Agenda item

School Forum members to note the report.

The Forum received a report which provided Members with the High Needs Block (HNB) monitoring position as at 30^th November 2021, projected to 31^st March 2022.

 

HNB Budget 2021/22

 

The HNB grant for 2021/22 as reported to Schools Forum on 13^th December 2021 was £53.555m.

 

The anticipated in year surplus as previously reported to Forum in December 2021 was £1.408m.  This had now been revised to an in-year surplus of £1.735m.

 

The balance bought forward as at 1 April 2021 was £0.597m surplus.

 

Appendix 1 to the report, showed the 2021/22 High Needs Block budget allocation, the actual expenditure as at 30 November 2021 and the variance from budget.

 

The Variances were detailed below: -

 

Variation 1

 

Out of borough placements, other associated costs, showed a £5k pressure.

·      There was a saving of £20k in room hire costs for the delivery of support to students that were awaiting a school roll.  During COVID these had been delivered virtually and from September 21 normal face to face delivery had resumed.

·      There was a pressure of £25k in respect of support costs for pupils placed in out of borough maintained and academy, mainstream and special schools.   

Variation 2

 

There had been an increase in EHCP assessments which had resulted in a projected overspend of £514k on the delegated funding provided to mainstream schools and academies.

 

Sandwell Community School; Additional funding of £200k had also been included here, to be prudent, to fund pupils placed at SCS requiring top up that was not included in the funding already allocated.  SCS had funded 180 places at £10k per place plus Top Up for 80 places for permanent exclusions.  This area was currently under review by a Task and Finish Group.

 

Variation 3

 

High Point had opened on 1 September 2021.  It had initially been thought that the place element would have to be met through the HNB.  The DFE had clarified in July 2021 that this would be funded directly with no impact on Sandwell’s HNB.  This had resulted in a saving of £221k.

 

Variation 4

 

An amount of £480k from the Early Years Grant had been used to offset the early support for pupils in private provider settings and those in mainstream early years settings.  The support was often continued for 1 - 2 terms when pupils accessed reception whilst the assessment for an EHCP was concluded.  An additional sum of £70K had been allocated in this financial year bringing the overall funding contribution to £550k.  Table 1, below, detailed the anticipated shortfall in the early years funding contribution to the HNB.

 

	Spend to 30 November 2021 £000	Anticipated Outturn to 31 March 2022 £000
Mainstream Settings	472	520
Private Provider Settings	328	478
Total	800	998
EYS Grant Contribution		550
Shortfall		448

 

Questions had been raised at the SEND Consultation Working Group regarding the level of grant contribution and the possibility that this could be increased going forward.

 

Variation 5

 

The total variances equated to a saving of £372k across 9 service areas.  These were mainly due to staff turnover, maternity leave, opting out of the LA superannuation scheme and full-time budgeted posts covered by staff on reduced hours.

  

Variation 6

 

Preventing Secondary Exclusions Team had not been appointed to, so there was a saving of £199k in 2021/22.  This had been part of the SEND Consultation and it had been agreed at Schools Forum on 8^th November 2021 that this would be used to fund the reintegration officer posts currently funded by schools through the exclusion levy.  This would not impact on the HNB until next financial year, so this would remain a saving in 2021/22.

 

Variation 7

 

Alternative Provision had been budgeted at £843k in December 2020.  Based on the leavers in July 2021 and the close monitoring of placements by the Alternative Provision Panel, the saving was currently predicted to be £499k.  This had been revised from previous monitoring reports and showed a higher saving.  This would continue to be monitored closely. 

 

Variation 8

 

SEN Developments was showing an underspend of £760k.  This budget head currently covered independent appeals and reports, and any funding agreed that did not clearly fit onto any other budget head.  The variance was predominantly the HNB balancing figure of £440k, which was the difference between the calculated budgets as at 1^st April 2021 and the HNB Grant initial settlement 2021/22 and a favourable amendment to the Grant of £315k.

 

Variation 9

 

There was a favourable variance of £191k against the Children with Disabilities Team contribution.  The HNB had previously contributed £95,800 to the CWD Team and questions had been raised previously about what this contribution was for.  As the contribution had not been required in 2020/21 but was accrued, this had now been reversed and the funding had been transferred back into the HNB.  It had also been reported that this funding would not be required in 2021/22 or any subsequent years.

 

Variation 10

 

There was a favourable variance of £97k against the Non-Statutory SEN contribution from the HNB due to staff turnover.

 

Focus Provision, Special School and PRU Place Funding

 

The data on Focus Provision, Special School and PRU occupancy against commissioned places had not had any significant changes to the data presented at the previous Schools Forum meeting.

 

An update of Focus Provision and Special School occupancy would be provided at the next meeting on 14^th March 2022.

 

A separate report would also be provided at the next meeting on PRU funding, occupancy and commissioned places as requested by Schools Forum on 13^th December 2021.

 

The Chair referred to Variation 8, which covered ‘independent appeals and reports, and any funding agreed that did not clearly fit onto any other budget head’.  As this was a wide a varied heading, he requested a breakdown of what was covered within this budget head for the next meeting.  J Gill agreed to provide this information at the next meeting.

 

In addition, the Chair referred to the budget heading added to the School Improvement budget.  He queried if this would impact on the High Needs block in anyway.  J Gill replied that, to the best of her knowledge, this would not impact on the High Needs Block.

 

A Forum Member requested if additional information / training could be provided in relation to funding for SEN to help Members have a better understanding of how it worked / was implemented.  This was especially important for new Members to the Forum as the financial side of matters was varied and complex.

 

The Chair advised that there was an item on the agenda which would deal specifically with training needs and that this request would be picked up under that item.

 

A Member, in referring to variation 4, queried what the plans were with the Early Years Grants considering the current position with shortfall.

 

R Kerr advised that this particular issue related to both the High Needs and Early Years blocks.  Officers would need to undertake a detailed analysis to better understand the situation and to formulate an appropriate strategy.

 

Resolved  that the contents of the report be noted.