All children may experience challenges with their learning at some point and for most children, these difficulties can be overcome with support from Early Years practitioners and parents/carers. However, children with SEND may need additional or different help to be able to learn.

Children with SEND who are eligible for 2, 3 and 4 year old free entitlement funding (FEF) can access Special, Educational Needs and Disabilities Inclusion Fund (SENDIF)

If a child needs a more intensive level of specialist help that cannot be met from the resources already in place (including the SENDIF) then early years settings may then wish to apply for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.  A child does not have to be in receipt of SENDIF in order for settings to apply for an EHC needs assessment.

SENDIF meetings: Take place every half term; towards the end of each half term in preparation to provide SENDIF for the following half term.

2023/2024 dates:

Attendance at meeting: Representations from SEN Team, Specialist Outreach Support Service, Education Psychology, Early Years Quality Team, Health, Speech and Language Therapy and observers representing the early years sector from schools, private, voluntary, independent childcare setting and health visiting teams.
If you are a parent/carer and would like to find out more information about this process please email SENDIF@tameside.gov.uk

 

Application: Early Years settings have to complete Early Years SEND Inclusion Funding (SENDIF) Process in order to apply for funding. The application must be emailed no later than one week prior (please see dates above) to the SENDIF Meetings  SENDIF@tameside.gov.uk.

 

Funding bands: Settings can request which band of funding they feel would meet the child’s needs; this will be considered when the funding level is discussed at the SENDIF Process Meeting.

Below is the funding band information.

Band Descriptors to support settings and SENDIF Process Meetings
Band 1
£1,580 per annum (PA) for 30 hours£790 PA for 15 hours
Does the child?……

  • Have one or more areas of developmental difference and/or complex needs. This may present as a child being at least 12 months or more behind the expected ability in that area when compared with their peers.
  • Have an additional need/s that requires targeted support repeated frequently during a child’s weekly entitlement.
  • Have developmental difference that may be linked to limited experiences in infancy/early childhood. Family/environmental factors that may have contributed to this.
  • Have Speech and language delay and general delay across all areas which requires a low level of additional support potentially an intervention.
  • Have moderate hearing or visual impairment requiring additional support to monitor adjustments.
Band 2
£3,162 PA for 30 hours£1,581 PA for 15 hours
Does the child?……

  • Have more complex needs in one or more areas of learning which are impacting on overall development, access, and inclusion.
  • Have developmental differences that are 18 months below age related expectations.
  • Require significant support with their personal care needs.
  • Have speech and language delay leading to dysregulation – requiring additional regular communication and language support for personal targets
  • Require Keyworker/staff to use strategies, make environmental changes and implement goal/targets from Specialist Professionals.
  • Have difficulty in functioning appropriately and requires some adult assistance to engage in activities to ensure active participation in practical tasks.
  • Require regular modification of activities and specified times when adult supports structured learning. Individual support at times of transition.
  • Requires support at key points of the day because of limited awareness of consequences of behaviour and/or safety.
Band 3
£5,269 PA for 30 hours£2,635 PA for 15 hours
Does the child?……

  • Require a high level of supervision to support access and inclusion for example within some group activities, snack and mealtimes; free play, to extend interests or to support in outdoor play.
  • Require staff to meet the child’s welfare and personal needs within the provision considering the child with a medical concern, using medication for constipation or catheter use.
  • Require support to ensure safety at mealtimes through potential for choking etc not because the child struggles to sit.
  • Require targeted support to ensure medical/health needs are met.
  • Have needs which are significant and may require regular support and a higher level of personal/intimate care.
  • Use prescribed personal aids effectively and consistently but does not independently manage them and this affects learning.
  • Have limited functional communication skills that require individual alternative and/or augmentative communication strategies to allow access to learning opportunities.
  • Require significant adult support with alternative approaches to learning such as objects of reference, signing, Communication Core board tactile methods of communication.
  • Have regular (daily) intensive episodes of behaviour (biting, spitting, kicking etc.) which are unpredictable, persistent, and extreme in relation to the child’s ages and stages of development.
  • Require an adult to monitor closely the reasonable adjustments to the environment and resources.
Band 4
£7,904 PA for 30 hours£3,952 PA for 15 hours
Does the child?……

