SENIF Frequently Asked Questions

CTRL and Click to move directly to one of the sections below:

  1. Application,Review and Transition Processes
  2. Financial
  3. Specialist Observation & Assessment (O&A) Request Process
  4. Extended Entitlement
  5. DAF
  6. Free for 2 (FF2) Funding

Application, Review and Transition Processes

Can you apply for SENIF in advance of a child starting if they are not known to Portage but needs have been identified by the SENCo on a home visit?

The expectation is that the SENCo would raise the needs of the child at LIFT following the visit so that STLS can be involved to offer advice and support any application. The child could have some taster days at the setting to which the specialist teacher could be invited and then a gradual and careful transition implemented.

Can you apply for SENIF in advance of a child starting at your setting?

  • The SENIF criteria states that EY LIFT needs to have been attended to access support from STLS and the advice from STLS should be implemented, embedded and reviewed to demonstrate impact. This impact will form the basis of the Best Practice Guidance - Specialised/Individualised to support the request for SENIF.
  • However if professionals deem the needs of the child such that it would not be safe for the child to commence without some prior support in place then the setting SENCo would raise the needs of the child at LIFT so that STLS can be involved to offer advice and support any SENIF application.
  • The child could have some taster days supported by parent/carer at the setting to which the specialist teacher could be invited and then a gradual and careful transition implemented and a SENIF request made to commence at the point at which the child starts attending the setting without parent/carer.

Do I need to submit a Reviewed Personalised Plan when a child is known to Portage and I am applying for SENIF in advance of them starting at my setting?

No, in this instance a Reviewed Personalised Plan is not required as it should be possible to provide the Portage Aims Achieved. It should be possible to create and provide a Current Personalised Plan building on the child’s achievements in readiness for their start at your setting.

Further to the joint home visit with Portage the setting should take the child’s case to EY LIFT to seek support from STLS.

If a child increases their hours of attendance after headcount week can SENIF be increased in line with this?

No, for 3 and 4 years olds SENIF is agreed in line with the early education entitlement. Any increase in SENIF would be in line with the headcount data submitted to management information and would have to commence from the beginning of the following term.

For children accessing Free for 2 funding or the extended entitlement (30 hours), which can be increased at any time, SENIF could be increased from the beginning of the following month in which the hours of attendance have increased.

For any increases or decreases the setting should update the attendance pattern table on the SENIF Request Form and send to the County SEN Inclusion Fund Officer

If a child attends multiplesettings does each setting need to access LIFT before a request for SENIF can be made?

  • In the event that the child is known to STLS and the LIFT process has already been accessed by one setting then it would not be necessary for subsequent settings attended to repeat this process.
  • It could be appropriate for each setting to access support from the Early Years Equality & Inclusion team separately.
  • Each setting attended will need to make an individual SENIF request from the perspective of their setting.
  • SENIF will be agreed pro rata attendance at each setting attended in line with the early education entitlement, this includes attendance at a specialist setting or a childminder.

A child in my setting I wish to apply for SENIF for lives in another local authority area, do I apply to Kent or their home LA?

  • Advice from the DfE is that funding is for any child attending a Kent setting so a SENIF application should be made in the usual way.

Is there a particular process to follow, if a child, in receipt of funding, moves to another setting?

It is the responsibility of the setting to inform the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer as soon as they are aware that a child will be leaving. There is an expectation that if at all possible there will be a transition meeting and sharing of information relating to the child’s needs. There is a specific Transition section on the Early Years Personalised Plan which should be completed in this instance. The new setting will need to submit a new application for SENIF. The County SENIF Funding Officer will inform the setting when the last payment will be and if a recoupment of overpaid funds is required.

If a child in receipt of SENIF moves to a new setting, can the SENIF be transferred or does a new application need to be made? Does LIFT need to be accessed by the new setting before a new request can be made?

  • A new SENIF application will need to be made by the new setting.
  • LIFT will not need to be accessed by the new setting – there will be an expectation that there will be some sharing of transitional documentation between the two settings to allow the new setting an opportunity to complete an effective SENIF request.
  • The Personalised Plan includes a transition section at the end which should be completed by the setting the child is leaving and passed to the new setting to assist in their SENIF request

If a child in receipt of SENIF moves to a new setting, and has a SENIF Practitioner allocated to them for a 6 week block of visits can the Practitioner support be transferred to the new setting?

