Overview
The early years inclusion fund is for funded children attending early years provision in Lincolnshire. It aims to ensure that all children are included and can access their early years entitlement (EYE). This can be for any number of hours of funded entitlement.
The fund is about:
- providing equal opportunities for children with a special educational need or disability (SEND)
- supporting them to reach their potential
Within the early years foundation stage framework, early years practitioners must plan for each child’s care and learning requirements. They should focus on:
- removing or helping to counter underachievement
- overcoming barriers for children where these exist
Most children with additional or special educational needs will not require special resources or enhanced staffing to be successfully included in settings. Settings meet the additional needs of their children very well. They support children through:
- quality teaching and learning from EYFS statutory framework
- following the graduated approach from the SEND code of practice
A small percentage of children with special educational needs or disabilities may require additional support.
Our aim
We aim to promote the inclusion and participation of children attending early years provision in Lincolnshire with additional or special educational needs that result in the child falling below their expected stage of development in one or more prime areas.
Process
- Applications should be submitted to EYCC@lincolnshire.gov.uk with all the supporting evidence and documentation included.
- Providers will be notified of the outcome by email as per the inclusion funding schedule. Providers are asked to inform parents or carers of the decision.
- If the application is successful, we will add inclusion funding to the child's record as a supplement on the early year’s hub.
If the application is not successful, your early years specialist teacher will be in contact to support you with the next steps.
Funding applications can be submitted at any time during the term. We will make payments in accordance with the payment schedule.
The provider is responsible for informing us and childcare support if a child with early years inclusion funding changes their amount of EYE funded sessions.
If the child decreases their hours or ceases to attend for a funded period, the provider must report this through the live data system. We will resolve the balance of the funding through the EYE payment process.
Qualification for funding
To qualify for funding
- The child must attend early years provision and receive early years entitlement (EYE) funding. This can be in private, voluntary and independent settings, local authority nurseries, nursery classes and childminders.
- All providers must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice (2014) and the Equality Act.
- The provider must demonstrate how the graduated response to meeting children’s needs is applied and monitored.
- There is an expectation that providers will demonstrate how they have endeavoured to meet a child’s additional needs within the provision routinely available. This will be before requesting early years inclusion funding.
- Settings musts contact an early years specialist teacher before an application is made if the child:
- has not yet started at the setting, and
- is not able to access their entitlement without additional resourcing
- Funding can only be granted for support whilst a child is eligible for early years entitlement within provision.
- Where a child attends more than one early year’s provider, any early year’s inclusion funding allocated for that child will be shared pro rata. The child must have early years entitlement at both settings and both settings must complete relevant paperwork.
Evaluation and review of funding
Providers must submit to us a termly review and supporting evidence of the continuing graduated approach. This is to ensure the funding is having a positive and measurable impact on children's outcomes. The outcome of the review will determine:
- the strategies to be agreed for the next term
- whether funding continues to be required
Model for Lincolnshire
The early years inclusion fund provides additional funding in addition to the base rate. Funding will be allocated based upon:
- every hour the funded child attends the setting
- EYE up to a maximum of 30 hours per week (if the child is eligible)
We will pay the additional funding directly to the setting to enable them to meet the child’s needs.
The universal base rate is provided to meet the needs of children, including those with mild additional needs, which can be met:
- within the graduated approach
- provision that is routinely available
The guidance expects providers to meet children's needs within this rate.
Further information for support settings can be found in the Lincolnshire local offer.
Providers may contact EYCC@lincolnshire.gov.uk for advice and guidance on what is good quality inclusive provision.
What the funding can be used for
Providers can use the fund to cater for a wide range of individual needs. It should enhance good quality provision to enable children to fully access the early years foundation stage.
The additional provision provided should relate to one or more of the following broad areas of need. These are as documented in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years.
A. Communication and interaction
Those children who, despite appropriate intervention, need a high level of individual support because of difficulty with one, some, or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication.
B. Cognition and learning
Support for learning difficulties may be required when children learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation.
C. Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
Children may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging or disruptive behaviour.
D. Sensory and physical needs
Children with physical needs, vision impairment, hearing impairment or a multi-sensory impairment may require specialist support or equipment to access their learning.
When completing the application form, please refer to the additional guidance notes.
Early years inclusion funding to provide specialist equipment
Applications for specialist equipment must be:
- completed by an occupational therapist or physiotherapist
- in conjunction with parents or carers and the early years provider
Applications to transfer specialist equipment must be:
- completed by an occupational therapist
- in conjunction with parents or carers and the early years provider
Making an application
To make a secure electronic application, email EYCC@lincolnshire.gov.uk to request by secure email. This is the preferred method.
If you cannot send it electronically, please contact EYCC@lincolnshire.gov.uk for details on how to submit. Please note that deadlines must be adhered to. It is the responsibility of the setting to ensure that adequate time is allowed.
New applications
Any new application must:
- Have the full support, collaboration and agreement of the child's parents or carers
- Be a recorded outcome of a review meeting for the child. This is to ensure the graduated approach has been applied (if the child is in setting)
- Have the full support of an early year’s specialist teacher (if the child is not yet in a setting but has a planned start date)
- Include a fully completed application form with evidence to demonstrate the:
- child’s needs
- outcomes required
- setting's response
- resulting impact and progress
- Provide evidence that the child's participation and inclusion to universal provision would not be possible without additional support. This must be beyond that which is routinely available through the graduated approach.
Appeals and complaints
Procedure for appeals
Any appeal must be made in writing to EYCC@lincolnshire.gov.uk within 20 working days of the notification being issued. For the appeals panel, you should:
- provide evidence that the setting have engaged with the locality early years team following the outcomes of the application to discuss the next steps
- provide evidence that a review has taken place with parents and other professionals as a result
- include the specific reasons for the appeal
- include additional information relating to the child’s needs if required
Complaints
Write to the Head of Service for Early Years, email EYCC@lincolnshire.gov.uk, if you wish to complain about:
- the inclusion funding process, or
- how the process has been applied
We will acknowledge any complaint within two working days. We will investigate and provide a response within ten working days.
Application deadlines and payments schedule
We pay inclusion funding payments alongside monthly EYE payments. We will notify providers when their application is reviewed and agreed. Providers should then add the child to their register in the early years hub. The inclusion funding will be added as a 'weighting' next to the child's record.
Primary deadlines - applications and reviews
Autumn 2024
- from 1 September 2024 - providers will receive payment linked to EYE funding
- 12 July 2024 - deadline for inclusion applications and review forms
- 19 September 2024 - payment due to providers
Spring 2025
- from 1 January 2025 - providers will receive payment linked to EYE funding
- 15 November 2024 - deadline for inclusion applications and review forms
- 23 January 2025 - payment due to providers
Summer 2025
- from 1 April 2025 - providers will receive payment linked to EYE funding
- 14 February 2025- deadline for inclusion applications and review forms
- 24 April 2025 - payment due to providers
Secondary deadlines for emergency applications only
These deadlines are for children who have started at the setting unexpectedly and additional funding is needed. Reviews will not be accepted at these emergency panels.
Autumn 2024
- from 1 November 2024 - providers will receive payment linked to EYE funding
- 20 September 2024 - deadline for inclusion applications and review forms
- 21 November 2024 - payment due to providers
Spring 2025
- from 1 March 2025 - providers will receive payment linked to EYE funding
- 24 January 2025 - deadline for inclusion applications and review forms
- 20 March 2025 - payment due to providers
Summer 2025
- from 1 June 2025 - providers will receive payment linked to EYE funding
- 23 May 2025 - deadline for inclusion applications and review forms
- 24 July 2025 - payment due to providers