Minutes:
Grainne Siggins, Executive Director: People joined the meeting to give an update on the Safety Valve programme.
The Department for Education had invited Bracknell Forest to join the Safety Valve programme, and on 31 August 2023 the Local Authority had agreed. The Safety Valve programme supports LAs with the most challenging High Needs Block Budget difficulties. The first meeting with the Department for Education was scheduled for 2 October 2023, which would give more details on the plans. The Council had been asked to submit the latest financial forecasts in a DSG management plan in preparation for this meeting.
Following the SEND inspection in 2021, a Written Statement of Action had been co-produced in 2022 with 113 actions to undertake. The SEND strategy had been agreed by Executive in June 2023.
The Council had already been invited to join the Department for Education’s Delivering Better Value programme. A number of local authorities were already in the Safety Valve programme, and Bracknell Forest and an additional 5 local authorities had now been invited to join the programme. The Council would work with the other additional local authorities to share learning. The programme would work with local authorities to further develop DSG management plan and to look at actions. Once the Safety Valve management plan had been created, formal sign off would be sought through the Council’s democratic processes and Grainne stressed that the involvement of School’s Forum would be vital to develop the detailed plan with the Department for Education.
Paul Clark presented the Bracknell Forest position with the DSG in total, including forecast deficits of nearly £43m without mitigation. The Safety Valve programme aimed to help the local authority to break even in line with DSG grant funding, and where an agreement is reached, additional DSG funding can be allocated by the DfE to aid financing the accumulated deficit.
Members were reminded of the change in position over time with regard to increase in High Needs Block, total expenditure of which had increased by 95% over the past 4 years. This increase was primarily linked to the increase in number of children needing support, but also by price changes.
To address the DSG deficit, local area funding could look to use Council reserves, set aside funding in future Council years’ budgets, or a top-slice to school funding, These were the options available, with no decisions having been made on the approach to take. at.
Members were reminded of the key milestones which were the start-up meeting on 2 October 2023 following which Schools Forum would be engaged on the collective requirement, and if agreed, a formal agreement would be confirmed with the Department for Education in March 2024.
In response to questions, the following points were noted:
· Schools Forum expressed concern that the deficit would be met by a transfer of money from schools, particularly in light of ongoing SEN needs supported by fewer Educational Health Care Plans.
· It was clarified that a decision had not yet been taken, and there would be further clarity following the start-up meeting with the DfE.
· The Department for Education had seen an opportunity for Bracknell Forest to achieve £1.3m savings through the Delivering Better Value programme, and the change of programme suggested that they felt a different approach was now needed.
· It was clarified that there was no further detail in terms of the funding arrangement of the Safety Valve programme at this time, and further detail would be shared with Schools Forum members when available.
· It was commented that while the top-slice would have a small benefit on the DSG deficit, the impact and additional pressure on school budgets would be significant.
· Members expressed concerns at the short timescales for gathering views of their groups and asked Grainne to make representation to the Department for Education for more time to gather views from school colleagues.
· Councillor Bailey commented that government funding was lacking, and the Council had been put in an impossible position. He agreed to lobby and work with the local MPs for additional school funding.
· Members requested graphs from Paul to illustrate the scenarios of 95% funding, and for if the 9% increase had been granted instead of 3%. (Action: Paul Clark)
Grainne Siggins agreed to engage with the Schools Forum Chair and Vice-Chair after the start-up meeting on 2 October 2023.
Members who were interested in joining the SEN Subgroup were to let Chair or Vice Chair know. (Action: all school forum members)