Issue - meetings

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(a)           approves a further £16.5m increase in the forecast 2024/25 expenditure on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) service. This brings the total funding forecast to £44.5m more than the grant made available by government as part of the dedicated Schools Grant; and

(b)           request the Corporate Director of Children’s service to implement the further mitigation measures outlined in this report.

The Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People, Education and Skills, Councillor Richard Burton presented the report on the High Needs Schools Grant Expenditure Forecast and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.

RESOLVED that Council: -

(a)           Approves a further £16.5m increase in the forecast 2024/25 expenditure on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) service. This brings the total funding forecast to £44.5m more than the grant made available by government as part of the dedicated Schools Grant; and

(b)           Request the Corporate Director of Children’s service to implement the further mitigation measures outlined in this report.

Voting: For: Unanimous

Councillor Joe Salmon proposed a motion as per 11.1.15 of the Constitution that the meeting be now adjourned, this was seconded by Councillor Cameron Adams and agreed by the majority of members.

Councillor George Farquhar requested that his vote against the motion to adjourn the meeting be recorded.

The meeting was adjourned at 00.13am

In opening the reconvened meeting on the 4 November 2024 the Vice-Chairman welcomed Councillor Toby Slade who had been elected onto the Council following the recent Muscliff and Strouden Park by-election.

The Vice-Chairman also advised council of the sad passing of Ron Parker, former Councillor, Mayor and Sheriff of Poole. In relation to this the Vice Chairman advised that formal tributes would be paid at the next council meeting where a spoken tribute would be given in memory of Ron Parker.

This paper responds to the agreed action in the quarter one budget monitoring report for 2024/25 for the Corporate Director for Children’s Services to bring forward to October Cabinet a detailed report on the High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) expenditure forecast and available mitigation measures. This report also to seek Council approval for any additional resources over the approved budget.

A refreshed forecast is for an overspend of £16.5m, which is £0.6m more than indicated in the quarter 1 budget monitoring report. This forecast also means the Council is predicting to spend £44.5m more in 2024/25 than the grant made available by the government. 

This new forecast includes the cost of all new plans agreed as at July 2024 with a revised profile of projected assessment volume based on the current rate which is driven by local education settings and parents and carers. 

The BCP Local Area SEND system has significantly changed for the better over the last academic year. This follows the creation of a new SEND Improvement Plan developed to meet the Local Authority’s DfE Statutory Direction Notice to Improve.  The improvement work which has taken place over the last 10 months has now addressed all historic backlogs and improved the servicing of new assessments and Education Care and Health Plans into the system.  This improvement work has adversely increased the overspend within the High Needs Block budget.

To note that the local authority proportion of children with EHCP is still below the national average and may therefore increase further impacting on the DSG overspend.

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

Cabinet was advised that the paper responded to the agreed action in the quarter one budget monitoring report for 2024/25 for the Corporate Director for Children’s Services to bring forward to October Cabinet a detailed report on the High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) expenditure forecast and available mitigation measures, and in addition the report also sought Council approval for any additional resources over the approved budget.

Cabinet was informed that a refreshed forecast is for an overspend of £16.5m, which is £0.6m more than indicated in the quarter 1 budget monitoring report, and that this forecast also means the Council is predicting to spend £44.5m more in 2024/25 than the grant made available by the government. 

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that this new forecast included the cost of all new plans agreed as at July 2024 with a revised profile of projected assessment volume based on the current rate which is driven by local education settings and parents and carers. 

Cabinet was informed that the BCP Local Area SEND system has significantly changed for the better over the last academic year, which followed the creation of a new SEND Improvement Plan developed to meet the Local Authority’s DfE Statutory Direction Notice to Improve. 

Further to this Cabinet was advised that the improvement work which has taken place over the last 10 months has now addressed all historic backlogs and improved the servicing of new assessments and Education Care and Health Plans into the system, and that this improvement work has adversely increased the overspend within the High Needs Block budget.

In addition Cabinet was asked to note that the local authority proportion of children with EHCP is still below the national average and may therefore increase further impacting on the DSG overspend.

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(a)           Approves a further £16.5m increase in the forecast 2024/25 expenditure on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) service. This brings the total funding forecast to £44.5m more than the grant made available by government as part of the dedicated Schools Grant.

(b)           Request the Corporate Director of Children’s service to implement the further mitigation measures outlined in this report.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Children, Young People, Education and Skills

Reason

To support the delivery of the Statutory Direction to improve SEND Services in BCP.