Despite improving its fortunes to the tune of £1.4 million, a council is still on track to exceed its budget.

Tighter financial controls and greater income revenues mean Rutland County Council has reduced its projected overspend to £0.9 million.

Speaking at Tuesday's cabinet meeting (November 10), governance and resources portfolio holder Cllr Andrew Johnson said that although the deficit remains a concern "the direction of travel is very positive".

"This report demonstrates that our financial management arrangements are working effectively, and our services are responding positively to the challenge of delivering within available resources," the cabinet heard.

Cllr Johnson described the council's savings programme as a "particularly encouraging" element of the report, with £6.3 million of the council's £6.6 million savings target already forecast to be achieved.

However, a slew of pressures continue to squeeze council finances, according to the report for April, May and June, including adult and child social care spending.

Adult social care expenditure is expected to surpass its budget by just under £1 million, driven by sustained demand and increasing complexity of care. Children's services are forecast to exceed their budget by £0.6 million.

Cllr Tim Smith, who holds the council's portfolio for children and families, raised the £5.4 million dedicated schools grant deficit – the difference between what the council is due to spend on learning provisions and what the Government has granted – as an ongoing challenge.

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Cllr Smith described the deficit as a "significant threat to our finances", while highlighting out-of county learning placements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as another substantial pressure.

Rutland County Council qualified for 90% Government relief on its high needs deficit when a SEND reform plan produced by the authority was approved by the Department for Education last month.

Speaking at a scrutiny and overview committee meeting, Cllr Lucy Stephenson described the council's current SEND expenditure as unsustainable, with a warning that if the council does not reform its special educational needs provisions, it could "go bust" in 10 years.