Agenda item
Report of Chief Officer for Children’s Services and County Treasurer (DEF/20/04) attached.
Minutes:
DISCUSSION:
The Forum considered the report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services and County Treasurer (DEF/20/04).
NB: the last two pages of report (DEF/20/04) (pages 15 and 16 of the published agenda) should be discounted as they had been included in error.
The Forum also noted the respective minutes of the Schools Finance Group (SFG) of 3 June 2020.
The report (DEF/20/04) covered:-
-Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and Schools Funding Outturn Report (2019/20);
-Allocation of Carry Forward from 2019/20; and
-Mutual Fund.
Members’ discussion included:-
-£19.8m High Needs Block deficit and the effect of SEN tribunal decisions outside of Local Authorities’ control on this. The Cabinet member confirmed that f40 was continuing to lobby government regarding this and other HNB national issues.
-In considering the proposed HNB deficit reserve carry forward (Section 2 (Table 4 (2.8)) of report (DEF/20/04), members noted this followed current DfE advice pending a recovery plan. Members acknowledged that that DfE Guidance was awaited to form the DSG recovery plan and the current situation was unsatisfactory.
DECISION:
(a) that the DSG Draft Outturn position (subject to Statement of Accounts sign off) as set out in section 1 of report (DEF/20/04) be noted.
(b) that the allocation of the carry forwards from 2019/20 as set out in Section 2 (Table 4) of report (DEF/20/04) be noted/approved as indicated below:-
Table 4: Carry Forward from 2019/20
|
Budget Line |
Amount £’000 |
Notes |
DEF Decision* |
|
Mainstream School balances |
13,492 |
Automatically carried forward in Individual School budgets |
2.2 noted |
|
Growth Fund |
632 |
Rolled forward 2019/20 underspend to fund ongoing growth fund |
2.2 noted |
|
Total Schools |
14,124 |
|
|
|
Maternity |
743 |
Rolled forward 2019/20 underspend to fund ongoing maternity cover |
2.3 noted |
|
Schools and DSG Contingency |
1,403
|
Rolled forward to fund contingency agreements in 2020/21 onwards |
2.3 noted |
|
Invest to save projects |
96
|
Rolled forward for payments linked to projects in 2020/21 |
2.3 noted |
|
2,242 |
|
|
|
|
Phase Associations |
42 |
Rolled forward to fund phase association agreements in 2020/21 onwards |
2.3 noted |
|
Other DSG Services |
(28) |
Rolled forward to be offset by MFEP arrangements in 2020/21 |
2.3 noted |
|
Total Central Provision (Schools) |
14 |
|
|
|
Special School Balances |
2,488 |
Automatically carried forward as Individual School budgets |
2.4 noted |
|
Hospital Education |
151 |
Automatically carried forward as Individual School budgets |
2.4 noted |
|
Total High Needs |
2,639 |
|
|
|
236
|
PVI Pupil Premium and Teachers Pay Grant arrangements in 2020/21 |
2.5 approved |
|
|
Early Years |
191 |
Disability Access Fund |
2.6 approved |
|
Early Years |
313 |
Rolled forward 2019/20 underspend to review one-off Summer Term financial support |
2.7 approved |
|
Total Early Years |
740 |
|
|
|
Total Carry forward requested |
19,760 |
|
|
|
HNB Deficit Reserve |
(19,772) |
Deficit Balance of HNB funding pressure to be allocated to Deficit Reserve per Government guidance |
2.8 approved |
|
Total High Needs Deficit Reserve |
(19,772) |
|
|
(*Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members - Table 4 (2.2-2.7)
(*Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members – Table 4 (2.8).
(c) that the year-end Mutual Fund position as set out in Section 3 of report (DEF/20/04) be noted.
ACTION:
County Treasurer (Adrian Fox/Matthew Thorpe)
Supporting documents:
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