Hampshire Early Years Specialist Hub Provision (EY SEN Hub)

Overview

Hampshire funds Early Years Specialist Hub Provision for children under five who have significant and complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These placements are designed to provide the necessary support and education for children to thrive in their early years.

Eligibility

Professionals working in early years childcare settings and Services for Young Children (SfYC) Inclusion Team can make a request for children who are Hampshire residents, or a looked after child placed in Hampshire.

Three and four-year-old children can be referred for a placement as part of their Early Years Education (EYE) funding entitlement. Two-year-old children can only be considered under exceptional circumstances, where it is deemed that no other placement is able to meet need and keep the child safe, with appropriate support.

Where children are not accessing a mainstream preschool provision, or there has been an issue in identifying a suitable placement, parents can contact SfYC Inclusion Team for support using the brokerage support link General Enquiry form

Children must meet specific criteria, including significant developmental delays, medical conditions, behavioural and emotional needs, sensory impairments, or learning disabilities.

Framework for Decision Making for Early Years Specialist Hub Provision

Policy for Placing Early Years Children in a Specialist Preschool placement

Criteria for allocating Early Years Specialist Hub Provision

To be considered for Early Years Specialist Hub Provision support children must exhibit significant developmental delays:

Developmental Delays: Children who exhibit significant delays (two thirds of their chronological age) in cognitive abilities and one or more other areas of development, such as speech and language, motor skills, or social communication.

Severe Social Communication Needs / Social Emotional and Mental Health Needs: Children and young people exhibit behaviours which are either dangerous to themselves or others and/or interfering with their education to an extent that they require intensive adult support and strategies specifically designed to develop their self-regulation.

Children must also meet one or more of the following criteria:

Medical Conditions: Children with diagnosed medical conditions that significantly impact their ability to participate in a mainstream preschool setting.

Behavioural and Emotional Needs: Children who display behavioural or emotional difficulties that require specialised support and intervention.

Sensory Impairments: Children with visual, hearing, or other sensory impairments that necessitate a tailored educational environment.

Learning Disabilities: Children with significant identified learning disabilities that affect their ability to access the curriculum in a mainstream setting.

Ongoing Support

Once a child starts an Early Years Specialist Hub Provision placement, ongoing assessment and intervention are put in place to support their learning and development. This is done in partnership with preschool practitioners, health professionals, educational psychologists, and parents.

Early Years Specialist Hub Provision Panel

The Pre-school Advisory Group (PAG) discusses requests for Early Years Specialist Hub Provision and allocates places every term. This panel includes professional representation from Hampshire County Council Services for Young Children team, SEN team, educational representation and relevant health professionals.

Early Years Pre-school Advisory Groups (PAG’s)

Referral Partners

Children referred to the panel will be known to one of the following multi-agency teams:

  • Services for Young Children Inclusion Team
  • Community Nursing Team
  • Health Visiting Team
  • Family Help Practitioners
  • Early Years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos)
How to apply

Before applying online, the referrer must obtain parental consent and complete the request for support together with the parent or carer. All relevant reports / evidence must be submitted to support the application for children who are Hampshire residents.

If an application is made for a SEN hub that is currently full, waiting list places may be considered; however, there is no guarantee that a space will become available. The SfYC Inclusion Team will contact the referrer to ensure that appropriate support is in place in the meantime.

Panel dates

The dates of meetings will differ in each district. If you wish to know more about dates scheduled in your area, please contact Services for Young Children using General Enquiry Form: General Enquiry form

Early Years Specialist Hub Provision

Parents may want to contact and/ or visit the setting to support consideration of a place. The Early Years Specialist Hub Provision may receive informal enquiries from parents about admission prior to the Pre-school Advisory Group having agreed that the child is eligible. Parents will be signposted to the Hampshire Local Offer website. Admissions to the Early Years Specialist Hub Provision are managed exclusively through the Pre-School Advisory Group. The Hub itself is not responsible for admissions and is unable to provide information about the availability of places.

Childcare Charges for Additional Hours

Allocations for Early Years Specialist Hub Provision will be made for a maximum of 15 hours. If the child is entitled to 30 hours in line with Early Years Education (EYE) funding entitlements, additional provision will need to be sought. An application for SEN Inclusion Funding may be requested to support the child’s additional hours.

Early Years Specialist Hub Placement Application Protocol

To request Early Years Specialist Hub Provision, professionals should complete an Early Years Specialist Hub application form

All Early Years Specialist Hub placement applications should be completed by the preschool setting currently supporting the child, as they are best placed to provide accurate and up-to-date information regarding the child’s needs and development.

Providers are responsible for communicating the outcome of the application to parents/carers.

In exceptional circumstances - where no preschool setting is in place, such as when brokerage efforts have been unsuccessful - the SfYC Inclusion Team may submit an Early Years Specialist Hub placement application on behalf of the child. This ensures that children without an identified early years setting are not disadvantaged in accessing appropriate support and provision.