Reprieve on £169m SEND financial shortfall

DEVON has been given a reprieve on a £170 million financial cliff-edge it faced linked to its persistent special needs overspending, writes Bradley Gerrard.

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The pressure on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services means councils nationwide have been spending more each year than the specific funding they get from government.

That has caused many councils, including Devon, to build up a significant and growing deficit that creates an ever-expanding financial cloud above county halls across the nation. However, rules set by Westminster have meant councils have been able to put their growing SEND deficits to one side by ring-fencing them so that the overspend doesn’t impact their annual finances. But those rules - known as the statutory override - were due to end next March.