Yes. The current setting should complete the transition section of the Personalised Plan and share this with the new setting. The SENIF practitioner can continue to support the named child with their transition into their new setting and for the remainder of the agreed visits.

Who does the setting inform that the child has left?

  • The County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer
  • Any SENIF which has been overpaid will be reclaimed

If a child is in receipt of SENIF, but has poor attendance due to illness, how does this affect the funding?

It is recommended that the setting makes contact withthe SEN Inclusion Fund Officer to discuss the attendance levels and a mutual decision can be made.

Although we appreciate children can be ill there is an expectation that if a child has an extended period of absence, for an illness, hospital stay or an extended holiday then the setting will inform the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer so SENIF can be put on hold pending the child’s return.

If a child makes good progress within the year and no longer, needs funding, what do we do?

The setting would at point of review submit the paperwork to the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer with a covering e-mail for the funding to cease.

If a child is closed to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service as they have met all of their targets will SENIF be stopped?

Yes this is quite likely. The setting need to inform the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer as of this and provide the following review information so that a review can be made with Complex Case Advisory Group as to whether SENIF will cease. The following documents will be required:

  • Reviewed Personalised Plan
  • SENIF review form
  • SENIF Practitioner record of intervention (if applicable)
  • Most recent STLS report

If funding is needed for another year, does a new request form have to be completed?

Yes as the needs may have changed. A new SENIF Request Form, the Reviewed personalised Plan, the new Personalised Plan, the updated relevant Best practice Guidance (including Specialised/Individualised section)and the last SENIF Review Form will be required to request a continuation.

The SENIF Guidance document states the role and responsibilities of the setting is to review the Personalised Plan termly and complete the SENIF Review every two terms – why is this?

They review different things. The Personalised Plan is a stand-alone document, not specifically for SENIF. The SENIF Review Form reviews attainment and the impact of the funding while the Personalised Plan reviews the targets and outcomes set.

Financial

When the funding is paid into setting bank accounts, will it identify the child for whom it is being paid – e.g. by name, initials, eligibility number?

The reference will include current month, SENIF application number, child’s initials and funding end date. E.g Sept-2017-SENIF-1.CB.08-2018, and this should be on the remittance you received. However accounts payable could add all payments due to your setting together so the amount you receive may be different to the agreed SENIF monthly amount.

Will the payments be monthly e.g. total sum / 12 monthsincluding a payment in August when the setting is closed?

Yes. The outcome sheet will confirm the Per Annum amount (12 months) and the start and end dates will indicate the number of months of agreed funding.

What is the expected time frame for approval of the funding once it is submitted?

The County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer will be considering the requests as they come in. Generally we would expect an outcome within two weeks but at busier times that might be a little longer.

Is the funding back dated to the date of application? If I am requesting an increase due to a child’s attendance increasing will this be backdated?

New requests and increased attendance requests will only be back dated to the month in which the request is received. This is provided the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer is in receipt of all required request evidence, eligibility criteria is met and the request is received by the 14th of the month. New requests and increase in attendance requests received on or after the 15th of the month which are agreed will commence from the beginning of the following month.

A child attending my setting with SENIF has been issued with a final Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) what do I need to do?

  • Nothing. The introduction of SENIF in September 2017 has aligned funding for pre-school aged children with and without an EHCP. Therefore if there is a current SENIF agreement in place then this will continue until the agreed end date.
  • If the child is not transitioning into school at this point then the review process should be followed to request further SENIF (see above).
  • If the child does not have a current SENIF agreement in place at the point at which an EHCP is finalised then please contact the County SEN Inclusion Fund Officer at to request the specific request form.

Once SENIF is agreed, is it possible for settings to request a higher level of support because the needs of the child have changed since the original application? How do they make this request?

This would be possible in exceptional circumstances but there would need to be clear evidence that the current provision cannot meet the child's needs. A SENIF Review form would need to be completed and sent together with a new SENIF Request form.

Is there any criteria for spending the SENIF monies?

There is no set criteria as to how SENIF is spent. SENIF is allocated to settings to support the named child ensuring they are fully included within the setting environment, differentiated where appropriate. This could include enhancing existing ratios to deliver specific interventions with the named child, small group work, purchasing relevant resources, attending relevant training or taking up membership to Emporium Plus.

