Agenda item

High Needs Block Budget 2018-19

Minutes:

A forecast had been presented at the previous meeting, showing a substantial overspend carried forward from the previous year. It was explained that it had not been possible to make any savings during the current year. There was a projected shortfall for 2018-19 of £1.2m, leading to a cumulative deficit of £5.88m by 2019. Financial reviews were being conducted as part of a 3-year plan to bring the budget back in line.

 

To address the deficit a number of strategies and changes were being introduced during the current year which included:

 

Ø  Special school residential would now have considerable costs met by Social Care budgets;

Ø  Resource Base funding in HNB was lower because of DfE changes to formula;

Ø  Out of borough placements had been adjusted to reflect correct level of commitment;

Ø  Centrally retained was reduced.

 

A member queried PRU top ups and George Grant agreed to follow this up.

 

It was pointed out that place funding appeared to have gone down and it was confirmed that Resource Base place funding had been removed from the HNB and was now in schools’ delegated budgets.  It was queried whether this had been brought to the attention of schools when budgets had been circulated and a Headteacher member pointed out that not highlighting this to Headteachers was unacceptable. It was requested that a communication should be sent to schools to make them aware.  A letter would be drafted regarding the impact and sent to schools following this meeting.  It was felt it was important to acknowledge that this information should have been communicated.

 

A member asked how the HNB deficit was financed in cash terms. Cate Duffy explained that the deficit was financed from the next year’s budget. The overspend was £1.5m but SBC was not the only authority in this position, it was a national issue.  It was stressed that the work and reviews being carried out were to ensure the best use of the provision available.

 

Cate Duffy explained that significant effort was being made to ensure the best use of resources and provision being made available, and that the right children were in the right place, receiving the right support.  Vikram Hansrani added that the banding review work which was on-going, would strengthen the work to make sure the appropriate level of support and the right type of banding drove inclusion.  There had to be an assurance that the provision was the right provision. A future report would come to Schools Forum from the reviews.

 

A member asked about tops up, particularly with regards to special schools, and if increased numbers were being considered now that decisions had been reached.  Vikram Hansrani would follow this up.

Schools Forum noted the changes to the HNB outlined in the report, noting the commitments against the budget and the deficit figures.

 

Schools Forum noted the Council’s strategy to address the deficit and members approved the centrally retained element for 2018-19 of £2.3m, which was a slight decrease on 2017-18.

 

The SALT provision had also reduced and a number of schools had commissioned the service themselves but could be paying more for the provision.  The statutory element was a statutory function which had been part of the clarification work. Cate Duffy explained the provider was being recommissioned and there might be the opportunity to commission the services to schools. A member pointed out that the SLA at Arbour Vale had never cost what had been received and it had become a cost to Arbour Vale in order to run the service. 

 

It was agreed that it would be very helpful for Vikram Hansrani to provide a line by line breakdown of the centrally retained budgets in the detail provided to the HNB working group which was looking at descriptors in their work.  The Chair suggested this information should be circulated again and included in a report.

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