Council’s education staff review will not affect specialist help

Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter

Education Chiefs have confirmed that a staffing review to find £400,000 in savings will not affect specialist help given to schools.

The Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills committee went through next year’s budget proposal for schools and the education department, at a recent meeting.

Councillors were concerned that the staff review would affect specialist help for students with additional learning needs.

Staff review

The education department is set to receive a funding increase of £18.643 million in the council’s 2025/2026 budget which is up from £17.854 million this year.

Despite this additional funding, the department must deliver £1.261 million of savings to help the council balance its books in the coming year, with £400,000 to come from a staffing review.

Councillors were concerned that the staff review would affect the new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and Inclusion Strategic Plan, which was agreed in November for Powys youngsters.

Liberal Democrat, Cllr Angela Davies wondered whether the strategy would be weakened.

Cllr Davies said: “What is the impact of potential staffing cuts in delivering the ALN (Additional Learning Needs) strategy.”

Director of Education, Richard Jones said: “It’s not just an exercise in cuts.”

“There isn’t any reduction in staff in our ALN teams.”

He explained that the review was an attempt to produce a new staffing structure that would “align” with services priorities which includes ALN.

‘Undue pressure’

Cllr Davies asked whether delivering this staffing review as well as the ALN strategy was putting “undue pressure” to deliver two big pieces of work “at the same time.”

Dr Jones explained that the department had been working on the proposal since September and had “distributed the pressure” of the workload around its staff.

Dr Jones stressed: “We do need to change the structures to meet the current and emerging needs of our schools.”

Financial year

One of the issues with education and schools funding is that the financial year starts in April while the school year starts in September.

Powys Independent, Gareth E Jones said: “I’m a bit nervous about this. I assume these changes will not be in place from April 1.”

He asked if the savings were implemented from September, whether another five months of savings equating to around £250,000, would be rolled over into 2026/2027.

Cllr Roberts said: “This is education central, they are not tied to the academic year.”

Dr Jones said: “Any management of change process has to go through a consultation which is where we are at.”

“We feel confident we can make this saving in the year we have indicated, and they would be made at different points through the financial year.”

Recommendations from the committee will be added to the budget papers that will go in front of councillors at a meeting on February 20 when they vote on the overall budget.