SAVINGS of nearly £50,000 are set to be made from the council’s Special Educational Needs (SEND) team as part of the authority’s budget plans.

A report produced for the council outlined that the SEND team will be reviewed and updated, meaning changes in roles and responsibilities could be made.

Labour councillor Mary Temperton asked: “SEND issues are a topic that is really high up and is a high priority – does this mean there will be a reduction in staff?”

Councillor Dr Gareth Barnard, executive member for children, young people and learning, said: “We have been undertaking a review of how to deliver the responsibilities we have. We needed to do some work.

“I am comfortable that it will work well. I am comfortable with the saving there. It is a child-centred approach and it is one of these areas where making a saving in a team is fine provided people have the right jobs and I am confident we are doing that.”

Councillor Gill Birch also asked officers to explain a proposal which will see £7,000 of funding for training for parents to support children and young people with special needs and disabilities come from East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (EBCCG) instead of the council.

Cllr Birch said: “How are we going to make sure this is going to work? It can be really difficult for parents.”

Sonia Johnson, Assistant Director of Children’s Social Care at Bracknell Forest Council (BFC), said: “What has changed is us doing some negotiation with EBCCG. They are now funding it themselves. The pathway hasn’t changed at all – it is simply who pays the bill.”

Budget plans also outlined a reduction in funding of £2,000 for Oakwood Youth Challenge Activity Centre after work on developing inclusion for children with disabilities had been “embedded” and had become “self-sustaining”.

Cllr Tony Virgo asked members of a council panel what the greatest pressures on the council’s children’s services team were, and Cllr Birch outlined that the increase in the number of children looked-after (CLA) to 153 from 144 was a consistent source of “pressure” in this department.

Cllr Barnard added: “It is one council putting the child at the centre of what we do. The biggest pressure is actually supporting children that have got needs.

“Other authorities have had to make significant changes to their services. We have the resources to support these children.

“The pressure is demand – it is more children with more vulnerabilities and it is more families with complexities in their lives.

“It is about constantly challenging ourselves to deliver more for less, whilst making sure we have that money for SEND, child protection plans and longer-term needs, so at the end of the day, a child is supported to meet their full potential.

“It is about doing more for less, but keeping all the time the child at the centre of what we do.”

Councillors questioned the budget proposals at a meeting of the Children, Young People & Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel on Wednesday (January 9).

The top branch of the council is set to decide on the budget proposals at a meeting in February.