Using DAF to support children with SEND

Providers should consider what reasonable adaptations are required to ensure the child has the same equity of access to the provision as any other child.

Resources required to ensure basic entry and reasonable adjustments to the learning environment should be the priority for DAF. This should involve the child’s parent(s) and engage with other professionals working with the family to ensure DAF is spent appropriately. This is not limited to, but may include:

• SEN early years team
• Health visitor
• Paediatrician
• Child and family worker
• Occupational therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Visual impairment
• Hearing impairment
• Autism outreach

Providers who have more than one child eligible for DAF at the same time may wish to ‘pool’ DAF. This may provide an opportunity to support an adjustment or purchase of equipment that benefits more than one child.

Providers are encouraged to forward-plan in utilising DAF to ensure a child’s needs are met for the duration of time that the child will be attending their provision before they start school. However, providers are advised to spend DAF within the term it is awarded.

Any resources purchased as part of DAF remain the property of that particular provider. However, if a child is moving onto another provider, they may wish to make arrangements for the transfer of any resources.

Providers may wish to allow parents to take resources home for weekends and holiday periods if they feel they would benefit the child.

Providers are encouraged to spend the entire £910 on the child eligible and meet the shortfall for any items over this amount. We won't meet any additional requests for funding above the standard DAF grant.

DAF should not be used to fund trips, assessments, 1:1 support or additional staffing, staff training or any other activity outside the definition of ‘access’ as outlined here.