Pre schoolers with SEN and education/early years settings funding

[rabbitheadlights]

I'm here looking for your advice/experience

2.5 yr DS has no definitive diagnosis as yet, he is suspected to be ASD/GDD/SPD.

He is non verbal and seems to have little recall.

He has an early years portage referral and I have managed to secure 15hrs per week funding for nursery as well as some extra funding for 1/1 support but I don't know how much.

He currently attends an independent day nursery that 2 older DC attended.

They are a lovely nursery however they don't seem to want DS there and I need to check if maybe I'm expecting too much.

Funding was paid from 1/9/20 yet DS wasn't allowed to start until 22/10. When he started it was for 1hr per day for 3 days a week (so12 hours less than what is funded)

It was supposed to be 15 hrs a week term time but they have since said 10 hrs per week but all year. That's not a problem.
They have stiulated he must do Monday's and Tuesdays.
However now they are saying his 1/1 funding which is on top of the 10 he per week funding doesn't cover the whole time he is there so he cant do a full session which is 8-1. He has to start at 9.30 and be collected at 12.30

So on top of being forced to have Monday's (so losses 8 sessions per yr due to bank holidays)

He's now only allowed do do 3 hrs of a 5 hr session so losses the equivalent of 1 session per week.

So overall of the 520 hours he gets funding for over the year he is actually allowed to attend 272 hours?

I feel like they are taking the P* but I don't know??

There are some great specialised private nursery out there for sen kids which would have salt support etc. You may have to pay more bit it would be worth it.

To be blunt even if they are struggling financially that should not impact their attitude towards him. My DDs school really struggled funding her absolutely essential 1-1 for thr 6 months it took to sort her EHCP and even though I knew there was a financial battle ongoing it never once came through in their attitude towards I or her. It was very clear she was wanted with funding being a hitch. The funding battle was for school to fight it out with the LA and I knew that was going on in the background.

Some settings do just dislike the idea of an individual child receiving 1-1, goodness knows why but its definitely an issue in many settings.

When I was looking for preschools for my DS you could tell within a minute or two of speaking to them who were keen to at least find out more and those who weren't interested or looking to run a mile. It becomes more obvious when you speak to several how different attitudes can be.

@Waveysnail many many LAs don't have any. Its shocking really.

montessori nursery or looking if any local nursery teach makaton could be a way forward too

I would consider looking for a new nursery tbh. My son went to a Montessori nursery and they couldn't do enough for him. A few staff members wanted to be his 1 to 1. The nursery obtained all funding needed and got some of the staff training for dealing with autistic children. They couldn't do enough for him and he was happy there and had all his needs met. The SENCO completed the EHCP for me as well as arranging for an educational psychologist to assess my son. He got a place in the most amazing SEN school and has been there for two years.
That nursery is doing your child a disservice.

Not direct experience but my son went to a nursery in a children’s centre and there where a few children with sen and 1 to 1 I still see the parents now 3 years later they where all happy with the nursery and some went on to special schools and some main stream so if you’ve got a children’s centre with a nursery next to you maybe have a look at them.

School and nursery SENCOs really should not be writing EHCPs. It's not their job and they aren't trained for it. It is the job of the local authority, and they should draft EHCPs on the basis of proper advice received during the course of the EHC needs assessment from experts who have been instructed to advise in detailed and specific terms on the provision the child needs.

But yes, OP, you need to apply for an EHCP as soon as possible. If the nursery is saying it can't meet your child's needs even with extra funding, in effect that proves your case. www.ipsea.org.uk/asking-for-an-ehc-needs-assessment

@MaryLeeOnHigh I think I am right in assuming that when nurseries say they write EHCPs they were referring to the paperwork they are expected to complete that contributes towards the EHCP assessment process. And that certainly is the job of Nursery SENCO as they are the expert in the child and are able to advise on the provision the child needs

I don’t know about the funding side but we do help our parents with SEND children fill in assessments and referrals, work with them to give the best care and education for their child and do any extra training that will help us support them.

We might recommend them attend particular sessions or times, especially when they first start, in order to give them a gentle introduction to nursery and the staff and to allow staff to learn what support the child will need and get things put in place. These will usually be on quieter sessions where full attention can be given to the child or on sessions where there aren’t already children needing a lot of support. This benefits the child as staff can really get to know them.

In the long term this then builds up to their full hours, this depends on the child. Some are ready pretty much immediately, some may take a gradual increase in hours over a half term. It’s child led.

Some children can be harder work than others, but that isn’t just SEN children, and our job is to make sure all the children in our care get a chance to reach their potential. A good nursery shouldn’t make you feel your child is a problem or hard work.