CIPFA and Newton Europe have won a Department for Education (DFE) contract to deliver a programme to support 55 local authorities improve delivery of special educational needs and disability (SEND) services for children and young people.
As part of the DFE’s ‘Delivering Better Value’ (DBV) programme, CIPFA and Newton Europe will deliver phase one between 2022 and 2023, backed by £85m of funding for local systems from the Department.
The DBV programme will provide dedicated support and funding to specific local authorities facing significant challenges in their high-needs systems that support young people with SEND.
CIPFA and Newton Europe, alongside specialist SEND advisors, will provide project management, change management and financial modelling capacity. They will conduct a comprehensive diagnostic to identify opportunities to reform local authorities’ high-needs systems, while also helping to engage their stakeholders.
The DFE will then work with local authorities to determine which identified reforms to fund and will provide direct grants.
Rob Whiteman, CIPFA CEO, said:
“Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities must be properly supported if they are to thrive and flourish.
“Local authorities have a vital role in putting together support packages for this group and need to be able to continue to do so sustainably. I’m delighted that CIPFA has been chosen to help deliver this important programme for the Department for Education.
“CIPFA has a strong understanding of local authorities’ needs and the pressures they are under, so is well placed to provide strategic advice and support to identify how to use additional funding in the most effective way possible.”