Minutes:
It was reported that SEND services had moved to a more stable position. Two permanent appointments had been made, with more permanent staff due to start within two weeks of this meeting, bringing the department up to its’ full complement. SEND services were included in the Plan and were also having to monitor all expenditure.
It was suggested Schools Forum should allocate more time to discussion about the Plan and MNS.
It had been necessary for a number of other councils to meet with the DfE. The DfE acknowledged it would not be possible to reduce the High Needs deficit to zero but wanted to be assured the Authority could stop the trajectory and manage the funding. As yet, it was unknown how they would react following the serving of the Section 114, but it was positive that there now appeared to be a link across government.