Issue - meetings

PLEASE NOTE: Should the Council wish to discuss the detail of Appendix 1 it will be necessary to exclude the press and public and move into exempt session. If applicable, the following resolution should be moved:

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs such interest in disclosing the information.”

RECOMMENDED that the total project budget as contained in Appendix 1 (Exempt) be approved. This will enable the scheme to progress in line with the project programme set out in paragraph 18. The project is fully funded from the Council’s high needs specialist provision capital grant allocation.

The Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, Councillor Richard Burton, presented the report on the SEND programme of expansion and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

Council spoke in support of the recommendations set out on the agenda.

RESOLVED that the total project budget as contained in Appendix 1 (Exempt) be approved. This will enable the scheme to progress in line with the project programme set out in paragraph 18. The project is fully funded from the Council’s high needs specialist provision capital grant allocation.

Voting: Unanimous

(Councillor Sandra Moore declared an interest in this item and remained present for the discussion and voting thereon).

The number of children and young people assessed as requiring a place at a specialist education provision in the BCP area has increased in recent years and this has increased expenditure on highneeds. As part of the Council’s strategyto address growth and associated financial pressure, a programme of expansion of specialist school provision is being implemented. As one of a number of schemes currently in development, the Council is working with Teach Trust to co-locate specialist places for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) at Canford Heath Infant School (CHIS) and Canford Heath Junior Schools (CHJS). The scheme will provide a total of 35 specialist resource base places forchildren with an Education, Health and Care Plan from January 2025. This will be achieved by internal remodelling and the co-location of purpose-built modular accommodation. The proposed scheme will help reduce the Council’s reliance on costly independent specialist placements. The recommendation of this report therefore is to approve the budget detailed in Appendix 1 (Exempt) needed to grant fund the building works and related processes required for the creation of 15 SEND places at Canford Heath Infant School and 20 SEND places at Canford Heath Junior School.

RECOMMENDED that: -

the total project budget as contained in Appendix 1 (Exempt) be approved. This will enable the scheme to progress in line with the project programme set out in paragraph 18. The project is fully funded from the Council’s high needs specialist provision capital grant allocation.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Children and Young People

Reason

In accordance with the Council’s statutory duty, the project increases the availability of local places for local children and supports the Council’s strategy to achieve cost savings in line with the Dedicated School Grant Recovery plan.

The Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'F' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that as part of the Council’s SEND Improvement agenda, work is underway to increase the sufficiency of specialist places and promote inclusion in mainstream schools, and that within one of several schemes in development, the Council is working with Teach Trust to co-locate specialist places for children with speech, language and communication needs at Canford Heath Infant and Junior Schools.

Cabinet was informed that the scheme will provide a total of 35 resource base places for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan from January 2025, and that this is made up of 20 places at Canford Heath Infant School and 15 places at Canford Heath Junior School.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the scheme comprises internal remodelling and the co-location of purpose-built modular accommodation using the Council’s high needs special provision capital grant funding allocated by the Department for Education.

RECOMMENDED that: -

the total project budget as contained in Appendix 1 (Exempt) be approved. This will enable the scheme to progress in line with the project programme set out in paragraph 18. The project is fully funded from the Council’s high needs specialist provision capital grant allocation.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Children and Young People

Reason

In accordance with the Council’s statutory duty, the project increases the availability of local places for local children and supports the Council’s strategy to achieve cost savings in line with the Dedicated School Grant Recovery plan.