Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

High Needs Block spend and proposed 2018/19 budget

Meeting: 29/01/2018 - SCHOOLS FORUM (Item 14)

14 High Needs Block spend and proposed 2018/19 budget pdf icon PDF 106 KB

 

To receive an update on current projected spend against budget for the current financial year for the High Needs Block and the key next steps to seek to mitigate potential pressures for the financial year 2018/19.

 

 

Minutes:

 

The Forum considered a report setting out the current projected spend against budget for the current financial year for the High Needs Block.  The report also set out key next steps to seek to mitigate potential pressures for the financial year 2018/19.

 

Points and comments included:

 

·         This report gave an overview of areas where the investment would need to make an impact on current spend as well as some initial proposals for where the investment could be targeted.

·         The report suggested that given the pressure in the block, it may be advisable to invest half of the sum immediately and retain half of the sum as contingency to judge the impact of the investment proposals.  If these were successful, the remaining funding could be used for similar or additional early intervention activities.

·         Some members felt this was in direct contrast to the advice given by the Director of Children Services at the December meeting of the Forum that the proposed transfer of 0.5% would be ring-fenced to support early intervention and that any unspent funding would be brought back to Schools Forum to decide on reallocation and the recommendation Members of the Forum voted on.

·         The Deputy Director Transformation & Education advised that this was not the intention but given the changes required, it may be sensible to judge the impact of some initial investment proposals and then allocate further funds once this was known.

·         The Deputy Director also explained that as  agreed with the Schools Forum, a meeting had been set up in February with a number of schools, the Interim Head of SEND and the Head of the Virtual School to look at the proposals to reduce the pressure on the High Needs Budget with an update to be presented at the March meeting.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    that the update on the High Needs block spend for the financial year 2017/18 and the proposed actions to be taken to mitigate future pressures be noted.

 

2.    that an update on the High Needs Block 2018/19 indicative spend and investment proposals be given at the March meeting of the Forum.