1. Local Authority Strategic Reviews of
High Needs Funding
Emily Taylor
Senior Manager for Strategy and Engagement, ISEND
East Sussex County Council

2. Since 2015, government funding through the “high needs block” has increased by 11% across England, but demand has increased by 35%. In the north funding has increased by 8% but the number eligible for support has increased by 39%.
Jack Hunter, IPPR North, The Guardian

3. “This is a moral failure but it is also a failure to recognise the economic benefits of upfront investment in young people’s futures. For example, supporting one person with a learning disability into employment could increase their income by between 55% and 95%, and reduce lifetime costs to the taxpayer by at least £170,000.”
Jack Hunter, IPPR North, The Guardian

4. East Sussex
strengths

5. East Sussex No HNB overspend 2018/19 3 Successful Free School bids
Capital funding for 4 additional resourced provision in mainstream schools
Increasing costs of INMS strengthen business case to Capital Board
200 additional specialist place capacity -Free school- external provider all through SEMH/PRU/PMLD/ASD
Resourced provision- 3X primary ASD and 1X SEMH
2X secondary ASD

6. East Sussex Reduction in maintained EHC Plans 2016/17
Experience of HNB and strategy work with other LAS regionally and nationally- all have strengths. What are your strengths? - all will have- share for activity

7. Collaborative Strategic
Mainstream matrix
and SEN
moderation
panels
Review of high
needs top up
across all
sectors
Collaborative Strategic
High Needs
Funding Review
Social Media
and
Communications
Locality
partnership
exclusion
boards
Consistency of message
Review of
services
& outreach
Strategic
Collaboration
with Health

8. Golden thread
ISOS report
Affirmation ISOS

9. East Sussex SEND Strategy

10. Common Areas of Enquiry
Inclusion
How do we define ‘Inclusion’
What is the measure for inclusion
How is a culture of inclusion communicated to all parties?
Provision and Funding
Establishing banded SEND Matrices to determine levels of provision and funding
Cost schedules for Post 16 provision
Variance across LAs of the role of Pupil Referral Units in the continuum
Monitoring of provision
Service reviews including central delegation of outreach services
Overhaul of Local Offers
Seeking contractual arrangements with INMS
Exclusion and part time timetables used as adjustment
8 SE LAs represented- E.Sussex/W.Sussex-PACC/ Hampshire/Kent/Oxfordshire/Southampton & Portsmouth/Slough
Inclusion- definition & Measure for inclusion-Nasen work. Interpretative tool takes existing key school measure to provide analysis that gives indication of inclusivity of school. Stephen Chamberlain CEO Challenger Academies. Takes account current education policy context-applicable at MAT as well as individual school level. Free resource- 2/3 months/SEND gateway
Culture of Inclusion- DfE strategy checklist- ‘Is the strategy affecting the culture across the local SEND system?’
Matrices- locally agreed thresholds
PRUs-difference in take-up (some LAs reducing numbers/some increasing) risk of generating increased special school places where provider run by special schools/academies
Outreach -for improved quality and consistency

11. Common Challenges Increase in demand Overspend on HNB
Capacity in specialist sector
Conflict with school accountability measures
Rates of exclusion and EHE
Understanding SEND core offer
Capacity & expertise of services to meet demand
Parental expectations & coproduction
Increasing Tribunal rates
demand Placements and EHCPs=- from parents
Non-educational drivers
Very Significant increases
Movement of pupils across the continuum ‘domino effect’ ES reached tipping point whereby more CYP with EHCPs in special than mainstream
Core offer-special/colleges/INMS in order to challenge costs and placements or develop appropriate outcomes
Services- Case work officer recruitment, retention, CPD/EPS

12. Agree on 3 strategies that have had the greatest impact in your area
There is variation across LAs in HNB spend with strengths in many areas
Agree on 3 strategies that have had the greatest impact in your area
Which challenges could we address collectively?
Gap analysis
Rank top 3
Collectively address-how?