Council going through its funding for SEND pupils at 'rate of knots'

ACTION BEING TAKEN BEFORE CASH RUNS OUT AMID SOARING DEMAND

- JOE LOCKER and ZENA HAWLEY

NOTTINGHAM City Council is facing a funding deficit for children with special educational needs, having gone through the money "at a rate of knots" due to soaring demand.

Councils have been allowed to keep spending on high-needs education using their main bank accounts since 2020 to help stave off effective bankruptcy as demand continued to rise.

A Government-sanctioned "statutory override" gave councils permission to keep their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) spending separate to general fund budgets.

However, this rule comes to an end in April next year. According to the National Audit Office, two-fifths of councils face the risk of issuing a section 114 notice by 2026 due in part to these costs - but the Government is yet to come up with a solution to manage the estimated £4.6bn deficit.

The city council had £19m in its designated schools grant reserves as of March last year.

However this is expected to drop significantly to £12m by this weel.

By next year, the authority is anticipating its balances will sink into a deficit.