Debate onsocial work spending

Council officers were unable to confirm if social work spending would stay within budget, despite asking councillors to note a breakeven forecast.

In the year to October, the social work department had already spent £1.27 million more than budgeted for, and finance manager Hazel Goodwin admitted they didn’t know what the year end position was likely to be.

South Lanarkshire’s social work resources committee heard last month that pressures with children and family services and home care for adults and older people had contributed to the overspend this year.

However, a report by executive director for finance and corporate resources Paul Manning asked councillors to note the forecast to break even, before adding: “The estimated position for the full year will continue to be worked on and will be

Estimated position for the full year will continue to be worked on and will be reported later in the year

reported later in the year.”

Ms Goodwin claimed it was a “normal procedure” to include the break-even recommendation even though they won’t know what the year-end position will be until a probable out-turn exercise has been completed.

Conservative group leader Cllr Alex Allison (Clydesdale West) grilled officers for the “contradiction in recommendations” while they are “continuing to work on how the deficit is addressed”.

He added: “How can we have a recommendation that forecasts break even?”

Ms Goodwin said: “I’m not in a position to say what the year-end position will be.

“At the next committee, we will have a better idea. There will be an underspend in some areas.

“We do show a breakeven position until we do a probable out-turn. This has been a normal procedure. I know that we will know more by the next meeting.”

Bothwell and Uddingston councillor Jim McGuigan agreed with Ms Goodwin and said: “In my time on the council, this has been normal. If that [break even] is not the case, they will report back.”