Education funding for children and young people with SEND
Disability Access Fund (Early Years)
If your child needs a higher level of support, you may be able to apply for your child's school / setting to get a yearly payment of £615 through the Disability Access Fund.
It's paid direct to your early years provider.
The fund is administered by South Tyneside Council. It is provided to make sure all children have equal access to early education.
It allows providers to buy or loan equipment and resources, so they can make reasonable adjustments for eligible children.
Eligibility
Your child must:
- be receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- be 3 or 4 years old
- be spending some, or all of the early education they are entitled to at the provider that will receive the funding
- not be in a primary school reception / foundation stage class
How to apply
When you register your child at a school / setting, you will be asked if they are entitled to Disability Access Funding.
If your child has recently been awarded Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and is now eligible, you should contact the school / setting, and they will give you a form to complete.
You will need to provide a copy of your child's latest Disability Living Allowance award. The award notice must be within the appropriate timescales.
After you've applied
You will be told if the application is successful, when the payment will be made, and who it will be paid to.
If your child is eligible for a second year
If your child is eligible for a second year, and the evidence you provided of the original Disability Living Allowance award covers this period, the payment will be automatically paid to the same provider.
How providers use the fund to support children with SEND
The school / setting is responsible for identifying what reasonable adjustments your child may need.
They will look at how to make sure your child has equal access to the learning and services provided, in the same way as another child.
This should include making sure your child has basic access into the school / setting.
When deciding how to use the funding, providers must take into account:
- your views and wishes
- the views of any relevant professionals
- their own experience of supporting the child's needs
Providers are expected to spend the full funding on the child. If the equipment / adjustment costs more than this, providers are expected to pay any extra costs.
Sharing resources
If the school / setting has more than one child who is eligible for the funding, they can think of this as one pot of money to support an adjustment, or buy resources that will benefit more than one child.
The provider owns any items that are bought as part of Disability Access Fund, and they can be used to support current and future children.
Providers can choose to share resources with you, so they can be used at home during weekends and holidays.
If your child goes to more than one setting
The fund can not be split between settings.
You will need to decide which school / setting should get the funding.
If your child moves school / setting
If your child moves school / setting, the existing provider can decide to transfer resources to the new provider. This will only be possible for moveable items. The provider who bought the equipment will make this decision.
Funding that has been given to the existing provider can not be transferred to different school / setting.