Decision details

(i)  To approve the virement of £0.66M within the Children & learning

    capital programme to enable the project to progress to delivery, as

    detailed in paragraphs 10, 11 and 12.

(ii)  To approve the spend of £0.66M in 2023/24.

(iii)   Cabinet notes that use of government grant funding of £0.66M

    towards the increased costs of this scheme, as outlined in        paragraph 12, means it will not be available to reduce borrowing    costs for other schemes. Therefore applying in this way does not  help offset the considerable budget pressures the authority       currently faces.

There has been an increase in recent years of pupils with complex needs

relating to their hearing impairments. These pupils were accommodated at

Tanners Brook School. In agreement with the Department for Education this

facility closed in August 2022 and in September 2022 officially opened at

Newlands Primary School (awaiting building works to commence).

A temporary modular facility has been installed in the grounds of Newlands

Primary School until the build is complete. The revenue cost of providing this

facility from October 2021 to date has been £100,000. Ongoing costs are £2500 per month. These facilities do not meet the needs of primary aged hearing impaired pupils and a purpose-built facility is required to enable the pupils to have a more specialist provision.

The new resource base will be an extension of the current school. This will

ensure that the pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life.

This proposal ensures that the Council can meet the needs of all deaf pupils in the City by increasing the number of available places locally.

Do nothing. If the modular unit was to remain and SCC fail to invest in specialist provision locally then the pupils would not be taught in fit for purpose facilities and SCC would be failing in their statutory responsibilities and there would be an indefinite cost of £2500 per month for the continued hire of the modular provision.

Remove the provision of facilities on this site by bringing the hire of the temporary facilities to an end and not construct a purpose-built building. This would result in unnecessary out of county independent residential placements for these children. The cost to SCC would be up to £540,000 per pupil over the course of their education. This financial commitment would equate to £7.6M over the coming years based on 14 children.

Withdrawing the programme would result in significant reputational damage to

the Council as children, parents, Newlands Primary School and the National Deaf Children’s Society are strong supporters of the build.

None