Nurseries and playgroups must have processes in place to support all children including children with SEND (special educational needs and/or disabilities). These include:

• a SEND Policy stating how children’s needs are supported within the setting (available on the settings website or by request)
• a qualified, experienced member of staff as their SENCo (special educational needs coordinator) to oversee day to day support of children with SEND, work closely with parents and, if necessary, external professionals
• ongoing training and development to help staff recognise and support children with a range of SEND
• links with Health Visitors involved in universal progress checks or developmental reviews i.e.  27^th Month Integrated Reviews that support identification of additional need
• links with Children’s Centres and the process for referring families for Early Support  or MAT – Multi Agency Team support if needed
• links with an Area SENCo who supports children with SEND transferring into and out of the setting and into school
• links with specialist teams from education and health services who can inform, advise and support parents and settings to meet the needs of children with SEND. Referrals require parental permission.

Additional funding may be available for children with SEND. Settings are informed of and supported to:

• understand the criteria and process for applying for the Disability Access Fund (DAF)
• understand when it may be appropriate to apply for Early Years Inclusion Funding
• understand when it may be appropriate to apply for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment to identify if additional support provided through a statutory Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) is necessary. EHC Plans are  reviewed every 6 months for children in early years settings.  

• Universal