Health and care budget latest: 'More control' over spending

Argyll and Bute Council is in line to receive a repayment of £2.3 million from the partnership as part of an overspend on social work services in 2018-19.

That has had an impact on the council’s financial position, but the authority’s depute leader, Councillor Gary Mulvaney, assured members of the council’s policy and resources committee that after “robust” talks over the partnership’s financial situation, a new plan was in place to improve its position.

The HSCP’s integration joint board [IJB], of which Councillor Mulvaney is also a member, held its latest meeting on Wednesday, August 7.

An update was then delivered at the meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee on Thursday, August 15.

Councillor Mulvaney said: “We certainly did have a very robust discussion, in private and in public, regarding the finances.

“We are all disappointed as to where we are, but we can accept that we have made some degree of progress.

“You would find it hard to believe that if you wound the clock back two or three years, you would have the level of reporting accuracy that we do now, in terms of the information available.

“The plan to manage finances was approved by the board, so that picks up the point on how we are able to get back into balance.

“We are looking at savings for next year and the quality and finance board of the IJB will meet on a monthly basis to monitor finances.

“The board will look at why things are off track, what caused it, and what the measures are to get them back on track.

“Ultimately it does come down to the IJB members to deliver what is agreed, and that was a point made on a number of occasions.”

Three other Argyll and Bute councillors are also on the IJB – Councillor Kieron Green, who is the board chair, council leader Aileen Morton, and SNP opposition group leader Sandy Taylor.

All three were also present at the policy and resources committee meeting.

The council’s head of strategic finance, Kirsty Flanagan, had also performed a similar role with the HSCP on an interim basis until recently, when Judy Orr took over the post.

Ms Flanagan told the policy and resources committee: “When the June position was identified, Judy identified that there were few plans in place to find savings as part of the quality and finance plan.

“Since then, the plan has been written to accelerate the actions required. There seemed to be insufficient plans in place.

“The new savings being developed are not in the public domain at the moment.”