Purpose

To address the rising need for SEND provision as a part of the SEND Reform Plan and the impact it has on Dedicated Schools Grant and the General Fund.

Decision

Purpose of report 

This report presents the SEND Sufficiency Strategy for Plymouth and seeks approval for the next phase of capital investment and delivery arrangements required to increase specialist SEND provision across the City.

The report sets out proposals to:

• Establish an in-year SEND placement capital grant;

• Progress SEND capital projects already developed or under development;

• Undertake feasibility work to identify future SEND provision opportunities across Plymouth’s education estate;

• Undertake engagement and co-production with children, young people, parents, carers and education providers during Autumn 2026;

• Develop a detailed SEND Sufficiency Delivery Plan for consideration by Cabinet in December 2026.

The Strategy supports the priorities within Plymouth's SEND Reform Plan and aims to increase local capacity, improve inclusion in mainstream settings, reduce reliance on high-cost independent and non-maintained placements and reduce associated transport costs.

Decision 

Cabient agreed:

1. Approve the allocation of up to £1 million from the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA) during 2026/27 and delegate authority to the Director of Children's Services to approve individual grants of up to £100,000 to schools and academies where capital investment would enable children to be educated in maintained school provision rather than in non-maintained placements;

1. Note the approved HNPCA capital programme budget of £2.284 million for 2026/27 and 2027/28 to deliver 41 additional inclusion places;

1. Approve the allocation of £1 million from HNPCA to undertake feasibility studies and develop future SEND capital projects across the education estate;

1. Approve the proposed programme of engagement and co-production with children and young people, parents and carers, schools, academies and other stakeholders between September and November 2026;

1. Note that the outcomes of the feasibility work, estate analysis and engagement programme will inform a detailed SEND Sufficiency Delivery Plan which will be presented to Cabinet on 07 December 2026.

Reasons for decision 

1. Enables timely decisions to create or adapt provision for individual children and supports cost avoidance by reducing reliance on more expensive external placements;

1. Supports the rapid expansion of local SEND provision and increases capacity within maintained settings;

1. Ensures the Council has a pipeline of deliverable projects to meet future demand and support the target of creating 360 additional specialist places;

1. Ensures future proposals are informed by stakeholder experience, local need and best use of the education estate;

1. Enables Cabinet to consider a fully developed programme of future projects, funding requirements and delivery arrangements.

Alternative options considered and rejected 

The following alternative options were considered and rejected.

1. Do nothing. This was rejected because of the impact doing nothing would have on the Council’s financial position in relation to the over-spends on the Dedicated Schools Grant High Needs Block and the Home to School Transport budget. It would not be in the best interest of children and young people who will benefit from being educated in a mainstream or maintained school.
2. Progress without co-production phase with children, young people, parents, carers, health and schools and academies in September and October 2026. This was rejected as the voices of children, young people, parents, carers and health in Plymouth are central to understanding the needs holistically as part of our service planning. The Local Area SEND Partnership comprising these groups made a shared commitment to co-production in the Strategic Improvement Plan.
3. Progress with further projects without inviting whole school and academy community to contribute to meeting need in their localities. Every setting will need to play a role over time. Progressing without inviting every school to be involved was rejected as the Plymouth strategy is for children to belong in their local community – this involves every setting. Including all settings over time is the only way to avoid additional costs to the Home to School Transport budget.
4. Allow all schools to set up provision as they see fit, without strategic oversight from Plymouth City Council to ensure that places match need and to guard against over-provision over time. This was rejected as the Council must ensure that the places created from capital investment will achieve the benefits needed including the cost avoidance to the placements and home to school transport budgets. As admissions authority Plymouth will match the need to the places being developed.

Declarations of interest  

None declared in respect of this item.