Inclusion fund

Types of support available

There are two types of funding support available to settings via the Inclusion Fund:

Fund A:

This funding is a payment up to £250 to contribute towards the cost of accessing training or purchasing resources not ordinarily available within the setting. It is intended to develop practice and support the implementation of approaches to improve outcomes for the child. Additionally, it is anticipated that accessing training or resources would have a continued impact on the setting's capacity to meet similar needs in the future - this will be taken in to consideration when future applications are made.

The following are examples of how this funding may be used:

• Practitioners attend training as it relates to supporting children's (individual or group) needs – Makaton, BSL, Moving and Handling, Supporting Young Children with ASD, Bucket Time, Supporting Young Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs, Working with Young Children with Multisensory Impairment (MSI), Deaf Awareness, Working with Young Children with a Visual Impairment etc.
• Practitioners in a setting registered for children aged 2-4 require resources not ordinarily available for children working at a significantly younger level of development.
• Practitioners require specific, specialist resources (in line with LCC Equipment Policy).

Fund B:

This funding is a payment to the setting contributing to the cost of delivering specific evidence-led interventions and/or provision identified to address specific needs and work towards identified outcomes for individual children. Currently this payment is £83 per week, up to maximum 38 weeks. The provision of additional funding will usually be reviewed on a six-monthly basis as children's progress towards identified outcomes is reviewed. It is intended to enable the setting to implement specific advice and guidance from specialist teachers to support the progress and outcomes for the child. It is anticipated that settings will develop their capacity, in terms of skills and confidence, to implement more 'specialist' practices and approaches to address children's needs in the future.

The following are examples of how this funding may be used:

• Contribute towards enhanced staffing levels to deliver specific targeted interventions e.g. additional staff time above and beyond that already expected within the setting as a reasonable adjustment at SEN Support to:
  • provide an additional 20 mins focused work on specific individual programme 3x per week for 6 weeks (in line with TLP).
  • intermittent periods throughout the day to introduce an individual visual timetable to a child over a 4-6 week period (in line with TLP).

The Inclusion Fund monies should be used in conjunction with the setting's own budget and with any other funding received e.g. Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), Disability Access Fund (DAF) etc.