Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on the Council’s progress as part of its participation in the Department for Education’s Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme. The programme is designed to provide dedicated support and funding to help local authorities with substantial deficit issues in their high needs block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) to reform their high needs systems. BCP Council is one of 55 LAs participating in the first cohort of the programme. The Council is using the DBV programme to validate the direction of travel of the Council’s Written Statement of Action and High Needs Block Recovery Plans and further inform the prioritisation of workstreams, their implementation and associated timelines. The programme will help BCP Council prepare and submit a grant application for transformation funding of £1m and this will be used to impact the trajectory of high needs expenditure.

The Head of School Places, Funding and Capital presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report provided an update on the Council’s progress as part of its participation in the Department for Education’s Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme. The programme was designed to provide dedicated support and funding to help local authorities with substantial deficit issues in their high needs block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) to reform their high needs systems. BCP Council was one of 55 LAs participating in the first cohort of the programme. The Council is using the DBV programme to validate the direction of travel of the Council’s Written Statement of Action and High Needs Block Recovery Plans and further inform the prioritisation of workstreams, their implementation and associated timelines. The programme will help BCP Council prepare and submit a grant application for transformation funding of £1m and this will be used to impact the trajectory of high needs expenditure.

In response to a question about how much the Early Years Sector has been taken into account, it was advised that it had been engaged in this activity, but this was a review across the age range.  Officers were satisfied it had been included but could give a greater explanation if needed, outside of this meeting. 

Schools Forum was asked to note:

a)     the findings and outputs identified following the Council’s completion of all DVB programme modules; and

b)    the progress of the SEND programme of expansion and the estimate return on investment/savings or benefits as set out in the attached presentation at Appendix 1.

Voting: nem. con

Lauren Dean, Patrick Earnshaw, Nadine Lapskas left during the discussion of this item.