Camden's Local Inclusion Fund for Early Years Childcare Providers

Overview

Consultation on the proposal for a new approach to the allocation of Camden’s Local Inclusion Fund (CLIF) 

Camden has a proud history of investment in early years, as evidence shows that high quality early education and childcare are fundamental to supporting success and building resilience through childhood, and on to later life. 

The provision of Early Education and Childcare in Camden is a partnership between the council and providers. Our ambition is to design and maintain a system which meets statutory requirements, while also providing as much support as possible for providers who work with us. 

Camden’s Local Inclusion Fund (CLIF) 

CLIF provides additional funding to childcare settings in Camden to help support children with special educational needs. 

Over the past seven years, the demand for this funding has grown significantly. In 2017/18 the total expenditure was £188,853 – this has now increased by 535% to £1,199,537. While we have so far continued to increase the budget to meet demand, further increases of this magnitude will not be sustainable.  

Due to this, we need to redesign our approach to allocating the funding to ensure we can continue to support childcare settings to meet children’s needs. 

Our consultation 

We are looking to consult with childcare providers across the borough on proposed changes to this application and allocation process. 

Our proposal is to follow the government’s statutory guidance for Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund (SENIF) which states that local authorities should fund providers in the form of ‘top-up grants’ on a case-by-case basis. We propose to set this out in bands depending on the child’s level of need. 

Click here to read further information on details of the threshold criteria and the proposed amount for the grants. If you are unable to view this, please email us at CLIFapplication@camden.gov.uk