Council Forecast for High Needs Block Budget 2020/21 - Find a freedom of information request

1. The council's forecast (or actual, if available - please specify) outturn on its High Needs Block budget in 2020/21, prior to transfers to and from other budgets

2. The council's forecast (or actual, if available - please specify) outturn on its Dedicated Schools Grant budget in 2020/21, prior to transfers to and from other budgets

3. Please list any council proposals or policies to reduce High Needs Block costs and/or overspends. Please enclose any HNB or DSG deficit reduction plan

4. How many new ECHPs has the council issued in 2020/21, excluding 'exception cases' where the 20-week deadline does not apply?

5. Of the new EHCPs listed in response to question 4, how many were issued within the 20-week deadline?

6. How many new ECHPs has the council issued in 2020/21, including (but not limited to) 'exception cases'?

7. Of the new EHCPs listed in response to question 6, how many were issued within 20 weeks?

8. How many applications for new EHCPs does the council currently have pending - i.e. an EHCP has not yet been issued and the application has not been rejected?

9. Of the applications referred to in response to question 8, how many are currently over the 20-week deadline (including exception cases where 20 weeks is not a deadline)?

10. Of the applications referred to in response to question 8, how many are not currently viewed as 'exception cases'?

11. Of the applications referred to in response to question 9 (i.e. excluding 'exception cases'), how many are currently over the 20-week deadline?

1. Overspend £4.361m

2. Overspend £3.925m

3. Transformational work includes a co-produced 'Lincolnshire's Inclusive Ambition':

Implementation of a SEND advice line to support professional in finding solutions easily and quickly.

The roll out of Valuing SEND tool to help settings to develop a single, rounded picture of the needs of children and the support they need to succeed and prosper within and outside of their education. Development of revised graduated approach guidance to make its core purpose clear: to provide SENCos and other professionals with high quality practical support which will guide and enhance their day to day practice.

To strengthen the Local Offer with updated content which will provide families and settings with practical advice about how to support children and young people experiencing difficulties. Investment in workforce development to ensure that frontline professionals benefit from easy to access, high quality training.

Development of a performance framework that strengthens the visibility and accountability for data across the SEND spectrum. Current re-design of the SEND pathways to clarify expectations, promote practice standards and increase the consistency of decision-making. Significant capital investment (£86.794m) into delivering an increase in special school places including providing young people with SEND the ability to access high quality all needs education, health and care provision in their local community.

Change to the criteria for providing targeted funding for schools with a disproportionate number of pupils with more complex needs – decision to continue using targeted funding as an approach for 2021/22, but to use the actual amount of notional SEN determined through the schools national funding formula to identify whether a school has sufficient notional SEN to support the first £6,000 of a pupil that has an EHC plan. This is responding to the school national funding formula being in place. Lincolnshire is not in cumulative deficit or forecast to be at March 2021.

4. 1205

5. 580

6. 1205

7. 580

8. 248

9. 4

10.0

11.4