Q3 Financial Update (2016) Community Services - Statement of Operations
(in thousands of dollars)
Niagara Region Community Services works to support and advance the well-being of individuals, families and communities of Niagara through a spectrum of integrated programs and services delivered by four divisions: Seniors Services, Children's Services, Social Assistance and Employment Opportunities, and Homelessness and Community Engagement.
| Year to Date | Annual | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Actual | Variance | Budget | Forecast | Variance | |||
| Expenses | ||||||||
| Compensation | $70,676 | $70,866 | $(190) | (0.3%) | $94,069 | $94,338 | $(269) | (0.3%) |
| Administrative | 1,512 | 1,057 | 455 | 30.1% | 1,983 | 1,604 | 380 | 19.2% |
| Operational & Supply | 16,565 | 17,009 | (444) | (2.7%) | 22,317 | 22,604 | (287) | (1.3%) |
| Occupancy & Infrastructure | 3,460 | 3,575 | (115) | (3.3%) | 4,580 | 4,735 | (156) | (3.4%) |
| Equipment, Vehicles, Technology | 641 | 766 | (126) | (19.6%) | 830 | 1,014 | (183) | (22.1%) |
| Community Assistance | 108,825 | 100,293 | 8,532 | 7.8% | 144,871 | 136,060 | 8,811 | 6.1% |
| Financial Expenditures | - | 4 | (4) | 0.0% | - | 5 | (5) | 0.0% |
| Total Expenses | 201,679 | 193,570 | 8,109 | 4.0% | 268,650 | 260,359 | 8,291 | 3.1% |
| Revenues | ||||||||
| Federal & Provincial Grants | (160,660) | (152,977) | (7,684) | 4.8% | (214,327) | (205,187) | (9,140) | 4.3% |
| By-Law Charges & Sales | (1,655) | (2,147) | 492 | (29.7%) | (2,207) | (2,920) | 714 | (32.3%) |
| Other Revenue | (16,576) | (17,155) | 579 | (3.5%) | (22,101) | (22,531) | 429 | (1.9%) |
| Total Revenues | (178,891) | (172,279) | (6,613) | 3.7% | (238,635) | (230,638) | (7,997) | 3.4% |
| Intercompany Charges | ||||||||
| Intercompany Charges | 422 | 410 | 12 | 2.9% | 555 | 598 | (43) | (7.7%) |
| Total Intercompany Charges | 422 | 410 | 12 | 2.9% | 555 | 598 | (43) | (7.7%) |
| Net Expenditure (Revenue) Before Transfers & Indirect Allocations | 23,210 | 21,701 | 1,509 | 6.5% | 30,570 | 30,319 | 250 | 0.8% |
| Transfers | ||||||||
| Transfers from Funds | (220) | (260) | 41 | (15.7%) | (259) | (259) | - | 0.0% |
| Total Transfers | (220) | (260) | 41 | (18.6%) | (259) | (259) | - | 0.0% |
| Indirect Allocations & Debt | ||||||||
| Indirect Allocations & Debt | 6,645 | 7,480 | (835) | (11.2%) | 8,585 | 9,884 | (1,299) | (15.1%) |
| Capital Financing Allocation | 6,597 | 6,496 | 101 | 1.6% | 7,483 | 7,577 | (94) | (1.3%) |
| Total Indirect Allocations & Debt | 13,242 | 13,976 | (734) | (5.5%) | 16,068 | 17,461 | (1,393) | (8.7%) |
| Net Expenditure (Revenue) After Transfers & Indirect Allocation | $36,232 | $35,416 | $816 | 2.3% | $46,379 | $47,521 | $(1,143) | (2.5%) |
Variance Analysis (in thousands of dollars)
Community Services is forecasting a total surplus for 2016 of $250 or 0.82 per cent of the net budget of $30,570 and 0.09 per cent of the gross budget of $269,705.
Administrative
The favourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $455 and $380 are primarily due to reduced postage expenditures, office supplies and consulting in Social Assistance & Employment Opportunities (SAEO).
Operational & Supply
The unfavourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $444 and $287 are a result of: higher than anticipated raw food costs and medical supplies in the long-term care homes; higher than anticipated expenditures for high-intensity needs claims in Seniors Services; as well as unbudgeted, fully-funded expenditures related to the Point-in-Time (PIT) count for Homelessness.
Equipment, Vehicles, Technology
The unfavourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $126 and $183 are related to higher than anticipated equipment repair and replacement costs in the long-term care homes and SAEO.
Community Assistance
The favourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $8,532 and $8,811 are related to the Ontario Works caseloads and changing demands for allowances and benefits based on case mix (i.e. single vs. families, with singles eligible for less financial support). Expenditures fluctuate based on client participation in employment programs and demands for specific benefits.
Federal & Provincial Grants
The unfavourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $7,684 and $9,140 are a result of: reduced Social Assistance funding due to reduced expenditures incurred, partially offset by unbudgeted Seniors Services funding related to the new nursing graduate program, unbudgeted high intensity needs claims from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and unbudgeted Homelessness funding related to the PIT count.
By-Law Charges & Sales
The favourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $492 and $714 are driven by higher than estimated parent fee contributions for Children's Services.
Other Revenue
The favourable year-to-date and forecasted variances of $579 and $429 are a result of an increase to the long-term care home co-payment rate for accommodation fees set by the Province, and union billings for long-term care employees' time spent on union business.
Community Impacts & Achievements
Children's Services
- Continue to enable parents to work, go to school or train while providing necessary child care fee subsidy without a waitlist.
- Nearly 3,100 donated books have been distributed to children from families applying for financial assistance, with a further commitment to support healthy child development, early literacy, parent engagement with children and positive experiences for families.
Seniors Services
- Working in partnership with the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health and Integration Network and Behavioural Supports Ontario to improve transition points across care continuum to allow residents to access the right care at the right time. Particular focus on individuals in Alternate Level of Care acute care beds and residents in the community with high risk responsive behaviours waiting for long-term care placement.
- Initiating work on a nursing practice review to determine a responsive care model to meet the needs of a changing resident population – focusing on the impact of increasing resident acuity and increasing incidences of responsive behaviours.
Homelessness and Community Engagement
- Working in partnership with the emergency hostels providers, to have a shared common database to track clients so that supporting agencies can understand the client's path throughout the homelessness system and to ensure the client "tells their story once".
- Implementing a process to award the additional 80 housing first units provided by Niagara Regional Housing through new Ministry of Housing funding
Social Assistance and Employment Opportunities
- Number of new job starts have exceeded 2016 targets: 1,567 new job starts captured from January to September (2016 target = 1,350) with 1,078 employers (2016 target = 650).
- Provincial work continues on the improvement of the functionality of the Social Assistance Management System and work is underway to develop local reports regarding the Niagara caseload.
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
