Public sector finance

12.1 Overall Council Spend

During 2017/18, Barnet Council managed a net budget of £277.2 million (see Table 12.1), which led to an actual (outturn) spend of around £285.1 million, resulting in an overspend of about £7.9 million (or 2.8% of the original net budget).

Table 12.1: Final Statement of Accounts for 2017/18

Source: London Borough of Barnet: Statement of Accounts: Final Statement of Accounts 2017/18.

For the Adults and Communities service, there was an overspend for 2017/18 of just over £1.2 million, based on an outturn of £88.4 million against a budget of around £87.2 million. Family services had a net budget of £58.5 million, but an actual spend for that year of £60.9 million, which represented an overspend of about £2.4 million. In contrast, the Education and Skills service had a budget of £6.72 million, but an outturn of £6.67 million, yielding an underspend of £50k. The budget and outturn (actual spend) for the Public Health department were both £17.6 million, for 2017/18.[1]

[1] Source: London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2018). Statement of Accounts: Final Statement of Accounts 2017/18. Available at: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/council-and-democracy/finance-and-funding/financial-statements-budgets-and-variance-reports/statement-of-accounts.html

12.2 Adults and Communities

Based on an actual spend of around £88.4 million in 2017/18 for Adults and Communities, around £81.0 million (over 90%) was used for integrated care for learning disabilities (LD), mental health (MH), older adults (OA) and physical disabilities (PD), shown in green in Figure 12.1. Care quality and performance and improvement combined, accounted for less than 5%, whilst other areas each represented less than 1% of actual spend.[2]

Figure 12.1: Breakdown of spend (outturn) for Adults and Communities, 2017/18

Source: London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2018). Financial Performance and Contracts Committee Governance Arrangements.

[2] London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2018). Financial Performance and Contracts Committee Governance Arrangements. Appendix A - Revenue Outturn 2017/18. Available at:http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g9716/Public%20reports%20pack%2002nd-Jul-2018%2019.00%20Financial%20Performance%20and%20Contracts%20Committee.pdf?T=10

12.3 Children (Family) Services

For 2017/18, a third of the actual spend for Family Services was used for placements (£20.3 million), with the next highest spends on Assessment, Intervention and Planning (18.7%) and Children’s Social Care (12.7%).  Commissioning and Business Improvement accounted for 10% of spend in Family Services during 2017/18 and other areas attracted less than 10% of outturn in each case (see Figure 12.2).[3]

Figure 12.2: Breakdown of spend (outturn) for Family Services, 2017/18

Source: London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2018). Financial Performance and Contracts Committee Governance Arrangements.

[3] London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2018). Financial Performance and Contracts Committee Governance Arrangements. Appendix A - Revenue Outturn 2017/18. Available at:http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g9716/Public%20reports%20pack%2002nd-Jul-2018%2019.00%20Financial%20Performance%20and%20Contracts%20Committee.pdf?T=10

12.4 Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (Barnet CCG)

During 2017/18, Barnet CCG faced significant financial challenges based on increased patient numbers and use of services. Over half of the CCG’s total expenditure during the year (£543.1 million) was spent on hospital based secondary (acute) care and integrated care services (see Figure 12.3). This spend was mainly focussed on The Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, which is Barnet CCG’s main acute provider. Pressures arising from primary care prescribing budgets were reflected in the spend on primary care. Similarly, rising patient numbers and increased care package costs for people in residential care and receiving nursing care at home, placed pressure on Continuing Health Care (CHC) spending. Expenditure on mental health accounted for about 8% of total expenditure in 2017/18, and Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust, the main provider of mental health service for the CCG, attracted over half of this spend.[1]

Figure 12.3: Breakdown of spend (outturn) for Barnet CCG, 2017/18

Source: Barnet CCG Annual Report and Accounts, 2017/18.

[1] NHS Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (Barnet CCG, 2019). Annual reports: Annual Report and Accounts 2017/18 (p. 89-90). 

12.5 Education and Skill (Children’s) Service

Based on an actual (outturn) spend of around £6.7 million in 2017/18, the Education and Skill Service spent over £6.4 million (96%) on education and skills management. A further £250k was spent on Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and inclusion and another £50k on education partnership and commercial areas.[1]

[1]London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2018). Financial Performance and Contracts Committee Governance Arrangements. Appendix A - Revenue Outturn 2017/18. Available at: http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g9716/Public%20reports%20pack%2002nd-Jul-2018%2019.00%20Financial%20Performance%20and%20Contracts%20Committee.pdf?T=10

12.6 Public Health

During 2017/18, both the budget and outturn (actual spend) for the Public Health department were £17.61 million. For the 2018/19 financial year, the revenue budget for Public Health is £17.156 million, which is a drop of 2.6%, in line with the reduction of the public health grant. This restriction in funding may affect discretionary services, whilst ensuring that expenditure is targeted to achieve the best possible health outcomes for priority services (e.g. smoking cessation, drugs and alcohol, sport and physical activity, mental health, and Winter Well).[1]

[1] London Borough of Barnet (LBB, 2019). Financial Forward Plan and Capital Programme. Council Budget 2018 – 2019. Available at: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/sites/default/files/assets/citizenportal/documents/FinanceDocuments/CouncilBudget201819FinancialForwardPlanandCapitalProgramme.pdf