Early Years SEN Top-up Funding

1. Early Years SEN Top-up Funding Ruth Glover Lead Early Years Advisor – Inclusion January 2014

2. Purpose of Session • To outline the changes to Inclusion Support in North Somerset • To explain the new process of applying for Inclusion Support • To highlight the impacts of the changes • To enable you to feel confident to support all our children

3. Top-up Funding for Early Years Aim – Improving outcomes for all

4. Key Culture Change • To introduce a universal banding system for all children and young people aged 0-25 with high level needs • To continue arrangements to enable settings to support children with low level SEN • To continue the Link Programme to support transition

5. Principles of Universal Banding System • Overall framework with categories for main types and levels of high level SEN • Descriptors of how children and young people present for each category for key age group – early years, statutory school age, post 16 • Values for each category for key age groups regardless of which setting they attend

6. Principles of Universal Banding System • Early Years (EY) children with high needs assessed against the criteria and, where appropriate, assigned a category • EY children assigned a category will attract specific additional funding called EY Top-up Funding in addition to standard funding for the Free Early Education (FEE) entitlement • EY Top-up Funding expressed as an hourly rate and multiplied by the number of hours that the child is funded for the Free Early Education (FEE) entitlement

7. Principles of Universal Banding System • If a child moves to a different setting, the funding will move with them • Funding will support settings to meet the individual child’s needs e.g.: • additional support for the child – either by setting or ‘bought in’ from specialist provider • specialised training • liaison with parents/carers and other professionals • additional resources for the child

8. Proposals – SEN

9. Implications for EY Settings • Funding will be no longer provided to a specialist provider to support individual children i.e. Springboard • Any setting that is being paid FEE, can receive additional resources but must meet the child’s needs • The setting will need to resource any specialist support and training to meet the child’s needs • There will be more resources in the system

10. Inclusion Support Booklet • Improving outcomes for all • Advice for parents • Help with report writing • Inclusion Advice Flow Chart

11. Referral Process • EY Action • EY Action Plus • Contact EY Consultant or Childminding Development Advisor • Complete front page with parent

12. Information Sharing and Consent

13. EY Consultant/Childminding Advisor/Inclusion Advisor (Area Senco) will arrange a visit and observe the child and decide with you next steps • If necessary, the Inclusion Referral Form will be completed with the Area Senco and taken away with all supporting evidence at that meeting. Parents will also be informed by the Area Senco of next steps decided • EY Lead Advisor – Inclusion will present all applications for Top-up Funding to a multi-agency panel • Top-up Funding Panel meet monthly (except August). They will consider all evidence and will make a decision about whether a Top-up Level will be allocated

14. Multi-Agency EY Top-up Panel • Vulnerable Learners’ Service • Educational Psychologist • Speech and Language • SEN Team • Lead Early Years Advisor • Children’s Social Care

15. Following the Panel Meeting: • Settings will be advised of funding level allocated along with any conditions of funding e.g. staff must work with specialist support, staff must access specialist training, setting must work with EY Consultant for advice about provision • A review period will also be specified • Parents will be advised of outcome of panel meeting • Setting will arrange how to use EY Top-up Funding

16. Further Documents • MAISEY Referral • IPP • North Somerset Early Support Materials • Health Care Plan • Useful Contacts

17. Springboard Offer