SEND in the early years (0 to 5 Years)

Early Years SEND Inclusion Funding (SENIF) guidance

Please note new paperwork from September 2024 - no Early Help Assessment required.

The Early Years Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Inclusion Funding (SENIF) helps providers meet the needs of individual children with SEND. Providers should use this funding to offer opportunities that are additional to and different from Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) [PDF 674KB].

This funding should be used alongside:

  • Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
  • Disability Access Funding (DAF)

It should help providers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in line with the Equality Act 2010. Both the DAF and EYPP can be applied for through the Early Years Provider Portal.

SENIF is available to support children who access the Early Years Entitlement Funding. It cannot be used for children in Reception.

Funding provided through SENIF must be used as outlined in both the providers application and on the Provision Map.

It is essential to monitor children’s progress and providers should use the graduated approach to meet a child's needs. Further support can be found on the Early Years SENCO Toolkit.

The application process for SENIF

The application form is a WORD document to be saved and shared with parents and the Council. Applications must be sent via either secure email (using Egress) to LIS.BusinessSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk or through the Early Years SEND link on the school portal.

You must provide the following in your request, to provide a clear outline of the child's needs:

If available, please also include:

  • any reports from other professionals
  • Education, Health and Care Plan

It is important to show what additional support you have already provided and to identify how you plan to use the additional funding.

Levels of funding

There are 3 levels of funding that can be given out. It is given for one academic year for children who access 570 hours per academic year:

  • level 1 - £1,000 per year (£1.75 per hour)
  • level 2 - £1,500 per year (£2.63 per hour)
  • level 3 - £2,000 per year (£3.51 per hour)

Providers are notified of the outcome after the panel meeting.

The level of funding agreed is based on the information in the application and the level of need of the child.

The funding is paid on a termly basis for 1 year. If after this time the child is still eligible, then the setting can complete another application form. If after 1 year the child is undergoing an assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), funding will continue until the EHCP is finalised.

For a child accessing up to 30 hours per week, the funding will be given on a pro-rata rata basis dependent on the number of hours attended. Likewise, a part time child not using their full entitlement would receive a pro-rata amount.

The amount of money paid per term varies upon the number of weeks in a term and the hours claimed on the ‘Actual’ task each term. The funding is backdated to the start of the term that the application was approved.

SENIF funding will cease if an EHCP is issued.

If a child attends more than one setting, each setting must apply separately. The funding does not move with the child, therefore if a child moves setting, the funding will cease, and the new setting will need to re-apply.

Applications for funding must be received by the dates below:

  • 29 August 2025 for funding to commence autumn 2025
  • 31 October 2025 for funding to commence autumn 2025
  • 6 February 2026 for funding to commence spring 2026
  • 17 April 2026 for funding to commence summer 2026
  • 5 June 2026 for funding to commence summer 2026

Please note: Applications received after the deadlines above will not be considered until the following panel

The criteria for SENIF funding does not require the involvement from an Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) or Early Years Specialist Advisory Teacher (EYSAT). However, if you wish to request an area SENCo/EYSAT please make sure you include a SEND request for additional support.

As part of the application process, the panel may recommend that the provider receives support from an Area SENCo.

Review

Each setting should review the funding at the end of each term. This should be done by updating the provision map showing how the funding has been used and the impact. There is no requirement to submit this paperwork every term to the local authority, but it may be requested as part of an audit process.

A review of SENIF will take place in the Summer term and you may be asked to provide information on the use and impact of the SENIF as part of this review.