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 agree the High Needs Budget for 2023-24,
setting out the financial pressures and funding available for
expenditure that fall within the High Needs Block of the Dedicated
Schools Grant.
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 2023-24 is
£77.86m, this includes £3.23m of additional funding
announced in the Government Autumn 2022 Spending Review to support
increased financial pressures within High Needs. 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 2023/24 will be finalised by the DfE in
early Summer 2022). The total deductions amount to an estimated
£6.366m resulting in a net funding allocation to the local
authority of £71.49m. This provides an estimated overall cash
increase of £6.78m compared to 2022/23. The final High Needs
Block figure will not be known until June 2023 following
confirmation of the import/export adjustment.
Following regulation changes in early 2020, the local authority is
effectively prohibited from using core council funding towards
costs which should be properly funded from Dedicated Schools Grant.
However, the local authority has made provision within the LA
budget to mirror any High Needs deficit as part of prudent budget
setting arrangements. The High Needs Block Budget reflects the SEND
Strategic Plan which aims to improve the service offer for
children
Publication date: 07/03/2023
Date of decision: 07/03/2023
Effective from: 15/03/2023
Accompanying Documents: