SEND and Inclusion

The Disability Access Fund (DAF) was introduced to support disabled children’s access to the entitlements for 3 and 4-year-olds. For 2024 to 2025, DAF eligibility will be extended to eligible 2-year-olds and under, accessing the entitlements, who are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and receives their Free Early Education Entitlement at a setting within Bolton.

The funding is not available to childcare settings that are not claiming the Free Early Education Entitlement. This fund is not available to 4-year-olds who are attending maintained, academy, or free school reception classes.

Eligible children can receive £910.00 per year, paid to the childcare provider that the parent nominates. This is not based on an hourly rate and is an additional entitlement.

The funding aims to support providers in making reasonable adjustments to their settings and helping with building capacity. It cannot be used to pay for additional hours. Providers should discuss with parents how they intend to use the funding to support the child’s needs.

Children do not need to take up all of their entitled 570 hours of Free Early Education to be able to access DAF.

The funding will not be reclaimed if the child moves settings. The new setting will be able to apply again for the funding the following year.

Early Years providers are responsible for identifying eligible children and local authorities will check that the child meets the DAF eligibility requirements. If the child you know is in receipt of DLA and Free Early Education Entitlement and you believe should be eligible for the DAF, please contact the Start Well SEND Service on: StartWellSEND@Bolton.gov.uk or phone: 01204 338149.

Please see the Disability Access Fund - Eligibility Process Flowchart, that details the process to be followed to verify eligibility for the DAF.

For more information on the DLA and how parents can apply, see the ‘Contact' website, a national charity for families with disabled children.

In the downloads below, find information about DLA and DAF. More information can be found on the HM Government website.

The Local Offer

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) puts a duty on the local authority to provide a local offer for their authority detailing the provision available for children with special educational needs.

The Local Offer for Bolton Council

Downloads