[To approve the New Specialist Provision Start Up Fund.]

Steven Larking, Children’s Commissioning Transformation Lead presented the New Specialist Provision Start Up Fund report for approval and highlighted salient points.

It was noted that there had been no meeting of the High Needs Sub-group recently therefore the report was being presented to Schools’ Forum for approval. The report outlined that three resources were being established for special provision, one of which was ready to open.

It was proposed that a New Specialist Provision Start Up Fund be established as opening costs were significant and, at present, City of Wolverhampton Council do not provide pre-opening funding and have no process by which to do this other than the original capital grants.

It was proposed to allocate £50,000 each to any new specialist provision through a newly created funding line and that a Guidance document be developed to clearly set out the process for allocation of funding and how it will be monitored. It was proposed therefore that £50,00 each be allocated to the two new resource bases for this financial year, totalling £100,000 from the DSG.

A query was raised around whether there would be budget plans for each allocation, if those plans could be seen by the High Needs Sub-Group and if staff development was to be included in the £50,000. It was also queried whether there may be any impact on the budget line on additionality throughout the year.

It was confirmed there would be provision for staff development within the £50,000 budget to ensure qualification standards were met. It was noted it would depend on the type of provision what standards were required, for example an autism provision would require AOT standards to be met. This would be intended to go into the document.

It was agreed that spending plans would be submitted to the High Needs Sub-group for comment.

It was advised that the funding would give resource bases chance to open as fit for purpose ready for when children started attending. Assurances were offered that monitoring of the high needs block had been examined extensively and conversations on forecasting for future breakdown on pupil places and costs were ongoing. It was offered to bring the outcomes of these to the High Needs Sub-Group and/or Schools’ Forum. The funding was thought to be an opportunity to save by investing as the provision of a resource base meant special school places could be used effectively.

Resolved:

1. That members of Schools’ Forum agree to the creation of a New Specialist Provision Start Up Fund budget line within the High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), with budget setting in future financial years in line with current processes.

2. That Schools’ Forum agree to the allocation from the High Needs DSG of £50,000 to each new specialist provision planned to open in the 2021-2022 financial year, amounting to £100,000 for two new resource bases.

3. That Schools’ Forum approve the creation of a New Specialist Provision Start Up Fund Guidance Document and monitoring as set out in 4.3 of the report.

4. That budget plans for the New Specialist Provision Start Up Fund would be submitted to the High Needs Sub-group for comment.