Early Years’ Special Educational Needs inclusion Funding (SENIF)

SENIF is available to support children who meet the criteria and access the Early Years Entitlement Funding as follows:

• ​9 months+ funding for children accessing up to 30 hours per week
• ​2 year old funding for families receiving additional financial support for up to 15 hours per week
• 3 and 4 year old children accessing up to 30 hours per week.

SENIF must be used to offer opportunities that are additional to and different from ordinarily available provision. It is expected that before making an application providers will have started the graduated approach (at least one reviewed SEN support plan)and made reasonable adjustments to support the child’s needs as required by the Equalities Act 2010.

Funding can be claimed up to receipt of Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for children who meet this criteria.

It is acknowledged that there may be an occasional exceptional circumstance when a request for early access transition funding support can be made, for example a child with significant level of need (band descriptor level 4) has started your setting. In this instance, please explain your exceptional circumstance on the initial request form.

How to access SENIF?

Initial request for support

Before applying for SENIF please complete the link below to make an initial request for advice and ​support from the Early Years Team.

​​Making an application for SENIF

Once your initial request for support has been received, a member of the Early Years team will contact you to offer advice and guidance, including whether an application for SENIF would be appropriate.​​​

Applications will not be accepted without an initial request for Early Years support being submitted first.

Note - It is advisable to submit a request for support early in the month of which you wish to make a SENIF application. Late requests for support may result in your application being considered at the next panel.​

Parent consent form (to attach with initial request form)

​​Making an application for SENIF

Following consultation with a member of the Early Years team, an application form will be sent to the provider and must be returned by the deadline set out below.

To support their application for SENIF providers are requested to​ return the summary page only of Halton’s developmental profile tracker (or similar Early Years SEND development tracker) and any recent professional reports.

It is the provider’s responsibility to return the application form before the deadline. Late applications will be considered at the next pa​nel.

Useful information

• Pathway flow chart
• Band descriptors