(UK) W. Sussex: Council secures $242M to cover SPED debt
West Sussex County Council has secured £182.7 million [$242M] in government funding to help tackle the growing financial pressures of supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The funding follows approval of the county's SEND Reform Plan by the Department for Education, which was developed jointly by West Sussex County Council and NHS Surrey and Sussex.
The money, awarded through the government's High Needs Stability Grant, will cover 90 per cent of the council's existing SEND funding deficit.
The deficit has built up because the cost of providing specialist education and support has exceeded the funding the council receives from central government.
However, despite the substantial financial boost, the council has warned that rising demand for SEND services continues to put significant pressure on its finances, with uncertainty remaining over how the outstanding deficit will be covered.
The funding is intended to provide greater financial stability while supporting improvements to services for children and young people across West Sussex.
The council's Dedicated Schools Grant pays for support for pupils with complex special educational needs, alternative education provision, specialist schools and mainstream school budgets. It also funds free childcare and early education. . . .
The SEND Reform Plan sets out how national changes to the special educational needs system will be implemented locally, with a focus on improving inclusion, strengthening services and meeting growing demand.
Although the £182.7 million grant will address much of the existing shortfall, the council says the longer-term challenge of funding SEND services remains unresolved.
Council leaders are continuing to press the Department for Education for a sustainable funding settlement to ensure children and young people across West Sussex can access the support they need.
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