“We have a lot of work to do” Bristol City Council says as Safety Valve Deflates

• Key moments on the Bristol Safety Valve discussion at Schools Forum
• Concern is raised by Bristol education staff that the finance has veered off track

The Bristol Safety Valve has veered off track, with Bristol school leaders expressing concern that the projected high needs deficit is now around £10m worse than before the agreement was signed with the Department for Education (DfE) earlier in the year.

“We have a lot of work to do,” admitted Executive Director of the Children and Education Directorate in Bristol Hannah Woodhouse.

The comment was made after concerns were raised by a Director of Finance for Cathedral Schools Trust at Bristol Schools Forum last night.

Concern was raised following a presentation by Bristol City Council Finance Manager Steven Goodwin during a discussion over the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Budget Monitor report for 2024/25.

The DSG is money from central Government given to local authorities to pay for education services. It is split into four blocks: Schools Block, Early Years Block, High Needs Block and Central Schools Services Block (CSSB).

Failures by Bristol to get to grips with the 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disabilies (Send) reforms as well as failures in providing specialist places has led to escalating issues with the High Needs Block which covers Send funding in the city.

Finance manager Steven Goodwin presented the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Budget Monitor 2024/2025

Steven Goodwin told Bristol Schools Forum Members: “We are forecasting an in-year deficit on the DSG of just over £15M. The gross deficit is just over 31 million. We have contributions as part of the Safety Valve agreement with the DfE and as part of that Bristol City Council’s contributions. So forecast net in-year deficit of £15m. Add it to the deficit brought forward from the previous financial year we’re looking to carry forward a deficit of £52m into the next financial year.”

“You all know the reasons why in terms of the pressures on the Dedicated Schools Block. The cost of supporting the volumes of Education Health and Care Plans. The number of children in external high needs provisions. Those are the main areas there. Again, it’s the same issues as in previous periods.

He brought up Bristol’s Safety Valve agreement, saying the city will “continue to recover the deficit over a period of time up until 2029/30.”

Simon Eakins of Cathedral Primary raised concerns that the position for 2024/25 appeared to be £10m worse off than before Bristol City Council had signed up to Safety Valve. He asked about the £9.5m of savings that should have been recognised in 2024/25.

He said: “Is it right to assume that it’s those savings that haven’t yet materialised because there’s a lag in some of those changes? I guess, the question is, we’re already a way off the Safety Valve agreement. Does that have any implications or not until the end of the programme? And where are we with those savings and mitigations?”

Goodwin replied: “From my perspective, it’s basically a combination of the savings not being achieved because of the delays in developing provision through the capital strategy, developing resource bases, special school provision and by doing that we stem the flow of children going to all those higher cost external provisions. So that’s part of the issue there.”

He also said it was due to “significant increases in volumes of demand over and above what was originally estimated in the Safety Valve agreement. Backlogs of EHCPs coming through the system and again, the higher cost of supporting those children with those specific circumstances.”

He also blamed a “combination of delays.”

Goowin said: “The council was looking to “reprofile over the period of the Safety Valve programme so that we do try to get back on track and have that deficit recovery by 2029. So we’re working with the DfE on that and with obviously all the key partners in terms of developing provisions and capital strategies. It’s a multi-agency task, a significant task to try and get back on track.”

PRU Head Aileen Morrison of St Matthias Park asked: “So there’s obviously not the savings as anticipated. Is there anything you can share with us of the projects that have brought in savings or things that have started and are working as planned? I think it would be reassuring for the Forum to see that rather than wait until the next paper and things have got out of hand again. What things are implemented that are actually working that we can maybe support you in making sure that is spread around in our forums that we work in?”

Goodwin suggest it would be a good idea bringing in the full Safety Valve report to the Forum, including the reports that go to the DfE tracking progress and development of what has been “delivered” or “delayed” for “full transparency”.

Director of Education and Skills at Bristol City Council, Vik Verma had joined the meeting remotely.

He said: “I think what we’re trying to do I suppose is think about this in the round of the broader SEND strategy that we have which has just concluded its consultation. That will then come to the committee in January so we’re not thinking about these things as two separate areas. They are inextricably linked.

“I think the first is we do have a priority in our SEND Strategy in terms of building more provision and colleagues in the council are working on that but it is behind schedule so there is a significant amount of work to do to ensure we’ve got sufficient places locally. Colleagues in the room will be aware it will take time to build or refurbish buildings that we think we can use for resourced provision or stand alone specialist provision.

“There are a number of schools that have expressed an interest to us as well where they have capacity and we are working with those at the moment to look at what is feasible. So that is a specific piece. I think most of the overspend that we are identifying in the High Needs Block which is not unique to Bristol is a position for a number of local authorities nationally is linked to the use of independent specialist providers where we can’t meet that need locally.

