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High Needs Funding Comment

Ian Thomas, Chair of the ADCS Resources & Sustainability Policy Committee, said:

“There has been a significant increase in the number of children who are accessing support via the high needs budget. This is, in part, due to the extension of support to young people with SEND up to the age of 25. The needs of children and young people with additional support requirements are becoming more complex. A recent survey of our members on high needs funding found that in many local authorities the funding allocated by the Department for Education was insufficient to meet local needs. Only a small number of respondents reported that their actual spend was within budget, with the majority reporting an overspend. Local authorities employed a range of measures to address this overspend including using reserves, transferring funding from other blocks and carrying forward deficits into the current financial year. The relationship between the different funding blocks is absolutely critical; it is concerning for our members that the national funding formula will restrict the transfer of funding between blocks reducing our ability to effectively meet the educational needs of these children and young people.”

ENDS


Tags assigned to this article:
FUNDING 288 SEND 73 RSPC 64 HIGH NEEDS 5

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