County grappling budget black hole

DEVON County Council is facing an £8 million black hole in its budget as a result of a predicted children’s services overspend.

Budget monitoring reports for the first three months of 2018-19 show that the county council is set to go over budget by £8.1 million, with children’s services showing a forecasted overspend of £8.7m.

The council’s cabinet when they meet today are being recommended to note the overspend forecast and the need to take action to contain and reduce it by March 2019.

The overspend in Devon reflects a national picture, with a joint letter, signed by the Local Government Association, Barnado’s, Action for Children, The Children’s Society and the National Children’s Bureau, saying that children’s social care is being pushed to breaking point.

Cash-strapped Torbay Council has already cancelled million pound improvements to Paignton town centre and will no longer fund the Torbay Airshow as a result of its children’s services overspend

The report of Mary Davis, Devon County Treasurer, says while it is still relatively early in the financial year to project with certainty what the final year end position for Devon will be, like many other local authorities, Devon County Council is now grappling with high levels of demand for children services and needed to contain overspending.

Children’s Social Care is forecast to overspend by £5.1m within Devon. with total overspending on children’s placements now forecast to be £4.1m.

Disabled Children’s Services are forecast to overspend by £816,000.

Adult care and health services are forecast to break even, as is the highways, infrastructure development and waste departments