About SENIF
Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF) is funding from Essex County Council that helps early years providers support individual children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Providers must ensure disabled children have equitable access to their funded entitlement in line with the Equality Act 2010. A child must be able to access their Funded Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) whether or not they receive SENIF.
What can SENIF be used for?
SENIF can help providers meet a child's additional needs by contributing towards:
- extra staff support while the child attends to enhance the ratio
- special equipment or resources needed for the child
- staff training related to the child's needs
- staff attendance at meetings with parents or professionals
What can't SENIF be used for?
SENIF cannot be used to:
- pay for extra childcare sessions
- employ external professionals to work directly with the child
- improve general resources or the environment for all children
How SENIF is calculated
Funding bands are determined using Essex's Early Years Banding Descriptors, based on the child's highest area of need.
View the Essex Early Years Banding Descriptors (PDF, 137KB).
- low band applications: funding is paid as an hourly rate based on the child's funded hours claimed through headcount or amendment tasks
- medium and high band applications: funding is based on the number of hours the child attends.
View the SENIF rates for more information.
Eligibility
To apply for SENIF:
- the child must attend an Ofsted or ISI registered setting
- the setting must be in the Essex County Council administrative area, or the child must have a final Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) issued by Essex County Council. Find out more about EHCPs
- a One Plan or SEND Support Plan must show that the child needs extra support to access the early years curriculum. Learn about One Planning - Education Essex Online
- the child must be attending the setting or have a confirmed start date
- a One Plan can be started before the child attends, updated as they settle in, and then submitted as part of the SENIF application
A child should not be excluded from attending while a provider waits for SENIF to be agreed. The Early Years Resource Panel does not support this practice.