and Hove. |
|
|
314 |
High needs pupils in other LA schools |
There is an overspend in the budget relating to high needs pupils being educated in schools in other LAs. This is partly due to the lack of specialist provision within the city and has also been impacted by the closure of Homewood College last year, which has meant specialist Social Emotional Mental Health placements are now being made in schools/academies in other LAs. |
|
|
382 |
Independent non maintained school agency placements |
The Independent non-maintained school agency placements budget continues to be under pressure due to increasing demand, higher unit costs and a lack of suitable local provision. |
|
|
24 |
Special School Placements |
Current placements in the city's special schools for in excess of commissioned numbers. |
|
|
73 |
Other |
Other variances |
|
|
Exceptions and Growth Fund |
|||
|
94 |
Other |
Unfunded pressure relating to school premature retirement costs in the Central Schools Services Block |
|