Agenda item

Action

Jane Seymour presented the report on the High Needs budget proposals 2015/16.

At the last Schools’ Forum the high needs budget proposals were estimated to be £1,931k over the expected funding in 2015/16. It is now expected to be £1,050k following a review of the budget projections using the latest costs and pupil information. The report contained proposed savings of £843k to the proposed budgets 2015/16 which leaves a shortfall of £207k.

The proposed savings are:

Top up funding is statutory and demand driven. Peter Hudson asked Jane Seymour if she could quantify the risk of reducing the non maintained and independent special schools budget estimate by £311k. Jane Seymour stated that it was difficult to predict tribunals and failure of fragile placements but that the previous proposed budget had been too pessimistic.

The Language & Literacy Centres savings proposals could be achieved by rationalising the provision.

The SISS budget could be reduced by reducing the level of support provided or by charging schools for certain aspects of the service.

The SEN Pre School Children budget saving would mean fewer children would be supported, or children receive a lower level of support.

The Cognition and Learning Team would achieve their proposed savings by charging schools for certain services and setting an income target.

The equipment for SEN pupils could be achieved if equipment was only purchased for pupils attending mainstream schools. Special schools would fund the equipment from their own budgets.

The early intervention budget supports the Early Years Language Project but this is not a statutory service so the project could be ceased.

The Medical Support budget has had no spend against it during the last year and therefore the proposal is to delete it.

The PRU Outreach saving could be achieved by reducing the number of outreach sessions pupils receive on re-entering mainstream school with more of the support coming from the school itself.

The Home Tuition saving could be achieved by offering more e-learning packages and reducing external support packages.

The Vulnerable Children Fund is used to help schools support their most vulnerable pupils on an emergency short term basis. The saving could be achieved by changing the criteria either limiting it to primary schools or shortening the term of the support.

The members asked whether merging teams and functions had been investigated. Structural change had not been considered due to cost and time constraints. Joint commissioning of therapy services with other Berkshire authorities is being discussed but this would not affect 2015/16.

ACTION: Although these proposals were accepted in principle the proposals will be further discussed at the next Heads Funding Group meeting where they will be reconsidered in the light of the further information on quality and outcomes for each service and return to the Schools’ Forum for decision on 9^th March.

J Seymour / HFG