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<p>The department funds a range of support to help local authorities meet their statutory
duties including the opportunity to work with expert special education needs and disability
(SEND) advisers, and/or the provision of specialist support from our delivery partners
or facilitate peer to peer support. Depending on the underlying issues that a local
authority faces, we may also draw in support from NHS England advisers. Additionally,
we also fund and provide sector led, peer to peer, or regional support to address
issues common in specific areas or regions.</p><p>This year councils have access to
£51.2 billion to deliver their core services, including children's services. The government
has also provided an additional £6 billion of funding directly to councils to support
them with the immediate and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 spending pressures, including
children's services.</p><p>Furthermore, high needs funding will increase by £780 million,
or 9.6%, in financial year 2022-23, following an increase of more than £1.5 billion
over the previous two years. This will bring the total high needs budget to £8.9 billion,
an increase of over a third since financial year 2019-20.</p><p>We will continue to
work with other government departments, including the Department for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities, to ensure the upcoming spending review reflects the needs
of children’s services.</p>
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