The decision was made that the special provision fund (£500k) allocated to Herefordshire Local Authority by the government, would be spent on a project to improve the quality of accommodation at the Brookfield Special School, subject to a suitable feasibility study and high level costing exercise. In addition the decision was taken to put forward a business case to Cabinet for allocation of funding already listed in the capital programme for use at Brookfield School (1.76m), to add to the special provision fund to achieve a high quality strategic improvement project.
Although the Brookfield School is an academy, the criteria for the allocation of the special provision fund clearly states that spending on any type of setting, including academies, is permitted. In addition, the council has a statutory responsibility to commission educational provision for children and young people with an EHCP for SEND that is suitable for their age, ability, aptitude and SEN. The Brookfield School is the only in-county setting that provides for CYP with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) as their primary need. Investment in this school is needed so that the council may fulfill its statutory responsibility to those CYP with SEMH. If the setting fails to be fit for purpose those pupils would need to be placed out of county, leading to a significantly increased cost of placement. This proposed investment will mitigate the risk of an increase in out of county placements in the future. It also ensures that the current need for temporary accommodation for a cohort of pupils with SEMH will be removed.