Spiralling costs are behind a predicted £3.6million overspend in Richmond Council's social care budget this year.

Adult social care and health services provided by the authority are experiencing an increase in demand and more patients presenting with more complex needs.

Overall, a council report for the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year predicts an overspend of £4.2m on a budget of £64.6m for services covered by the Adult Social Care, Health and Housing Committee.

These services are split across housing and regeneration, adult social care and public health and environment and community services.

The committee's biggest challenge is in adult social care and public health, with a projected overspend of £3.6m against a budget of £56.2m.

A report by council officers said the cost of care packages has increased, along with demand on services and the complexity of people's needs.

Significant pressure on the NHS is also impacting services, it added, as patients with complex needs are being discharged as quickly as possible into the care system.

The report said: "People are presenting with more complex care needs resulting in the need for more intense care and support resulting in a financial challenge to the council to meet people's higher-level needs within existing budgets.

"In part the rise in complex care needs is the result of an ongoing push to discharge people from hospital more quickly, meaning that many older people and adults with a disability need more support from social care as they are more unwell following their stay in hospital."

The committee discussed the report at a meeting on October 22.

Annabel Parker, Director of Adult Social Care in Richmond, said: "We're seeing people presenting with multiple health needs… then they may not be working because of long-term conditions, that's another thing that causes them to have pressure.

"There's the cost-of-living crisis, and then they may have a low income, they may not have any working members of the family, they might be in debt, they might be struggling to buy food, and they might be living in temporary accommodation… and all of these things combine."

Sarah Evans, the council's Head of Finance, added the cost of home care packages to the authority has increased by an average of around £9,000 a week since the first quarter of 2024/25.

The report outlined how officers are working to cut costs, including increasing the use of technology in care packages, making sure residents receive NHS-funded care where they are eligible and challenging any changes to funding arrangements and improving mental health commissioning.

The committee is also facing a predicted overspend of £552,000 in housing and regeneration services, and £29,000 in environment and community services.