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<p>The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities is responsible for local
government funding, including funding necessary to support local authorities to meet
their statutory duties with regards to all children's services, including special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.</p><p>This year, local authorities
have access to £51.3 billion to deliver their core services, including SEND services.
Local authorities have the flexibility to spend according to local needs and priorities,
including to undertake education, health and care needs assessments.</p><p>The autumn
2021 Spending Review delivered an additional £4.7 billion for the core schools' budget
by financial year 2024-25. That includes an additional £1.6 billion for schools and
high needs in financial year 2022-23, on top of the funding we announced last summer.
The department will confirm in due course how this additional funding for 2022-23,
and for the two subsequent years, will be allocated for schools and high needs. Increasing
funding for schools should help to reduce the demand for statutory assessment, thereby
reducing the burden on local authorities.</p><p>We have introduced the ‘safety valve’
intervention programme for those local authorities with the very highest percentage
dedicated schools grant deficits. The programme requires the local authorities involved
to develop substantial plans for reform to their high needs systems, with support
and challenge from the department, to rapidly place them on a sustainable footing,
including appropriately managing demand for education. The department will help these
local authorities with additional funding over time to contribute to their historic
deficits, contingent on delivery of reforms and targets set out in published agreements.</p><p>The
department will continue to work with other government departments, including the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to ensure the Spending Review
reflects the needs of children’s services.</p>
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