Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 23 March 2022 attached.

The Forum agreed and noted the minutes of the meeting 23 March 2020.

To consider a briefing paper outlining any financial updates.

The forum received and noted the briefing papers detailing any updates in relation to Department for Education and Skills Funding Agency funding.

The paper noted:

·  Department for Education and the Education and Skills Funding Agency have published allocations for the schools supplementary grant  for 2022-2023 detailing how the funding was allocated, when the payments would be made and the number of payments that would be made;

·  Information relating to Recovery Premium.

o  The 2021-2022 Outturn;

o  the deficit in the High Needs Block;

o  Special Education Needs & Disabilities (SEND) team have an ongoing strategic review of the High Needs activity to manage demand for SEND services;

o  Early Years block funding; and

o  Dedicated Schools Grants movements in balances

To consider a paper setting out considerations relating to Schools accessing the SCC Amazon Business Account.

The Forum received and noted a paper providing an outline of the SCC Amazon Business Account and how it may be accessed by the schools and the associated benefits local authority schools including:

·  Single Payment Method;

·  Streamlined approval and spend visibility for budget holders;

·  Guided Buying; and

·  Progressive Discounts.

The Paper set out the process of how schools would be able to use the card and that there are no obligations for Schools to sign up to the central account but, it must be noted that due to the fact that we have exercised domain authority over @southampton.gov.uk resulting in all SCC accounts being administered by Supplier Management under a central account.  Interest schools that were eligible were advised to contact the Team Manager Buying Services to arrange for access to the account and to enable the set up of any user workshops or distribution of training/guidance material.