Agenda item

Jane Seymour introduced the report (Agenda Item 10), which sought approval from the Schools’ Forum to adopt an additional funding band for resourced units for children with physical disabilities.

Jane Seymour reported the budget for schools with resourced units was not meeting budget requirements. It was important that resourced units were funded in a fair way, which allowed schools to meet the needs of pupils and did not impact negatively on the school’s mainstream school budget. A survey was carried out with schools with resourced units to ascertain in more detail what the specific funding pressures were. Returns were received from seven out of the ten resourced provisions.

Jane Seymour explained that there were no specific patterns that could be identified from the information received. Funding pressures were not consistent across specific types of resourced provision in terms of the type of SEN catered for and therefore there did not appear to be a case for a general funding uplift across all resourced provisions. Jane Seymour reported that there did however, appear to be one exemption to this which related to children with physical disabilities, where there were currently three bands for children (PD1, PD2 and PD3). Jane Seymour explained that PD3 did not generate sufficient funding for the high level of personal care required by some children. It was therefore proposed that a new funding band (PD4) be introduced.

If agreed then a further report would be brought to a future meeting which detailed the new values of the bands. There would be no funding implications as a result of the decision because top up funding was already having to be provided to meet need and therefore it was a formality.

(Mark Bennet and Gemma Piper declared an interest in the item because Kennet School had a resourced unit and abstained from voting on the matter.)

The Chairman invited the Forum to consider whether to approve the recommendation under 2.1 of the report. Jon Hewitt proposed that the recommendation be approved this was seconded by Ian Nichol. At the vote the motion was carried.

RESOLVED that the recommendation for an additional funding band for children in Physical Disability resourced provisions with very high level needs, was approved.