High needs costs may 'bankrupt' authorities

摘要

A senior finance director has warned that spending on high needs threatens to 'bankrupt councils' as local authorities queue up for a bailout. The comments from the president of the Society of County Treasurers, Lorna Baxter, come after five councils struck deals worth at least £100m that will allow them to wipe out their massive special educational needs deficits. Writing in this week's The MJ, Ms Baxter, who is director of finance at Oxfordshire CC, said: 'It is positive to see the Department for Education has agreed plans with five councils to fund their deficits, which in themselves total £100m, but what about the other 147 councils? What plans are there to address their issues? The councils where the deficits have been agreed to be written off are by no means at the extreme end of the problem scale. High needs has the potential to bankrupt councils.'