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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL NOTES: MARCH 2005: page 25

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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL NOTES: MARCH 2005

1. Portfolio/Number/Name:FPSR-LG/C4 - Efficiencies in Supporting People programme

2. Programme/Activity: Please include a short description

Supporting People is a coherent policy and funding framework to support vulnerable people in different types of accommodation and tenure. It came into effect on 1 April 2003 when responsibility for the planning and funding of housing support services transferred to Local Authorities. The project is helping the Scottish Executive to deliver its priorities on homelessness, anti social behaviour, poverty and learning disability.

3. Planned Savings

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

Cash (m)

27

27

27

Time Releasing (m)

0

0

0

4. Accountable Officer for delivery

Andrew Goudie

5. Project Manager

Stephen Sandham

6. EGDG account manager

Carolyn Girvan

7. Quality Impact

Describe any impact on the quality of service delivery. Be specific and explain if the expectation is positive, negative or neutral.

In the longer term local service reviews will lead to better targeted, more efficient services better attuned to client needs, with the ending or remodelling of services which are not strategically important or providing value for money. The redistribution of resources across Scotland will also ensure levels of service become more uniform than they are at present. In the short term, funding for some services generally perceived as useful may be under greater pressure, but we expect councils to focus on delivering improved efficiencies without impacting on useful front line services; and we are confident that with an appropriate review process and careful management they should be able to achieve this.

8. Dependencies

Explain if your savings are dependant on legislation or other structural changes being achieved.

Dependent on local authorities to carry out the review process in an effective manner that delivers maximum efficiency improvements without cutting relevant front line services.

9. Description of efficiency and actions to be taken

9.1 How will the saving be made? Be specific about number/size of contracts, staff, posts dates etc.

Savings will be delivered by local authorities through local reviews of some 1200 housing support services currently delivered by upwards of a hundred individual providers, but it isn't possible to quantify the number of posts or contracts that will be involved at this stage.

9.2 What action is critically needed to secure delivery of this saving? Be specific, and specify who are the key action managers.

Internal

  • Guidance on service reviews to be discussed and agreed with external stakeholders and issued by 31 March 2005
  • Effective tracking and monitoring of impact of service review process

External

  • Local authority senior management with responsibility for housing support services to undertake service review.

10. Impact on Staffing to achieve the efficiency gain

If there are to be any changes in staff numbers (at activity level) to achieve the efficiency gain, please indicate how many full time equivalents and how far you expect savings to be achieved by natural wastage (show additions as + and reductions as -).

2005- 06

2006- 07

2007- 08

+

-

Net

Explanation

Can't quantify centrally

11. Benefits

In general, the benefits of the Scottish Executive Efficiency Plan are the enhanced outputs from the resources Ministers have been able to allocate in SR04. But if there is a direct connection between this efficiency saving and the enhancement of a particular service please describe it here.

N/A

12. Gross/Net Cash Savings

12.1 Please set out the gross recurring saving and the offsetting recurring expenditure.

Gross recurring saving is 25m per annum from 2007-08 onwards

12.2 Against what budget does this expenditure and saving fall?

Local Government Revenue

12.3 Has this saving been built into your budget?

Yes

12.4 If so, what is the maximum allowable expenditure against the budget data, in each year, for that saving to be delivered?

407/399/401m. This is the revised budget for Supporting People published on 23 December 2004. The definitive planned savings of 19/27/25m take account of this revised budget, which includes additional transitional funding agreed by Ministers for local authorities.

12.5 If not, how do you propose to invest the additional cash back into public services?

N/A

12.6 What plans do you have to exceed the required saving? Explain by how much in each year.

There are no plans to seek additional efficiency savings through further funding restrictions because of the potential adverse impact on front line services.

13. Time - release savings

13.1 Please explain any time-releasing savings indicated at question 3.

N/A

13.2 Please describe the method you plan to use to calculate the cash equivalent of those time release savings.

N/A

14. Measurement and Monitoring

14.1 How are you proposing to measure the expected efficiency benefits (e.g. in terms of costs, level of output or quality of service)?

Through returns from local authorities to the Scottish Executive giving information on the number of clients assisted, the hours of service support provided and the amount of funding drawn down; and through the outputs of the service review process.

14.2 What monitoring & reporting procedures will be put in place to measure the efficiency savings (How often will progress towards the target be monitored? Who will have lead responsibility for reporting progress and what procedures will be in place?)

Details will be worked out in consultation with a group of external stakeholder from local authorities and service providers - but the group will provide a report to Ministers by April 2006 on efficiencies in 2005-06 and plans for subsequent years.

14.3 Monitoring Data: Sources, validation and risks

  • What data will be used to measure progress? Is all the required information quantifiable and readily available? If not what action will be taken to rectify this?

  • What measures will be in place to validate the accuracy of the data? Who will take responsibility for this?

  • Are there any issues or risks relating to how you plan to use the data? (e.g. accuracy, difficulties in collection)

    Data on number of clients and hours of service provision is already collected to allow comparisons of impact on front line services, but some problems for a few local authorities in providing full data will cause difficulties. ASD can assist with future monitoring of reliability of data. Further information on efficiencies in management administrative overheads will be required from local authorities and providers. Group being set up to consider theses issues and provide comprehensive report to Minister for Communities.

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Page updated: Thursday, March 31, 2005