Early Years SEND Support
Early Years Inclusion Forum (EYIF)
The Early Years Inclusion Forum is a setting led forum within Telford and Wrekin that provides support to private, voluntary & maintained early years settings including childminders regarding the inclusive provision and practice they deliver for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Support for primary and secondary-aged children is available through the Inclusive School Forum (ISF).
It aims to provide an opportunity to network and deliver peer to peer guidance. By sharing best practice, EYIF aims to support the development of an inclusive education system within Telford and Wrekin whereby children with increasingly complex needs achieve and succeed within mainstream settings.
The forum offers two functions of support:
- Advice and guidance from experienced professionals
- Access to funding to help settings meet children’s needs
The aims of the forum:
- Staff in settings will be more able to meet the needs of children with SEND.
- Settings will increase their confidence so that children with SEND are included and can achieve to their highest potential.
- There will be increased participation and achievement for children with SEND.
- Settings will build their own expertise through wider workforce development leading to better outcomes for all.
- There will be less escalation into more specialist pathways, resource and provision.
Advice and guidance
The forum offers the opportunity to share best practice, learn from one another and hold a professional discussion in a supportive forum with peers.
Funding
The forum has an allocation of high need top up funding from the Local Authority which can be accessed by settings. This aims to enable settings to intervene early and with pace. The forum will still provide advice and guidance where access to funding is sought. Importantly, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is not required to access funding.
| Band | Amount |
| 1 | £ 1,044.85 |
| 2 | £ 2,089.70 |
| 3 | £ 3,134.55 |
| 4 | £ 4,179.40 |
| 5 | £ 5,224.25 |
| 6 | £ 6,269.10 |
| 7 | £ 7,313.95 |
| 8 | £ 8,358.80 |
Eligible children
Any nursery child in a Telford and Wrekin with special educational needs can be presented for advice and guidance. Where access to EYIF is being sought the following criteria is applied:
- The child’s home address must be in Telford and Wrekin.
- Children must not have an EHC plan.
- The setting can demonstrate that they are already supporting a child’s special educational need using quality first teaching and a high quality graduated approach (this must involve evidence that outside agencies have been used during cycles of assess, plan, do and review).
- There is evidence that the setting has considered costings through a costed provision map.
- The setting can provide evidence of progress over time and the impact of current provision.
- The setting has set out what they require EYIF for (based on recommendations from outside professionals), what needs they aim to address, what provision they would put in place, the cost of it and expected outcomes.
In addition
- Pupils must have significant barriers to learning
- The right for Parent carers and schools to request an EHC needs assessment remains in place, if appropriate, for children with EYIF allocated through the Inclusion Panel. However EYI funding will stop from the date an EHCP is finalised by the Local Authority.
- An allocation of EYIF must be used for the named pupil only which is in line with the Schools and Early Years Finance Regulations, 2015.
How to make a request
Settings will need to complete an request form to access the Early Years Inclusion Funding. This must include parental consent. If it does not, they will be sent back to the setting. When making a request for funding, settings are asked to provide supporting evidence only where it is felt necessary. The EYIF panel will expect that a high-quality graduated approach has been delivered to support a child’s special educational needs and will ask you to detail your approach.
Once the relevant paperwork has been confirmed as complete, settings will receive confirmation regarding the date and time of their presentation to forum.
Reviews must be returned the week before the panel (by Wednesday). The panel will only discuss a case if a review has been received. Support will cease without a completed review.
All paperwork should be sent to [email protected]
Panel dates
| Date of forum (Wednesday) | Time | Venue | Papers due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21st January 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 14th January 2026 |
| 25th February 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 18th February 2026 |
| 18th March 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 11th March 2026 |
| 22nd April 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 15th April 2026 |
| 20th May 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 13th May 2026 |
| 17th June 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 10th June 2026 |
| 15th July 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 8th July 2026 |