Update from Shropshire Council

Yesterday, (Thursday 27th February) I attended the Full Shropshire Council meeting at the Guild Hall building in Shrewsbury. I wanted to share some of the key news around finances and some good news on the Council’s statutory Adult Social Care Services, which make up the large and increasing proportion of the Council’s budget due to the demographics of the county.

Council Achieves a Good Rating by the Care Quality Commission for its Adult Social Care Service 

In the report published today Friday 28 February, the CQC concluded that ‘evidence shows a good standard’ for the council’s adult social care service, highlighting several areas where Shropshire Council is excelling in serving its community. 

The CQC report highlighted many areas of good practice and rated the service good in: 

• Care provision, integration and continuity  

• Safeguarding 

• Partnerships and communities  

• Governance, management and sustainability 

• Learning improvement and innovation.  

The CQC report identified many strengths within adult social care services, saying:  

The council has strong relationships with housing, health, public health, and community partners. Inspectors recognised the collaboration in aligning priorities, integrating care systems, and improving care quality and accessibility, ensuring that people can live independently and receive the necessary support within their local communities.  

• The local authority had a good understanding of the diverse needs and make up the local population.  

• There was a clear focus on promoting independence, and work to prevent, delay or reduce the need for care and support.  

• The local authority has clear and effective governance, management, and accountability arrangements. This provided oversight of the delivery of their Care Act duties.  

Savings Achieved Through a Senior Management Team Restructure

• The council has reduced its senior management team to deliver a more efficient and effective organization.
• The restructure of the senior management team is the first phase of this wider organizational change at Shropshire Council.
• The aim is to create a sustainable and agile organization that can adapt to changing environments and deliver statutory duties effectively within available resources.

Key Changes and Reductions

• The number of senior officers at grades C1 to C4 is being reduced from 20 on April 1, 2024, to 12.5 on April 1, 2025.
• This represents a reduction in total costs from £3.1 million in April 2024 to £2 million in April 2025.
• The changes are projected to deliver £1.1 million in savings, exceeding the initial target of £0.710 million by 41%.
• The Executive Management Team is being reduced from five to 3.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) members.

Specific Post Changes

• A dedicated Director of Children’s Services (DCS) post has been created to add senior capacity and focus on children’s services.
• A dedicated deputy S151 officer role is being created to focus on delivering savings.
• A dedicated Executive Director for Public Health (DPH) has been created by aligning the responsibilities of the post to give additional capacity to focus on public health.

Reporting Structure

• Directors and those currently at the Assistant Director level will report to the Executive Directors in a matrix way. This means there will be different reporting arrangements depending on the purpose of that report, such as statutory, priority program, transitional, and development requirements.

Rationale and Objectives

• The new structure is designed to deliver the new operating model, which aims to be more effective for residents and a more efficient and economical in the use of resources.
• The changes are intended to position the Council well to reduce risk and seize opportunities in response to new government policy and changes desired by the new administration.

Shropshire Council’s financial strategy and council tax plans for 2025/26

Shropshire Council is proactively addressing its financial outlook through a comprehensive and forward-thinking financial strategy. The council is focused on securing financial stability while delivering essential services and value to residents.

Financial Strategy Highlights:

• Prudent Financial Planning: The council has set a clear route to secure a much-improved financial position in future years, aligning its finances with the objectives of The Shropshire Plan.
• Savings and Demand Mitigation: The strategy includes targeted new savings of £7.7 million and demand mitigations of £11 million, demonstrating a commitment to efficiency and responsible spending. Additionally, £38.1m of savings planned for the current year are now to be delivered in 2025/26.
• Comprehensive Budget: The council has approved a gross budget of £767.007 million for 2025/26, ensuring resources are allocated to key service areas.
• Transparent and Collaborative Approach: The financial strategy builds on cross-party collaboration between senior Councillors.
• Addressing Financial Risks: The Council recognizes the complexity and volatility of its finances and is committed to a consistent and robust approach to managing financial risk.

Council Tax:

• Responsible Increase: The council has approved a 4.99% Council Tax rise (a 2.99% increase to Council Tax and a 2% increase to the Adult Social Care Precept) resulting in a basic amount of council tax for a Band D property of £1,806.67. This increase allows the council to continue providing essential services while managing financial pressures.
• Adult Social Care Precept: The 2% increase to the Adult Social Care Precept will generate an additional £4.2m for 2025/26, directly supporting this essential service area.
• Efficient Collection: The MTFS has assumed a 98.2% collection rate for Council tax, a performance that is actively monitored, and, if possible, the assumed rate will be increased in future years.
• Collection Fund Surplus: The estimated Council Tax collection fund surplus is £1.676m and Shropshire Council’s proportion of this is £1.378m which will be included in the total funding for the 2025/26 budget.
• Support for those most in need: The council continues to offer council tax support to low income households, ensuring those most in need receive assistance.

Sound Financial Management

• Proactive Treasury Management: The council proactively manages its banking and cash arrangements, including borrowing and investment activity, to ensure funding is available when required, while keeping costs low.
• Prudent Borrowing: External borrowing is well within prudent limits and stands at c£330m. During 2024/25, two of the market loans have been renegotiated to deliver an in-year benefit of £0.977m.
• Strategic Investment: The council is strategically investing in initiatives that generate a return or cover their annual costs, enhancing financial sustainability.
• Reserves: The Council is aiming for a more focused approach to end the annual cycle of focusing on financial survival and bring about financial sustainability.

BBC Radio Shropshire 2025 Make a Difference Awards

BBC Radio Shropshire, have launched the 2025 Make a Difference Awards this week.

The BBC Radio Shropshire Make a Difference Awards are a wonderful opportunity to thank those in our community who go the extra mile for the people around them.

For a full list of categories and details of how to nominate someone, go to bbc.co.uk/makeadifference , where you can also see full Terms and our Privacy Notice. Nominations are open now and close on 31 March at 5pm.