  • Have significant welfare and personal care needs.
  • Require close and regular supervision and support is required in order to maintain the child’s safety/comfort well-being in order to support them to access their EY entitlement in a way which is safe and positive.
  • Have complex medical, learning, health and communication needs with high functional impact – which may or may not have a medical diagnosis.
  • Have input/support from multiple professionals from health, social care, LA. Will need a high level of consistent support to access environment, activities and peer group’.
  • Require full-time support from an adult offering differentiated activities from all aspects of learning and without additional adult support the child would not be able to participate in any learning opportunities.
  • Have a significant medical condition requiring ongoing medical intervention and monitoring and all staff in direct contact with the child require appropriate training to react to medical emergencies.
  • Have physical difficulties that require varied and extensive specialist equipment and regular support.
  • Have consistently and persistently high levels of severe and challenging behaviour & regularly (daily) exhibits unprovoked, unpredictable behaviour, evidence of significant risk of harm to self, peers, adults and property and loss of learning for the child and others.

 

Below is the breakdown of the funding bands termly and for 15 and 30 hours:

 

 

BandAnnual Value
for 15 Hours
Summer TermAutumn TermSpring TermAnnual Value for 30 HoursSummer TermAutumn TermSpring Term
Band 1£790£329£263£198£1,580£658£527£395
Band 2£1,581£659£527£395£3,162£1,318£1,054£791
Band 3£2,635£1,098£878£659£5,269£2,195£1,756£1,317
Band 4£3,952£1,647£1,317£988£7,904£3,293£2,635£1,976

Outcome: Following the SENDIF Process Meetings EY settings will be contacted with the outcome of the decision. This will include whether SENDIF will be given, the band given and how long it will be provided for. If SENDIF is not given, comments from the meetings will be provided explaining why this has happened. EY settings are welcome to contact their Early Years Quality Officer for SEND if they would like more information and guidance following their application.

Review process: As the SENDIF will only be given for a set period (1 term, 2 terms or 3 terms) EY settings will need to apply again if they wish funding to continue past this period. Less information is required for the review of SENDIF funding – please see the Early Years SEND Inclusion Funding (SENDIF) Process – Checklist for more information regarding what is needed.
Through the review application EYs settings can apply for the same amount of funding or they can request that it is increased or decrease in order to meet the needs of the child. EY settings will need to evidence the impact of the current level of SENDIF.

Feedback on the SENDIF process: If you would like to give feedback on the SENDIF process including what you think works well or not as well or any suggestions for developing this process further please email SENDIF@tameside.gov.uk

Section 23 Health Notifications: This is when health professionals have a statutory duty to tell the local authority if they believe a child under school age has, or is likely to have, special educational needs or a disability (SEND). Usually this notification is made by a Health body.

Section 23 notifications are currently received into the SENDIF inbox from the health referrer and collated on a spreadsheet by SENDIF support. Health Professional will also provide a copy to Rowan House where they are logged by the SEND admin team.

SENDIF applications are cross-referenced by business support to identify, if a S23 is in place this ensures the EY quality team are aware of the children and can track them through SENDCo Surgeries and termly visits.

S23’s where it is unknown if a child is attending an EYs Setting, the S23s are cross referenced by the Funding Team each term following the headcount. The funding team, inform the EYQIT of funded children who are accessing EYs provision, this enables the EYs Quality Officers to track the children and support the graduated approach.

Children with a S23, who are eligible for Free Entitlement Funding, and who are not accessing EYs provision are encouraged to take up their entitlement in EYs provision via health services.

Contact: SENDIF@tameside.gov.uk