Draft Budget 2022-23

Overview

The draft budget report was presented to Leadership Team on Wednesday 10 November 2021 including details of key saving and investment proposals for next year. The Council has a budget gap of £7.8m for 2022/23 and a further pressure of £21.7m over the next three years. Much of this pressure is driven by projected increases in demand for services such as housing and social care, changing economic conditions, Covid recovery and a much greater reliance on income generated locally rather than government grant funding.

Below are a few key proposed savings (all proposed savings can be seen in the budget report):

• £600,000 reduction each year in temporary accommodation costs through reducing the need for expensive serviced apartments, increasing the supply of temporary accommodation and through prevention and early intervention
• £500,000 in reduced costs through more support for elderly residents to remain in their own homes and improving outcomes by empowering people to manage their own support and care needs
• £450,000 saving through the Council reablement service in adult social care being commissioned directly through external providers rather than being in-house provision. Our analysis show negligible difference in the outcomes for residents from changing the service model but this change will increase efficiency and reduce costs.

This consultation focuses on the budget for 2022/23 that will be agreed by full Council in March 2022 and the proposals for which we are seeking your feedback on, breakdown into three main types:

• Budget Growth – proposed increased budget in 2022/23 to fund increased service provision.
• Budget Reductions – proposed cost reductions and additional income for 2022/23. These savings are required to achieve a balanced budget for 2022/23. Any savings not taken forward will need to be replaced with alternatives on a £ for £ basis as the Council is required to set a balanced budget. 
• Capital proposals – plans to make investment in infrastructure such as housing, schools or IT/software costs.

A summary of each of the budget areas above is listed by lead member responsible below:

• Adult Social Care and Public Health
• Family and Children's Services
• Grenfell, Housing and Social Investment
• Communities
• Culture, Leisure and Community Safety
• Planning, Place and Environment
• Finance and Customer Delivery
• Cross Cutting / Council Wide

The full list of proposals in one document.

Why your views matter

It is very important that our residents, businesses and other key stakeholders have a say in this draft budget to help to ensure the Council delivers the Council Plan priorities designed with residents and sets a balanced budget for 2022/23.

Your views at this stage will help inform the decision about whether proposals are taken forward in the areas set out above. Your responses will also help us ensure we have not missed any areas needing further investment.

If you need help to complete this survey, or require it in an alternative format please email george.crockford@rbkc.gov.uk