“I think a number of those providers are absolutely excellent. They are sometimes the charitable sector and very supportive of our current overarching mission and work very closely with us. There are obviously some providers that are more in the for-profit space, and obviously we do at points have to use them because they can meet some of that need. But over time we’d like to see less of that use and more of our local Bristol use. And in turn that has an impact on the transport as well in terms of children being able to be educated locally. Whereas otherwise they may be travelling, so the capital programme is a real key priority for us.

“I think the outreach Service which was referenced earlier in the actions is also key development for us. We will obviously launch that in January but it will take time for them to the build relationships across schools and with SendCos. And we will be deploying a new model in the way that we bring together services to meet with every school in Bristol on a half termly basis. And that will be part of our early intervention and early support model. And there’s more that we can do I suppose to build confidence with SendCos, build confidence in teachers in terms of meeting all of that need through professional development.

“So there’s a number of projects, I suppose, within the Send Strategy which have a link to the financials. I think it’s also important to note that about two-thirds of local authorities are experiencing some kind of deficit either in year or historic debt on their high needs funding and we welcome the announcement nationally in terms of additional high needs funding. In the budget there was an announcement of about a billion pounds which will be spread across local authorities.

“We haven’t yet had confirmation of our allocation just yet, so we have a very broad range. It will depend how those figures are then distributed. So that will probably come to the next meeting but that will also offer some benefit to the overarching budget.

“So there’s a number of complex factors within this. I think it’s fair to say under the governance we have, we’ve got oversight both from an independent chair but also within the council to ensure we’ve got a grip on the delivery of our strategy.”

Woodhouse added: “I just wanted to make a couple of comments which is to sort of recognise that we have a lot of work to do. We were very pleased to develop the Send Strategy and launch it in this room some weeks ago. The consultation we will be bringing it to the committee in January. That’s a multi-agency piece of work that we’ve got huge support for all the work that we’re doing from the Parent Carer Forum and health partners particularly, schools as well. And the scale of the work that you’re all doing in the nursery schools, in the specialist or AP settings and the mainstream across Bristol is really, really significant.

“I also wanted to recognise I suppose that parents will be feeling very frustrated about some of the delays to assessment. And I’ll speak again Thursday, at the Children and Young People’s Committee. Christine is really clear that we are transparent about the data. And we will be bringing the data to, as we always do, to that committee on Thursday to do the same.

“So I just wanted to recognise that we have a clear strategy now which we are working on which this funding sits underneath that fits quite right. What we can’t have is a Safety Valve process over here and a strategy over here. The two are inextricably linked and we need to deliver it. The Capital – I won’t repeat what Vik said – we’re doing it as quickly as we can. But it’s a really significant piece of work. It’s very important that we do that together. And of course it will be really good to join that work. We can’t do enough work I think across the mainstream settings on inclusion in Bristol. I’m really keen to do that.”

Primary School Governor at St John Primary, Merche Clarke asked: “Do you think part of that £1b the government announced will be used to support overruns on the Safety Valve scheme?”

Councillor Christine Townsend took the question saying: “Not unless we’re instructed to. That is the political decision. We don’t know how much we’re getting. We don’t know whether there’s any direction within it. But unless we’re directed to use it to cover the deficit, it will be going to services and investment in children.”

Forum Chair Steve Hornsby of North Star Academy said: “I heard there’s a number of things in January. There’s the outcome of the consultation and you’re highlighting the need to make sure that the Send Strategy is integrated and Safety Valve is an integral part of that. We may or may know how the allocation is going to work by then. And you’re also hoping there’s going to be some movement and further announcements on the outreach in January as well. All of which can come to the Forum.

“Just on a final point. A couple of people saying is there information about Safety Valve or how it’s going. Somebody mentioned that there are reports. Can those reports be shared with the Forum. Is there any reason why not or how do you propose in the future to be reporting?”

Woodhouse replied: “We have brought the DSG report here and it’s giving the headlines. Very happy to provide more details on the Safety Valve progress reports that we’ve shared with the DfE, but happy to bring them here. We will also bring them to Children and Young People’s Committee. So we just need to check that we don’t duplicate.”

At the start of the meeting, Forum Chair Steve Hornsby alongside a Bristol City Council Democratic Services Officer, had attempted to stop a member of the public from recording the public meeting.

Since September 2023, the Forum Chair has ‘directed’ that Bristol School Forum meetings should not be available for viewing following the end of the meeting.

Bristol’s Safety Valve agreement is currently being legally challenged with a hearing scheduled for December.

The agreement has been controversial from the start, having been shrouded in secrecy and even leading to tempers fraying at Full Council.

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