Social Work department could burst £82million budget

A COUNCIL department with an £82 million budget is set to overspend. Social work chiefs say the way things are going they’ll spend £106,000 more than planned by April next year.

Councillors will be told tomorrow that spending comes against a plan for the department to actually save around £800,000 this financial year to help the authority’s bleak overall budget picture.

In a report to members of the social work committee, finance officer Janet Sutton says the overspend can be partly put down to the costs of agency placements for young people.

She said 33 were currently in care placements with another 11 for short-term periods during the year.

The report states: “Officers from social work are working with colleagues in schools and health to address the dependency in agency placements and actively planning to return a number of children from agency placements.

“Work will continue with placement providers to address the high costs of these placements.”

Costs are also rising in relation to people who are receiving home care in residential and nursing homes, the report states.

Social work is the second council department to report a potential overspend.

Last week councillors were told that the education department could go over by £445,000.