Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Director, Education and Skills, and Director, Finance and Procurement.

Resolved:

To note the monitoring report which was submitted to the DfE on 28th August 2024.

Reason for Decision:

This five-year agreement will shape the provision of SEND services in Wiltshire and will form a key part of the financial context for the authority. Cabinet will continue to be kept appraised of progress and public reporting is critical to ensure transparency of the programme and the council’s approach to it.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children’s Service, Education and Skills presented a report which provided an update on the Safety Valve Agreement between Wiltshire Council and the Department for Education (DfE) which was signed on 12 March 2024.

The Deputy Leader explained that although forecasts indicated an overspend of £10.156m against the current plan for 2024/25, the Council is confident that it will be back on track and achieve a positive in-year balance by the end of the agreement and in subsequent years. Further proposals are being worked up to increase the mitigations. These proposals will follow the principles set out in the original plan for investing to save in future years and improving support for children and young people with additional needs across the system.

The Deputy Leader was pleased to report that an additional capital request, made as part of the Safety Valve process to support this plan, submitted on 5January 2024 for £5.7m to expand special schools’ places in the south of the county had been successful.

The Leader confirmed that he now had a degree of confidence in the process following the extensive monitoring that had been undertaken and engagement with other Council’s.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chair of the Children’s Select Committee received an update on 5 September 2024 and indicated that he was generally happy with progress being made.

Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, acknowledged that the Council was in a situation that was not of its own fault and asked how the overspend was being reduced. The Deputy Leader explained that this was through improvements to early intervention and signposting people in the right direction.

Resolved:

To note the monitoring report which was submitted to the DfE on 28th August 2024.

Reason for Decision:

This five-year agreement will shape the provision of SEND services in Wiltshire and will form a key part of the financial context for the authority. Cabinet will continue to be kept appraised of progress and public reporting is critical to ensure transparency of the programme and the council’s approach to it.