The Hub
Early Years SEND Pathways
Children aged up to five who are or are not attending an Early Years Provision may be eligible to access different pathways to support their learning, development and health needs. This page provides an outline of these pathways.
Early Years Inclusion Pathway
The Early Years Inclusion Pathway works with children between birth and five, who have additional needs, to develop their learning through play activities.
This pathway is delivered by Waltham Forest’s Early Years, Childcare and Business Development Service. The service will work in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals to plan and deliver a learning and development programme for individual children.
The aim of this pathway is to empower parents/carers to support their own child’s learning and development and to prepare children for starting at an early years provision (nursery, school nursery, preschool or childminder). For further information about the criteria and offer please visit the Early Years Inclusion Pathway Local Offer page.
Two year old Partnership Pathway
The two year old Partnership Pathway has been developed jointly by the Local Authority, Health, Early Help and Children and Family Centre services. The intention of this pathway is to give Waltham Forest families the best start in their children’s lives by working together and using or collective knowledge and expertise to:
- Identify children who have developmental delay
- Identify families that would benefit from additional support
- Provide information about and encourage the use of universal services
- Empower families in their role as the prime educators of their children and the major influence on their child’s learning
- Offer holistic support and timely and appropriate intervention services
- Make appropriate, timely and quality referrals to targeted & specialist services
- Encourage the take up of early education services in a School or Ofsted registered childcare provision
Every professional has a unique role to play but we are part of a holistic ‘think family’ support framework, working together as one around the family.
For full details of the pathway and how families and children should fully access all universal services, visit the partnership pathway page and download the two year old Partnership Pathway poster.
Two year old’s who are eligible for a free early education entitlement (FEEE) can take up their place at a childcare provider who can apply for SENIF if further funding is required to support the child in the setting.