Issue - meetings

Report ED15082

The Sub-Committee considered a report outlining Government grant funding to support the Local Authority to meet the statutory duties and implement special educational needs and disabilities reforms introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014, including the transition to Education, Care and Health Plans.  Local authorities had three years to implement the transition to Education, Care and Health Plans, but were required to be statutory compliant in all other areas of change from 1^st September 2014.

To support the delivery of these reforms, the Government had provided New Burdens Grant funding which commenced in 2014/15 and would continue into 2015/16.  The New Burdens Grant for 2014/15 had been announced in August 2014.  Due to a range of factors, including the timing of the grant announcement and the need to create temporary posts and engage skilled personnel to increase staff capacity to deliver the reforms, there was a projected underspend of £200,000 in New Burdens Grant funding for 2014/15.  It was proposed to carry forward the projected underspend and to release the remaining £107,357 in New Burdens Grant funding for 2014/15, and to request the drawdown of £148,343 from the New Burdens Grant for 2015/16, with the remaining £28,476 to remain in contingency, ring-fenced for drawdown at a later date if required.

RESOLVED that:

1)  Members’ comments on the report be noted; and,

2)  The Council’s Executive be recommended to

a.  Approve the carry forward of the underspend in 2014/15 of £200,000 and the drawdown of the remaining £107,357 funding from the Council’s central contingency  for the 2014/15 SEND Implementation Grant, totalling £307,357; and,

b.  Approve the drawdown of part of the SEN New Burdens Grant 2015/16 of £148,343, with the remaining £28,476 to remain in contingency, ring-fenced for drawdown at a later date if required.