1. Linking Demand and Overall spend
The gross expenditure for Barnet Adult Social Services as shown in the chart below has
increased above inflation levels reflecting the Council’s commitment to the corporate plan
priority of ‘Supporting the Vulnerable.’ The gross spend on Barnet Adult Social Services has
increased by 25% over the five year period 2003/04 to 2007/08, an actual gross spend increase
of over £22 million. The actual increase on demand for a social care service in the same period
was a 32.5% increase.
Sum of Gross Spend £000
70,000
60,000
50,000
Service Type
Asylum Seekers
40,000
Learning Difficulties <65
Mental Health <65
Older Adults
30,000 Other Services
Physical & Sensory Impairment <65
20,000
10,000
-
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Year
The breakdown of this total spend for Barnet Adult Social Services in Barnet over the 5 year
period reflects the changes to the pattern of care provisions with a significant decrease in the
proportion of expenditure on registered care and increasing spend on community based
services. This increased spend is partially explained through increased number of community
packages, but is also linked to the costs of meeting more complex needs in the community.
This trend of increased costs of community packages has been influenced further through
personalisation as older people are receiving more intensive home care packages as an
alternative to residential care.
It is important to note that social care and support is met by a range of services and the picture
of spend presented here does not include the cost to individuals of privately funded health or
social care. There are a wide range of costs which include transport, some of which is met by
social services, some of which is met by corporate services and other sectors.
Work has been undertaken to project the future costs for adult social care based on current
patterns of demand and spend and population growth. This has been estimated as being £43
million over the next 10 year period over and above standard increases for inflation if patterns
of service delivery remain unchanged. In the context of a difficult economic climate across the
United Kingdom and the challenge for social care funding given the worsening dependency
ratio as set out in the Government’s consultation on the future of social care, this level of

2. funding increase cannot be sustained. The responsibility between the state, citizen and family
in the provision of social care over the next 10 years will need to be fundamentally redefined.
Sum of Gross Spend £000
100%
90%
80%
70%
Area 2
60% Residential & Nurising Care placements
Other Services
Home care
50%
Direct Payments
Day Care
40%
Assessment and care management
30%
20%
10%
0%
2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Year