The Children, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee of Kent County Council met on Tuesday, 20th January 2026, to discuss a range of important issues concerning the education and well-being of children and young people in the county. Key topics included the draft capital and revenue budgets for the coming years, performance monitoring across various services, and proposals for changes to specialist resource provisions and school capacities. The committee also reviewed grant funding for family hubs and considered updates on special educational needs funding.

Draft Capital Programme and Budget Proposals

The committee was scheduled to consider the draft Capital Programme for 2026-36, the Revenue Budget for 2026-27, and the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2026-29. This comprehensive financial planning document outlines the key policy considerations within the draft budget proposals relevant to the committee's portfolio. The overall strategy for the budget is to ensure that the Council continues to plan for revenue and capital budgets that are affordable, reflect the Council's strategic priorities, allow the Council to fulfil its statutory responsibilities, and maintain and improve the Council's financial resilience within overall resource constraints. The report highlighted significant spending proposals within Children's Social Care, including provisions for increased demand due to population growth and estimated cost pressures related to higher placement costs for new and existing placements. Savings proposals were also detailed, focusing on improving the recruitment and retention of in-house foster carers and investing in children's homes. A significant concern raised was the forecast in-year overspend on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) in 2026-27, with costs to support children with Special Educational Needs anticipated to exceed estimated grant income by approximately £75 million. The Council's involvement with the Department of Education's Safety Valve programme and the impact of the statutory override, which holds the accumulated DSG deficit in an unusable reserve, were also noted as key financial considerations.

Performance Monitoring

A detailed performance monitoring report was presented, providing the committee with an overview of performance data across various indicators. This included information on the rate of proven re-offending by children and young people, the percentage of children in care placed in KCC foster care or with relatives/friends, and the average number of days between a child entering care and moving in with an adoptive family. Performance in areas such as the percentage of cases held by qualified social workers and average caseloads within Children's Social Work Teams were also scheduled for review. For Early Help services, the committee was to receive updates on the percentage of referrals to Early Help Units where a previous episode ended within 12 months, and the average caseload within Early Help Units. Education indicators included the percentage of pupils at Key Stage 2 achieving age-related expectations, and the percentage of pupils permanently excluded from primary and secondary schools.

Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) and School Capacity

The committee was due to discuss the proposal to remove the specialist resource provision (SRP) at River Primary School in Dover from September 2026. This proposal stems from a significant reduction in the number of pupils accessing the SRP, which was originally commissioned for 12 places for pupils with speech and language needs (S&LN). Currently, only four pupils are accessing the provision, and they are expected to move on to secondary school within two years. The report indicated that the school's site constraints make it difficult to broaden the SRP's designation to accommodate other needs, such as autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), which is now a more prevalent primary need type among pupils requiring specialist support. The committee was also scheduled to consider a proposal to increase the capacity at Ebbsfleet Green Primary School by providing capital investment for a new modular building. This expansion is intended to safely accommodate two bulge classes admitted in September 2024 and September 2025, and to create a second nursery class, addressing a shortfall in early years places in the local area.

Grant Funding and Financial Matters

The committee was to receive an update on the Best Start Family Hubs Programme Grant Award. The government has confirmed a further three-year programme from April 2026, with Kent County Council provisionally allocated £15,354,500 for financial years 2026-29. This funding is intended to support the ongoing delivery of Family Hubs, building on the existing adopted model and aligning with programme requirements. The committee was asked to consider and endorse the acceptance of this grant funding.

Additionally, the committee was to be updated on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Funding for 2026-27. It was noted that the government has confirmed the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) will be frozen at 2025-26 levels, with no increase for demographic changes or general inflation. This presents a significant financial challenge, as the Council has been overspending this grant since 2018-19, with accumulated deficits forecast to reach approximately £136 million by March 2026. The committee was asked to note this update and that the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills would make a decision on future payment rates for SEN services.

Contractual Changes

The committee was also scheduled to discuss contractual changes with The Education People (TEP), a wholly owned KCC trading company. The proposal was to reduce the value of the core contract by £1.633 million during 2026/27 through changes to service areas, aiming to align the contract cost with the available funding envelope.

Work Programme

Finally, the committee was to review and note the proposed Work Programme for the Children's, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee for the upcoming year, outlining the topics scheduled for discussion in future meetings.