Graduated response - Early Years Inclusion Pathway Planning (EYIPP)
In Slough there is a firm expectation that all children have an entitlement to access provision within their own community, with their peers and siblings. This includes children with additional needs (SEND).
Slough will support and enable children with SEND to attend a local, mainstream early years setting (where appropriate) chosen by their parents/carers.
We want to ensure your child’s needs are identified and considered at the earliest opportunity, which is not reliant on a diagnosis.
An Early Years Inclusion Pathway Planning (EYIPP) meeting can form the first phase of planning towards your child's education journey without the need for a statutory assessment. The plan is based on early identification to make sure support is effectively planned and implemented.
An EYIPP is initiated and facilitated by the Early Years setting in collaboration with parents/carers who know their children best. Using a Graduated Response model, the process brings together the child's new early year's setting, parent/carer and other relevant professionals who are involved in supporting the child. The meeting will plan for the most appropriate provision and ensures resources are in place to best support the needs and aspirations of the individual child.
All mainstream early year's provision, with appropriate support and reasonable adjustments, should be fully inclusive for children with additional needs; and only in exceptional circumstances would children below school age need to attend a specialist provision.
The Early Years Inclusion Pathway Plan for a child is likely to be reviewed and updated as needed according to the child's progress and changing need. This will continue up to and possibly including transition into school.
Slough has an Early Years Inclusion Tool Kit available for settings to work through to support children with SEND and promote Inclusive provision. The Inclusion tool kit forms the basis of The Graduated Response and should be implemented prior to seeking additional/external support from other agencies.
Every early years setting will have a SENDCo. This is the Special Educational Needs Coordinator who oversees the support to implement The Graduated Response, through Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
Assess, Plan, Do, Review
Early Years Practitioners will assess children’s’ strengths and barriers to learning, identifying any who may not be achieving to expected levels.
The early years setting will agree with the child’s parent/carers what personal targets and support will be put in place to help meet targets (Individual Education Plan, IEP).
The IEP is put into action and early years practitioners continue to monitor the child’s progress.
IEP’s are continuously reviewed for early years children to monitor what is working and what needs changing. A review meeting will take place with the child’s parent/carer.
If limited progress is made with the agreed support, then the early years setting, or family may request an education health and needs care assessment.
What is Early Years Inclusion Funding (EIF) for
Every provider will expect to have children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) attend their setting. With careful planning and organisation, these children can participate fully in the activities provided. However, there may be times when children need some extra support.
It is expected that all settings allocate staff resources to support inclusion and that the designated SENCO is afforded sufficient, dedicated time to fulfil their role. This is key to promoting and maintaining inclusion. Providers should make reasonable adjustments for all children, which may include differentiating the curriculum or approach. Good planning for inclusion can be achieved through a SEND or Inclusion policy and by following the Slough Early Years Graduated Response, which includes using strategies from the Early Years Inclusion Tool Kit.
Only once reasonable adjustments have been made, and applied for a reasonable period, will you be able to apply for Early Years Inclusion Funding.
Funding can only be applied for children who are in receipt of Funded Early Education (FEE). It is awarded according to the level of need as detailed within the application for EYIF, the child's IEP and Early Years Inclusion Pathway Plan.
You could consider the following when thinking about children who may need additional support:
- enhancing the staff ratio - providing smaller groups
- to support emotional resilience
- to support speech, language, and communication development
- appropriate training for staff to be able to meet the specific needs of the child/ren, as identified in the child’s IEP
- appropriate resources identified by professionals
- to support children with a transition – for example, into a new room, a different setting or into school.
Some children may need an increased level of support that sits just above your universal and additional support offer.
Tier 3 funding is:
- for children who require targeted support and may be able to make progress through evidence-based interventions
- for children at risk of delay or have emerging needs within the three prime areas
- short term funding to allow for booster interventions or targeted support to close gaps. Booster interventions may be delivered through small group activities and targeted support may help to reinforce the learning throughout the session.
- awarded according to the level of need as detailed within the application for EYIF, the child's IEP and Early Years Inclusion Pathway Plan
Before making the application, please consider your universal and additional support offer, including how you have implemented The Graduated Response and the appropriateness of a submission to the EYIF panel.
Tier 4 funding is for those children:
- with a higher level of need
- who require specialist or enhanced support and all other interventions have been exhausted
- children at risk of significant delay within the three prime areas.
Children may be able to make progress through specific known evidence-based interventions.
For children with the most complex or persistent needs, we expect a comprehensive child IEP detailing recurring cycles of Assess, Plan, Do, Review, showing multi-disciplinary involvement and how the setting has involved and included professionals' advice when supporting the child.
Setting, parent/carer consent form
The EYIF setting, parent/carer consent form is a document that:
- settings can pass on to parents/carers to gain their consent for the application
- explains how the funding can be used to support their child's needs.
Settings may have a similar consent form already in place. Where is this case, the setting can choose to continue using their existing form or can use the form we have provided.
