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Dudley Council's SEND Funding Crisis and the National Budget Explained

Dudley Council is facing a financial crisis due to spiralling costs for special educational needs provision, which is causing leaders to fear potential effective bankruptcy. This situation is the result of an accumulating deficit in the funding intended for schools and SEND services.

The core of the issue is the massive Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit, which is predicted to swell to £56 million by the end of the current financial year. This deficit represents the gap between the funding received and the rising expenditure required to meet the legal duty of care for children with special needs.

Currently, a temporary measure known as the statutory override is protecting the council by preventing th

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