Social Services is projected to go £1.6 million over budget, councillors were warned on Thursday.

The Clackmannanshire Council service has projected a revenue budget overspend but a balanced capital budget in its first quarter report of 2014/15.

The main area of the overspend is in relation to care at home services and the rise in cases of cared for individuals with multiple health problems.

The findings were revealed in a report presented to the Housing, Health and Care Committee in which officers noted that an action plan was in place.

Child Care showed an overspend of £707,000 which was attributed to foster care and residential schools and the increase in travel expenses due to children being placed outwith the local authority area. The report revealed that the number of children placed in foster care rose from 23 last year to 37 this year.

It stated, “The profile of the increased number of children have been accommodated through children’s hearing decisions where children are assessed as not safe to remain within the family home or following decisions from Child Protection Case Conferences based on multi agency assessments and Child Protection Orders granted by a Sheriff due to significant harm.”