Early Years SEND Inclusion Fund (SENDIF)
All Local Authorities have a SEND inclusion fund for 3 and 4 year olds with SEND whose parents/carers are taking up the free entitlement to a pre-school place.
The purpose of the fund is to support Local Authorities to work with providers to address the needs of individual children. The fund supports Local Authorities to undertake their responsibility to strategically commission SEND services under the Children and Families Act 2014.
This guidance is to inform all Early Years providers on how to access support for a child in their care who may have SEND and may require Early Years SEND Support. These are children who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Further information can be found on the Southwark Education Learning and Achievement website which includes a guidance video on how to make a SENDIF application.
All early years settings are expected to admit children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and to make provision to meet their needs. Most children with SEND do not require any specialist resources or enhanced staffing to be successfully included in settings. Most settings meet the needs of children with SEND very well from within their existing resources and through their own best practice.
A very small number of children have SEND that will need a higher level of support than a setting can provide from its own resources. In such cases all Ofsted registered early years providers are able to apply to their Local Authority (LA) for funding to help them make the necessary provision, this is called Early Years SEND Inclusion funding (SENDIF). The process for this is quick so once it is agreed as necessary the setting can receive funding straight away. This is not the same as an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment request which is a formal assessment for children with significant and complex SEND.
If a setting you would like your child to attend is concerned about admitting your child and finding resources to meet their needs or your child does not have an EHC plan please let the LA know so we can help you. You can contact the SEN team sen@southwark.gov.uk, or SIAS sias@southwark.gov.uk to tell us what has happened.
If you are already in receipt of DLA (Disability Living Allowance) due to your child’s needs please let your chosen setting know, this means your child would be eligible for the inclusion funding (like an agreement in principle) and the setting can apply in advance of the start date for your child so they can get support in place. Please note that the scheme also includes children aged 2 who receive DLA.