Timpson creates SEN funding pot from early intervention grant
Derren Hayes
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The government wants local authorities in England to target £70m of early intervention funding on implementing the special educational needs (SEN) reforms next year.
The plans, unveiled by children’s minister Edward Timpson earlier this week, will see the creation of a new SEN reform grant, with councils expected to spend their share of the £70m on putting in place the service infrastructure to ensure the new SEN system is a success when it starts in September 2014.
The money is to come out of the £150m top-sliced from the now defunct early intervention grant (EIG) – the non-ringfenced funding pot that was given to councils this year to help them recruit more adopters.
The SEN reforms introduce a new needs-assessment process, managed by local authorities, with statutory timescales to ensure quicker decisions are made on whether support is to be provided and what form it takes. Education, health and care plans will co-ordinate support for all children and young people aged up to 25.
A draft SEN code of practice has just been consulted on, with the legislation to be finalised in the Children and Families Bill currently going through parliament.
Speaking at a Local Government Association (LGA) conference, Timpson said the SEN reform grant money “will be provided to local authorities on a formula basis, with no ringfencing, so that authorities have a maximum flexibility over how they use it”.
He added: “I’m hopeful this will really help authorities as they implement these ambitious reforms, which range from introducing personal budgets and developing joint commissioning with health to engaging with families and others over the local offer.”
A Department for Education spokeswoman said further details on what would be funded through the EIG top-slice in 2014/15 would be released shortly, but Timpson’s announcement calls into question whether there will be any further funding to implement adoption reforms.
The British Association for Adoption and Fostering refused to be drawn on the issue, stating that as the minister did not mention adoption in his speech “we are not the appropriate ones to comment”.
As was the case with the adoption reform grant councils will be free to decide how to spend the money, but unlike this year there will be no requirement to submit a specific return to show it has been spent as intended.
The DfE spokeswomen added that councils must ensure “crucial improvements” to SEN arrangements have been made so that the reforms are implemented fully.
