The People Committee of Sutton Council met on Thursday, 29 February 2024, to discuss the delivery of education services and travel assistance policies. Key decisions included the approval of a five-year contract extension for education support services provided by Cognus Ltd and the adoption of updated Home to School Travel Assistance policies.

Delivery Arrangements for Education Services in Sutton

The committee approved the direct award of a five-year contract to Cognus Ltd for the provision of education support services, commencing in November 2024. The contract is valued at £9.4 million for 2024/25, with £6.7 million funded by the Dedicated Schools Grant and £2.7 million from the General Fund. This decision was made following a discussion where Councillor Mike Dwyer proposed an amendment to reduce the contract term to 12 months, which was seconded by Councillor Tom Drummond. However, this amendment was lost, and the original recommendation for a five-year term was carried.

The report highlighted that Cognus Ltd has been providing a range of statutory and non-statutory education services since November 2016. The company was established to maintain and extend the high quality of education in Sutton, foster close working relationships between the council and schools, align with national education policy, and achieve cost savings. The report detailed the services provided by Cognus, which include School Operations (such as Admissions, Attendance, and Safeguarding), School Improvement and Inclusion Services (including the Virtual School and Early Intervention Services), and Learning Support and SEND services (such as Educational Psychology and Speech and Language Therapy).

Arguments for continuing the contract with Cognus included its consistent improvement since 2016, its success in generating income through traded services that are reinvested into education, and the potential costs and disruption associated with bringing services back in-house or commissioning from alternative providers. The report noted that there is not currently a sufficient market of alternative providers for the comprehensive range of services Cognus offers. The council's Ambitious for Sutton Corporate Plan 2022-2027 prioritises creating an inclusive place for everyone, and the partnership with Cognus is seen as crucial to achieving this ambition for children and young people in Sutton.

Home to School Travel Assistance

The committee approved updated Home to School Travel Assistance policies for both 5-16 year olds and post-16 students. These updated policies are set to be published on the Council's Local Offer pages by 31 May 2024 and will come into effect from September 2024. The decision included approving the draft Home to School Travel Assistance Policy (5-16) and the draft LBS Post-16 Travel Assistance Policy.

Local Area Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Self-Evaluation and High Needs Block Financial Position

The committee noted the summary of the local area SEND/AP self-evaluation, which was co-produced with local partners, and the current financial position of the High Needs Block. The report indicated a forecast overspend of £4.82 million for the current year. The committee approved funding support for Sherwood Park School, which is in financial difficulty. This support involves clearing the school's historical deficit and addressing its in-year deficit by recommissioning the school with a funding model that acknowledges the increasing complexity of its pupils.