Can SENIF be requested for a child who is part of the SLI service –to carry out

the programmes daily?

KCC won’t fund the NHS to deliver programmes in settings. Funding is not provided for specific interventions but if criteria is met and funding agreed, the setting can determine how this is used in line with the Personalised Plan.

What is a ‘Continuing Healthcare Plan’?

This is a plan provided by the Children’s Disability Team for children with life limiting conditions and families could get additional funding.

If I am unhappy with my SENIF outcome can I appeal the amount allocated?

In the first instance please address your concerns to the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer who will respond accordingly. If you remain unhappy with the response the County SEN Inclusion Funding Officer will direct you on how to raise your concerns further.

DAF

Who would be eligible for DAF? How do we apply?

Three and four year olds will be eligible for the DAF if the child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the child receives the Universal or extended early education and childcare entitlement. DAF is accessed via completing the DAF Funding Claim Form and returning to Management Information, more information can be found on Kelsi

If DAF is used for buying specialist equipment. Who keeps the equipment? Is it the nursery?

  • The expectation is that it would be good practice for resources to be passed to the receiving school if appropriate to do so but that any adaptions to the setting would obviously remain at the setting.

If a child is attending a Kent setting but is in the care of another local authority where should the request for DAF & SEN Inclusion Funding be made?

  • DAF funding: ‘In cases where a child who lives in one authority area attends a provider in a different local authority, the provider’s local authority is responsible for funding the DAF for the child and eligibility checking’. C/ref: Pg.18 Early years national funding formula Operational guide December 2016
  • SENIF – this should be applied for in Kent by the Kent setting.

Specialist Observation and Assessment (O&A) Request Process

Where should the Specialist O&A Nursery Request Form be sent?

  • For children known to Portage not yet attending a setting, Portage complete the form and take to the MAP Meeting.
  • For Children attending a PVI setting the setting complete the request form and send to their Specialist Teacher (copying to ) to share at the MAP meeting.
  • For children currently still open to Portage and attending a PVI setting there is an expectation that a conversation is had between both parties and Portage lead on the request (if they have known the child for longest) but the PVI setting feed into the request.
  • For children not known to either Portage or a PVI setting but are known to Social Services, then Social Services complete the specialist request form submitting and presenting at the MAP meeting.

If a child is under Early Support but is not yet seen by Portage or a Specialist Teacher and a specialist placement is required because the child has severe & complex needs, who completes the SENIF Specialist Nursery Request Form?

The SNA would raise the child for consideration for O&A at the MAP meeting if they weren’t receiving any additional professional support i.e. Portage / STLS. Discussion would take place at the meeting around the next steps. If it is felt that the O&A is still appropriate, the SNA will complete the form with the family and then share with the District Lead & the Specialist Nursery Manager at the MAP meeting.

Extended Entitlement

Does every child have an eligibility number even if they don’t attend 30 hours?

  • No the eligibility number is based on working parents proving they meet the criteria of working over 16 hours etc. and are then eligible for the 30 hours extended entitlement. Parents must/are responsible for renewing their code and must pass this onto the setting.
  • Parents will complete a parent declaration form that will require them to tick either a 15 hour universal entitlement, which will include a box for EYPP, Free for Two and DAF. There will also be a box for the extended 30 hour entitlement

Can two settings apply for SENIF for the same child if they access their 30 hours extended entitlement in different settings?

Yes, prorata attendance at any other PVI, childminder or specialist setting in line with the free extended early education entitlement which will need to be verified with Management Information before the request can be processed.

Can foster carers claim the 30 hours extended entitlement for their foster children?

  • Foster carers will not be eligible in respect of their foster children
  • This is in line with the treatment of foster carers under Tax-Free Childcare and tax credits.
  • Foster carers already receive an allowance and the national minimum standards for fostering services are clear that the allowance should cover the full cost of caring for a child.
  • However, foster carers will qualify for 30 hours for their own children in the same way as any other parent who meets the eligibility conditions.
  • The foster child will still be eligible for the 2 year old entitlement and the universal 15 hours as a 3/4 year old.

Free for 2 (FF2) Funding

If a child is eligible for Free for Two Funding but is attending a setting that isn’t registered to take Free for Two, can SENIF be requested?

No

Updated: 29thMay 2018