To receive Report No. 179/2021 from the Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services.

In consultation with the Cabinet, Councillor D Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services:

1)    APPROVED allocation of £821,500 from Department for Education Capital Grant funding provided to Rutland County Council, to resource Capital programmes and develop additional mainstream school facilities locally for children with Special Needs and Disabilities, and delegates authority to the Strategic Director for Children’s Services and the Strategic Director for Resources to decide how the maximum allocation will be applied.

2)    DELEGATED authority to the Strategic Director for Children’s Services in consultation with the Deputy Director for Corporate Governance and the Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services, to enter into all necessary agreements to progress the programme.

3)    AGREED that RCC should appoint a lead partner, which is Uppingham Community College, to work collaboratively with RCC to increase mainstream places for children with Education Health and Care plans across Rutland.

Report No. 179/2021 was introduced by Councillor D Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services. The purpose of the report was to outline that Rutland’s vision was to support all children and young people with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities (SEND) to lead healthy, independent, and safe lives, to be a County that promotes inclusion, to maximise their opportunities to be independent and focuses on their abilities not their disabilities and wherever possible, have their needs met locally. (Rutland SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2019).

During discussions the following points were noted:

• In response to questions from Members as to whether the £48,000 budget allocation was in addition or inclusive to the £821,500 funding set out in the recommendations, the Strategic Director for Children’s Services assured Members that £821,500 was the total funding.
• The Strategic Director for Childrens and Families confirmed that there were no revenue costs provided by the Department for Education because the grant was specifically a Capital grant and Rutland County Council would not incur any revenue costs.

RESOLVED

In consultation with the Cabinet, Councillor D Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services:

1)    APPROVED allocation of £821,500 from Department for Education Capital Grant funding provided to Rutland County Council, to resource Capital programmes and develop additional mainstream school facilities locally for children with Special Needs and Disabilities, and delegates authority to the Strategic Director for Children’s Services and the Strategic Director for Resources to decide how the maximum allocation will be applied.

2)    DELEGATED authority to the Strategic Director for Children’s Services in consultation with the Deputy Director for Corporate Governance and the Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services, to enter into all necessary agreements to progress the programme.

3)    AGREED that RCC should appoint a lead partner, which is Uppingham Community College, to work collaboratively with RCC to increase mainstream places for children with Education Health and Care plans across Rutland.