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.