Decision

That the allocation of
£370,000 from the Local Authority’s Higher Needs
Provision Capital Allocations (HNCPA) be approved for the expansion
of The Nest at South Devon College.

Reasons for the decision

·        
The Local Authority (LA) has a balance of approximately £2m
uncommitted in its 5 year HNCPA
allocation.

·        
The Education Act 1996 sets out a statutory duty on LAs to secure
sufficient school places for children and young people with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as well as those
requiring Alternative Provision (AP).  This includes post 16 education.

·        
To meet the capital costs associated with the provision of new
places or improvement of existing provision for:

o  
Children and young people with complex needs, who have Education,
Health and Care plans (EHCPs), and where appropriate other children
and young people with SEND who do not have an EHCP.

o  
Pupils who require alternative provision (including children in AP
settings without an EHCP).

·        
To mitigate against the ongoing costs and the needs of children and
young people with EHCPs, SEND or requiring Alternative
Provision.

Alternative options considered

Not proceeding –
the LA has a to secure sufficient school places for children and
young people with SEND as well as those requiring Alternative
Provision. This includes post 16 provision.
 
There is not an option
to spend this funding on any other Council priorities; the funding
is ring fenced specially for developing SEND provision.
 If the funding is not utilised by the
LA or is spent in a manner that does not meet the terms and
conditions of the allocation, it would be clawed back by central
Government.