Decision Maker: Corporate Director Children and Young People's Services
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
To approve the proposed High Needs Block
budget allocations including Special Schools and Pupil Referral
Services
To approve the proposed High Needs Block
budget as set out in section 3.1 of the report.
The anticipated overall High Needs Block
allocation available for North Yorkshire in 2022-23 is
£68.67m, plus £2.63m of Supplementary Funding that has
been allocated following the Spending Review. This figure is
reduced by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in
relation to funding provided directly to academies and for some
post-16 provision. It also includes an anticipated import/export
adjustment (adjustments made to reflect cross-border movement of
pupils living in one local authority who attend provision in
another; adjustments for 2022/23 will be finalised by the DfE in
early Summer 2022). The total deductions amount to an estimated
£6.79m resulting in a net funding allocation to the local
authority of £64.51m. This compares to a final cash
allocation for 2021-22 of £56.9m – an increase of
£7.6m. The final High Needs Block figure will not be known
until June 2022 following confirmation of the import/export
adjustment.
Changes in government regulations since January 2020 prohibit the
local authority from using its general resources to fund any
overspend in the High Needs Block (and any other DSG blocks).
However, the local authority has chosen to set aside a provision to
mirror any projected in-year 2022-23 High Needs Block deficit in
order to adhere to its sound and prudent financial management
principles. This provision will continue to be held in place until
such a time that the overall cumulative High Needs Budget deficit
has been fully recovered.
Consultation was undertaken as part of the Council’s budget
setting process resulting in the approval of the Budget and MTFS on
16 February 2022. Feedback was given due consideration and informed
the recommendations which were approved by Executive on 25 January
2022. Consultation for proposals impacting on the Special School
funding formula took place from 22 September 2021 to 22 October
2021. Specific recommendations relating to the Special School MFG
were agreed by Executive on 11 January 2022.
Publication date: 17/03/2022
Date of decision: 17/03/2022
Effective from: 25/03/2022