Sept 12, 2024, BBC News: Council to put £29m [$38M] from reserves into Send budget
SW England
Nearly £29m [$38M] from a council's reserves will be spent to plug a hole in its special educational needs budget.
Devon County Council said it struck a deal with the government earlier this year for a £95m [$125M] bailout to help tackle a deficit of more than £160m [$210M] in its special educational needs and disabilities (Send) budget.
At the time, the council said it would use £20m [$26M] of its reserves as part of plans to "bring the budget back into line".
However, the authority said it would now spend more than a quarter of its £100m [$130M] reserves as part of a "safety valve agreement" with the Department for Education, along with an additional contribution of £6m [$8M] during the financial year.
'Drive the savings'
The council said it was expected to overspend on its annual Send budget by more than £38m [$50M].
Under an agreement with the government, the council was only allowed to overspend by £31m [$40M], which means it needs to cut £7.4m [$10M] from the service.
Angie Stewart, the council's director of finance, said there was a cross-council effort to "drive the savings and get us to budget".
"We are committed to that £31m [$40M] [overspend limit]," she said.
"That means we need to put effort in to get there.
"If at the end of the financial year we're at £33m, then £2m would need to be made good by Devon."
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