Early years SEN funding!! what should i be doing?!

[3cutedarlings]

DS is 2 (3 end of feb), he has SLD, other developmental delays and behavioural problems.

DD1 has ASD and attends (a long with DD2) a fab school MS with an SNs IR unit, they also have a MS nursery with a separate IR unit. The children in the IR unit have alsorts of SN some quite significant and they will go on to a SNs schools, places there are allocated via the LEA SN panel. Not all the children have a statement they are basically placed there to see what type of educational setting and support is needed for them.

DSs name has been down for this nursery since he was 18mths old and he has a place there for a normal MS place in April. This was all obviously prior to me suspecting DS had any SNs. We are seeing DD1s consultant in January regarding DS and he has also been referred to the combined clinic at a CDC (child development centre).

Last week we had a home visit with a teacher from the early years inclusion team, they have offered DS an early nursery place initially for just one day a week, but its not at our school nursery its at a childrens centre. The teacher basically said the DSs isnt bad enough (this was said after spending just 15mins with him ) to get a place at the nursery IR and it was much easier for her to get funding put in place at the childrens centre nursery.

The plan (if i agree) would be for DS to start there in January and they would basically assess what support he needs and hopefully start him at the school nursery in September.

Now i know nothing of how this other nursery is ran, its in a really run down area (not that that bothers me) it hasnt been ofsted inspected since 2006 but there was a complaint made against it this summer and it was investigated by ofsted. They were given notice to improve in a few area's including how meds were given out and improving how they ran the key worker system.

The commute there would be a PITA, the girls school is 4 miles from home (so an 8 mile round trip) the childrens centre is 2 miles in the opposite direction!!.

The more ive thought about this over the weekend, the more i feel that they just want to do what easier for them in terms of paper work, and not whats right for DS. Surely it makes no sense to move him around? i cant see how this would do him any good. I feel like a right idiot because i just sat there and nodded my head and said id call and let her know once i had spoken to DH. I wish id said there and then that i didnt think it would work!!.

I dont really know what to do? i so want DS to go to the school nursery, they are very SN orientated, plus i know most of the staff and trust them. Should i apply for a statement for DS now? despite the fact that he hasnt yet been seen/assessed by a pead (just a very short appointment with a SALT who referred him to the DCD) he also hasnt spent any time away from me (other than with DH, we have no family that help us out) in any sort of formal setting other then at play groups, which are a night mare his behaviour is awful and he is often violent with the other children .

Sorry this has turned into yet ANOTHER huge post, thanks for reading .

I reckon follow your instinct, and have him go to the school nursery, I think it's a bit daft for them to have him go one day a week for 6 months, then move him after that (probably once he's finally settled in), if he's not sufficently severe for the IR, then he should be in MS with support. May do you no harm to make noises about needing transport if he goes to the childrens' centre one.

and yes, apply for statement now, it all takes so long to iron out anyway

They would increase the days/hours he spent there gradually tocha.

Would the LEA not just decline the request? seeing as they would only have my word that DS will need extra support?.

as there is yet to be any sort of pead/salt reports written IYSWIM.

I was in a similar situation to you and put DS3 down for DS2's pre-school before it became apparent that he had some SNs (SLD, hypermobility, ?ASD). I spoke to the pre-school a term before DS3 was due to start and they were very accomodating and allocated him a one-to-one for the day he attends there. We agreed he would only attend there one session per week until he became legible for SIPS funding the term after he was 3, so I am hoping he will be able to up his days to 2 days next term.

I was also offered a placement for 2 sessions per week at a SN pre-school, which I accepted because I felt I had to be doing something else to help him. However, with hindsite it has not really benefitted him and I wish I had never sent him there now as I will probably take end up taking him out and placing him at a much more appropriate (for his needs) SN nursery. As tocha said, I think you should trust your insticts and don't feel bullied into sending your DS somewhere you don't feel happy with.

The MS pre-school DS3 attends just took my word for it that he had SNs, but since then someone from the LEA came to observe him in a session and agreed he needs one-to-one support so gave the pre-school the green-light to apply for funding.

Thanks for your reply Zen1, when you say the LEA gave the preschool the green light to apply for funding do you mean for them to apply for a statement?

Im just wondering as i said not all the children in our nursery IR have a statement, so where would the funding have come from? most of the children in the nursery IR come on transport.

I think i should have kicked up a bigger fuss!!! GRRR you'd think id be good at this by now !

No, he doesn't have a statement and we haven't applied for one yet. The pre-school referred him to the Early Support Pre-School Panel who sent in someone to assess him for suitability for the SIPS (supporting inclusion in pre-schools) service. They then report back to the Panel who decide whether the child is eligible for additional support from the service. When the pre-school referred him, I had to fill in a form detailing his needs and any specialists he was under. I basically pointed out everything he would be unable to do unless he had someone to support him. He did not have a diagnosis at the time and is still awaiting formal assessment for ASD.

Actually, it isn't the LEA but the Council's Children and Young People Services whorun the SIPS service.

Right thats the bit i was missing Zen i thought SIPS just stood for something to do with the normal nursery grant that starts at 3 IYSWIM.

I shall have a good google when i get back from the school run.

I trust all councils has a SIPS panel? i wonder if this is who we have already seen . Actually i may try and have a chat with the nursery SENCO when i pick the girls up, if anyone knows how early years SEN funding works its her.

As far as I know, all councils have a SIPS service. Yes, it is a separate thing to the grant all 3 yr olds are entitled to. I think it's a good idea to speak to your nursery senco. I tried googling SIPS and it came out with all sorts of wierd and wonderful acronyms!

Yes ive just had a google too, it appears that all we have here (sheffield) is the early years inclusion team and this is who we saw last week.

However i did discover that the early years team are basically split into team across the city, now the lady that i saw was from my area team, and not the area that the actual school is in. As i said in my OP the school/nursery isnt local, non of our local schools are suitable for DD1. Now im wondering if this is what she what meant by its "easier" to put support in place at the children centre, is that actually because its easier for her team to get to?. I could well be reading FAR to much into this, but something is just not quite adding up for me and i cant put my finger on it.

Unfortunately the SENCO was out when i did the school run, but ill pop in tomorrow AM and hopefully she can either confirm my suspicions or set me straight. :).

Its also our second visit to DSs SNs playgroup tomorrow, he did really was last week, so im hoping it's just as positive tomorrow :).