Q1. What is the name of your local authority? Devon County Council
Q2. What was your original allocated high needs budget for 2019/20? £63,723,000
Q3. What was your total high needs spending at the end of the financial year 2019/20? £82,798,000
Please confirm the amount of any underspend/overspend. Overspend £19,774,000
Q4. What was your original allocated high needs budget for 2020/21? £70,094,000
Q5. What is the predicted total high needs spending for the financial year 2020/21? £102,825,000
Please confirm the amount of any underspend/overspend. Overspend £27,971,000
Q6. For the following financial years have you transferred any funding from the early years block, schools block or central school services block into the high needs block?
2019/20 – No
2020/21 – No
Please confirm how much was transferred. Not applicable
Q7. Have you sought permission from the Department for Education to move more than 0.5% from DSG to high needs in the current financial year 2020/21? No
If Yes, please confirm whether permission was granted? Not applicable
Please confirm how much was transferred. Nil
Q8. What is the allocated high needs budget for 2021/22? (If known) Indicative funding allocated by Department of Education £86,274,000
Q9. What is the predicted total high needs spending for the financial year 2021/22? Not yet known
Please provide an estimate if any underspend/overspend. Not yet known
Q10. Please add any further comments which would help us understand the demands and pressures on your high needs budget.
The growth in the number of children supported by an Education Health and Care plan significantly exceeds any increase seen in funding for the High Needs block from central government. The increased numbers, combined with lower than needed National investment in state funded special schools also mean a growing reliance on more costly Independent Placements for children