Early Years
Further Information for Providers can be found HERE
Children grow and develop far greater between the ages of 0-5 than in any other time in their lives. This period of growth can for some children highlight challenges, whether this is around a child’s rate of development, their behaviour or a specific disability.
It is critical that we identify children’s additional needs at the earliest opportunity. Support and early intervention is fundamental in ensuring children with additional needs/disability are able to make good progress, enjoy learning and ultimately prepare them for adult life.
There is a statutory expectation (EYFS requirements, Children and Families Act 2014 and Equalities Act 2010) for all Early Years Providers to support children with SEND, if you would like further advice or support to achieve this please contact your Early Years Locality Lead who will be happy to talk to you about support available.
Early Years Service
Local Offer to Early Years Providers
Gloucestershire County Council is committed to ensuring every child has access to high quality education suited to their needs, which equips them with the skills and attributes needed to make a positive contribution to their community and succeed in life.
The Early Years Service offers a range of support, advice and interventions to all Early Years Providers which enables children with Special Educational Needs or Disability to enjoy learning make progress and access a local provision. Support is offered through a Tiered Level of Intervention and will be dependent on a completed ‘Request for support’ referral form which can be found HERE
Further information on th EarlyYears Service Local offer can be found HERE
*REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 2022*
Contacts
Early Years Team General Enquiries
| 01452 425356 | eyservice@gloucestershire.gov.uk |
Gloucester & Forest Locality
| 01452 425319 | kimberley.nicholls@gloucestershire.gov.uk |
Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Locality
| 01452 427332 | sue.williams@gloucestershire.gov.uk |
Stroud and Cotswold Locality
| 01452 425332 | justine.everett@gloucestershire.gov.uk |
Early Years Business Support
| 01452 427810 | eybusinesssupport@gloucestershire.gov.uk |
Early Years Finance
| 01452 328683 | free34formsubmission@eygloucestershire.co.uk |
SEND Funding for Early Years
SEN Support/Inclusion Funding
Early Years SEND Offer – Tiered levels of Intervention
Gloucestershire County Council is committed to ensuring every child has access to high quality education suited to their needs, which equips them with the skills and attributes needed to make a positive contribution to their community and succeed in life.
The Early Years Service offers a range of support, advice and interventions to all Early Years Providers which enables children with Special Educational Needs or Disability to enjoy learning make progress and access a local provision. Support is offered through a Tiered Level of Intervention. More information can be found HERE
Disability Access Fund
The Disability Access Fund was introduced in April 2017 to ‘enable Early Year’s Providers to anticipate and make reasonable adjustments to their provision and increase the capacity to support disabled children and children with special educational needs’.
3 and 4 year old children are eligible if they receive free Early Years Education and if they are in receipt of Disability Living allowance. DAF provides the Early Years Setting an additional annual amount of £615 per child for those who are eligible.
This funding is not transferable to other settings e.g. If the child leaves before the end of the financial year this money can’t be moved over to a new setting and if the child attends more than one setting it is up to the parent to decide where this funding should go – it cannot be split between both settings.
Further information regarding the Disability Access Fund can be found HERE.