High needs funding
arrangements: 2014 to
2015
Briefing for local authorities
Russell Ewens
Funding Policy Unit
1
High needs: priorities for local
authorities
• Knowing about the high needs changes in 2014 to 2015
• Understanding the place review exercise
• Using the high needs templates
2
Context for 2014 to 2015 changes
• High needs funding one element of wider funding reforms
• School funding reforms – the £6k threshold
• Data collection process for distribution of place funding led by
local authorities
3
SEN reforms in Children and Families Bill
• New Education, Health and Care Plans
• Joint commissioning and delivery across education, health and
social care services
• Local authorities publishing their local offer of services to
support SEND
• New statutory duties due to come into effect from September
2014
4
2014 to 2015 place funding
• Place funding about a third of high needs funding outside
school budgets
• Accurate place funding gives security to institutions, and gives
LAs greater control over top-up funding
• Intention to base place funding for 2015 to 2016 onwards on
prior year data
• For 2014 to 2015, therefore, expect place numbers to be closely
based on the actual numbers of placements commissioned in
institutions for current year 2013 to 2014
5
Places review timeline
Date
Event
July 2013
Initial information published
Local authorities received data
September/
October 2013
Briefings to local authorities on high needs
arrangements
October 2013
High needs templates issued to authorities
November 2013
High needs template re-issued to include 2012 to
2013 actual post 16 data
Before 23
December 2013
Local authorities return templates to EFA
January 2014
onwards
EFA calculate allocations to authorities and
institutions
6
Role of local authorities
Local Authority
Prime responsibility for planning and funding high
needs
Work with schools, academies and schools forum
Work with institutions and other local authorities to
review distribution of places
Embed other aspects of high needs funding and SEN
reforms
Review and confirm individual pupil/student
placements and associated top-up funding
7
Education Funding
Agency
Role of the Education Funding Agency
Support local authorities on high needs funding issues
Support local authorities’ place review activity
Consider authorities’ submissions and institutions’
exceptional cases
Provide final DSG allocations to local authorities and
other funding allocations to institutions
8
Institutions
Role of institutions
Get involved in places review activity with local
authorities commissioning places and, for maintained
schools and academies, with their ‘home’ authority (if
different)
Accurately complete the school census and the
individualised learner record (ILR) in October
NB institutions do not need to return any other data
9
High needs budget issues
• Total national high needs budget for the financial year 2014 to
2015 yet to be decided
• Working on the expectation that resources will continue to be
tight and increases in some allocations will need to be
balanced by reductions in others
• Increases in places – how they will be funded
• Increases in top-up funding and central services costs
10
High needs template
• Simpler approach. Greater
alignment across pre- and post16 data
• Important to understand the
differences in place data
requested
• Templates emailed to local
authorities on 4 October with a
user guide
I agree that the place numbers I have submitted are our
best available assessment on 23 December - Please click
to complete the Declaration.
LA Name:
LA Number:
Completed by:
Email address:
Phone number:
Test LA
999
Mr X
testLA@education.com
070000000
Cell colour guide
User input cells
Prepopulated cells
Calculation cells
Recommended use of the HNT:
Please ensure that automatic calculation and macros are enabled
1. Review the list of institutions prepopulated in the 2014 to 2015 high needs places sheet.
2. Use the New Institutions & Adjustments sheet to record any changes.
3. Return to the 2014 to 2015 high needs places sheet and, where necessary, amend the 2014 to 2015 high needs places as appropriate.
4. Ensure you are content with the summary of your proposed 2014 to 2015 high needs places in the table below
and click the button at the top of this sheet. This will take you to a declaration sheet, which has to be completed before submission.
Email Address for any queries is:
HighNeeds.SOUTHERN@education.gsi.gov.uk
Pre 16
Post 16
2014 to 2015
2014 to 2015 total
Total Baseline
2014 to 2015 SEN 2014 to 2015 AP high needs places total high needs
places
places return
places return
places return
return
274
159
65
50
274
Difference between 2014 to 2015
and 2013 to 2014 total high needs
places
0
If you wish to make a collaborative submission please select the LAs you will be collaborating with from the drop-down list below, listing
the lead LA who will be responsible for returning the collaborative submission first. Otherwise please leave blank
• Templates re-issued at the end
of November. Local authorities
return this version before 23
December
Lead LA
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More information
•
High Needs for Local Authority Webinar – Monday 4th November, register
via the Live Portal:
https://registration.livegroup.co.uk/academyfunding/
• 2014 to 2015 Revenue Funding Arrangements, available from .gov.uk:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2014-to-2015-revenue-fundingarrangements-operational-information-for-local-authorities
•
Implementing high needs place funding arrangements for 5-25 year olds
2014 to 2015, available on the DfE website:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/h/high%20needs%202014%20to
%202015%2018%20july%20final.pdf
•
An October update on high needs funding arrangements in academic year
2014 to 2015, available from .gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-fundingarrangements-in-academic-year-2014-to-2015
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