Purpose

To seek Cabinet approval to increase the current
level of funding from the Dedicated Schools Grant for the purpose
of funding the commissioning of Early Years Special Education Needs
(SEN) centres for a period of up to 5 years.
The Early Years SEN centres will deliver the
provision of early education and assessment and intervention for
children with SEN as set out in this report.
This provision supports our core approach to
supporting children to benefit from the wider social benefits of
schooling close to their home where this is appropriate and
mitigating the rising costs in the High Needs Block by supporting
more children and young people to access a mainstream education
rather than a higher cost specialist education from the start of
their education.
 

Decision

Cllr Stephen Davies sought Cabinet
approval to increase the current level of funding from the
Dedicated Schools Grant for the purpose of funding the
commissioning of Early Years Special Education Needs (SEN) centres
for a period of up to 5 years.

The
Early Years SEN centres will deliver the provision of early
education and assessment and intervention for children with SEN as
set out in this report.
 
Having considered all of the
information, Cabinet noted the report and
 
 
RESOLVED to:
 
 
1.
Approves the allocation of £440,000 per year high needs
funding for the purpose of funding the commissioning of early years
special educational needs centres as described in Recommendation
2.

2.
Delegates authority to the Director of Education, in consultation
with Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early
Years, to:

a)
Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of a contract
for the supply of early years special educational needs centres in
Gloucester city and Cheltenham/Tewkesbury locality. The proposed
contract shall continue for an initial period of 3 years and
include an option to extend its term for a further period of not
more than 2 years.
 
b)
Award such contract to the preferred tenderer; and

c)
Determine whether to exercise the option to extend the term of the
said contract on its third anniversary.