SEND budget identified as a “significant issue” for Doncaster Council

A draft of the council’s Annual Governance Statement has identified budgeting for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as a significant issue.

Along with councils across the UK, Doncaster has seen an unprecendented increase in the number of young people identified with SEND since the 2010s.

SEND services are funded largely from the Dedicated Schools Grant allocated to local authorities by national government.

At the end of the 2023/4 financial year, the council had overspent on this grant by £27.2 million.

The council received 758 requests for additional support for pupils throughout the year, an increase of 109 percent since 2019.

Main areas of overspending included Out of Authority pupil placements, post-16 specialist institutions and Education Health and Care Plans (ECHPs).

ECHPs are created through assessment to identify additional support needs for pupils.

Demand for ECHPs has risen across the country, with a 115 percent increase since 2014.

Doncaster is now a part of two schemes by the Department for Education aimed at reducing the funding deficit.

Savings of £2 million per year have been identified through the Delivering Better Value scheme, however this is not enough to bridge the deficit.

A series of additional cost-cutting measures have been planned, including greater scrutiny around funding for schools and when ECHPs are required.

The report also identified the council’s wider future financial sustainability as a significant issue due to inflation and increasing demand.

It stated however that the council’s governance and internal control is effective.