Additional Needs Grant for children with special needs or a disability
About the grant
Funding is available to the private, voluntary, independent and maintained nursery sectors to support children with additional needs, including childminders, out of school and holiday playschemes.
All childcare providers in the borough are required by the Equality Act 2010 to include children with additional needs, ensuring that children are not “treated less favourably” and that “reasonable adjustments” are made.
The Additional Needs Grant exists to support setttings in meeting this duty. The maximum funding available for any one child is 780 hours per year across all settings attended.
Funding decisions are made at panel meetings. The following meetings are scheduled:
- 18 July 2013
- 3 October 2013
- 5 December 2013
- 23 January 2014
- 20 March 2014
Applicants will be informed within 10 working days of the decision, which is only taken at the panel meeting.
How to apply
To make an application, please complete the online form. You will need to submit supporting evidence such as doctors’ reports, and written confirmation of parental consent. Download a template letter
(MS Word, 24KB).
You can seek advice about your application from the following:
- Early Years Consultants
- Advisor for Children with Complex Needs
- Play Development Manager
To be considered at a panel meeting the form must be submitted a minimum of 2 days before the meeting.
Funding rates and hours cannot be guaranteed, but if your application is successful it is possible for the panel to backdate any agreed funding from the date of submission.
The decision of the panel is final. Additional evidence that subsequently comes to light may be submitted to a future panel.
Where funding is agreed, a letter is sent to the setting to confirm the details of the agreement including a planned review date.
Reviews and transfers
Applications must be reviewed at the date specified when funding was agreed, and when a child moves to a new setting.
It is the setting’s responsibility to complete the online review/transfer form a minimum of two days before the panel meeting. As with the original application, written confirmation of parental consent is needed. Download a template letter (MS Word, 24KB).
If a review form is not received by the date specified, the panel will assume that funding is no longer required.
More information
For further information read this article on Providing support for children with disability or special needs
(pdf, 17KB) outlining key principles and support available to all settings.
All information supplied to us via the online application forms is secure. Please refer to the Council’s Personal Information Policy for more information.