Decision Maker: Executive Member for Education, Learning & Skills
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: Yes
To agree to the disposal of devices provided by the Department of Education for disadvantaged and vulnerable children during the Covid pandemic. It is proposed that the devices be gifted to schools and care leavers as appropriate.
That the allocation of devices provided by the
Department for Education and loaned to students are gifted to
schools for ongoing management and use
That the allocation of devices provided by the Department for
Education and loaned to care leavers are gifted to them, under the
guidance of the Leaving Care team.
North Yorkshire County Council was allocated
989 digital devices and 238 wireless routers by the Department for
Education in 2020 to distribute to eligible vulnerable or
disadvantaged children and young people during the Covid pandemic.
Subsequently schools could order any additional devices and routers
directly via the DfE’s supplier with no ongoing involvement
from the local authority. As of 11th May 2021, 4,419 devices
(laptops and tablets) in total have been delivered or dispatched to
North Yorkshire since the start of the scheme including the 989
delivered directly to NYCC, with the rest to maintained schools.
This does not include devices delivered to academy trusts.
The DfE guidance originally stated that local authorities and
academy trusts own the laptops and tablets, and can loan them to
children and young people. However, this was later changed and the
DfE allowed devices to be gifted to schools or students if the
responsible local authority so wished. DfE have advised that the
provision of data for 4G routers will expire on 31 July 2021 and
that laptops and tablets that came with security software licenses
that will expire on 30 September 2021. It is estimated that the
individual value of a device is c. £100. The DfE incurred all
original costs to buy these devices.
Under The Constitution, Executive Members’ delegation scheme
(9.10) If the estimated disposal value is greater than
£20,000 but less than £100,000 then a Portfolio Holder
may authorise the disposal following consultation with the Director
and with the approval of the CD-SR. It is therefore proposed that
the devices loaned to students are gifted to schools for ongoing
management and use and that those devices loaned to care leavers
are gifted to them, under the guidance of the Leaving Care team.
This will have a small cost implication for individual schools but
can form part of the school’s IT structure which they will
already manage. This approach will mean that there is no ongoing
involvement of NYCC and will reduce any cost incurred trying to
recover devices whilst ensuring that devices can be recycled and
reused by schools to meet need.
The devices have minimal residual value if returned to NYCC but any
devices returned to NYCC will be refurbished and recycled.
None
Publication date: 09/07/2021
Date of decision: 06/07/2021
Effective from: 17/07/2021
Accompanying Documents: