Decision Maker: Director of Children’s Services
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
That the allocation of
£151,900 from the Local Authority’s Higher Needs
Provision Capital Allocations (HNCPA) be approved for the
re-provision of 7 LA commissioned EOTAS places.
Reasons for the decision:
·
The Local Authority (LA) has a balance of approximately £2m
uncommitted in its 5 year HNCPA
allocation.
·
The Education Act 1996 sets out a statutory duty on LAs to secure
sufficient school places for children and young people with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as well as those
requiring Alternative Provision (AP). This includes post 16
education.
·
To meet the capital costs associated with the provision of new
places or improvement of existing provision for:
·
Children and young people with complex needs, who have Education,
Health and Care plans (EHCPs), and where appropriate other children
and young people with SEND who do not have an EHCP.
·
Pupils who require alternative provision (including children in AP
settings without an EHCP).
·
To mitigate against the ongoing costs and the needs of children and
young people with EHCPs, SEND or requiring Alternative
Provision.
Alternative options considered:
Not proceeding –
the LA has a contract with YMCA South Devon to provide EOTAS
places. Not supporting the relocation of the service would put
those places at risk.
There is not an option
to spend this funding on any other Council priorities; the funding
is ring fenced specially for developing or re-providing SEND
provision. If the funding is not
utilised by the LA or is spent in a manner that does not meet the
terms and conditions of the allocation, it would be clawed back by
central Government.
Implementation:
October 2025 –
March 2026
Information:
Approval to allocate
£151,900 to YMCA South Devon to support the relocation of
their Alternative Provision (AP) and re-provide 7 Local Authority
contracted Education Other Than At School (EOTAS)
places.
YMCA South Devon
provide a number of community services including a popular and
successful nursery and a Council commissioned AP. Earlier this
year, the LA awarded a 3 year contract to YMCA South Devon to
provide 7 EOTAS places.
The YMCA’s
current accommodation is in very poor condition and at imminent
risk of closure. YMCA have been trying to find funding to improve
or replace their existing premises but without success.
In February 2025, the
Council agreed to assist YMCA South Devon with their attempts to
improve their buildings and allocated £180,000 from the
Higher Needs Capital Provision Allocation (HNPCA) for this reason.
This use is in line with the terms of the HNPCA grant as it relates
to the re-provision of AP places. Various condition surveys and
feasibility assessments were undertaken and indicated that a
minimum of £1.2m was required to address the urgent health
& safety issues identified.
YMCA have been unable
to secure the amount of funding necessary to improve their existing
accommodation, however, in partnership with YMCA Exeter they have
secured new premises in Paignton. To help with this relocation,
they have requested that the Council allocate the balance of the
£180,000 HNPCA already approved for YMCA to re-provide the LA
EOTAS places. After the expense of the original feasibility work,
there is a balance of £151,900 from the original allocation
that is still available within the Children’s Services
Capital Programme.
Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:
Publication date: 14/10/2025
Date of decision: 08/10/2025
Accompanying Documents:
