How Can SEN & Inclusion Funding Be Used to Develop Staff Teams?
When funding becomes available for SEND, inclusion or early intervention, organisations understandably want to make sure it is used well. But there can be a surprisingly difficult question hiding underneath the funding guidance:
“What should we actually spend it on?”
Training and staff development can sometimes be overlooked because the immediate needs of children are understandably the priority. Yet building the knowledge and confidence of the adults working with those children can be an important part of improving provision.
Look beyond individual interventions
Some funding is specifically intended to support individual children or particular interventions. Other funding streams may have a broader purpose, including:
workforce development
staff training
inclusive practice
early intervention
capacity building
setting-wide improvement
specialist advice
The precise rules vary considerably between funding schemes and local authorities, so it is essential to check the relevant guidance for your funding. But where workforce development is an eligible use, such as Inclusion Mainstream Funding, training can provide a way of strengthening provision beyond a single child.
What could staff development achieve?
A well-designed programme might help staff to:
recognise potential needs earlier
understand children's behaviour in the context of communication and development
adapt their communication
use more inclusive classroom strategies
support children's participation
implement specialist recommendations
develop confidence around SEND
create more consistent approaches across a staff team
The potential benefit is therefore not limited to the people who attend the training.
The knowledge can be taken back into everyday practice.
Think about the reach of the investment
When considering how to use an inclusion budget, it can be helpful to ask:
How many practitioners could this investment reach?
And:
How many children could those practitioners support?
For example, a training programme for a whole staff team may reach considerably more children over time than an intervention delivered to a small number of individuals. That doesn't make one approach better than another, it simply means that workforce development can be a powerful complement to targeted support.
Speech and language is one area to strongly consider
Communication is fundamental to children's access to education, relationships and participation. Developing staff knowledge around speech, language and communication can therefore have broad application.
Staff may develop strategies that support:
children with identified SLCN
children with autism
children with ADHD
children with developmental language disorder
children with learning difficulties
children experiencing social or emotional difficulties
children who are struggling to understand classroom language
children who need additional support to express themselves
This doesn't replace specialist assessment or intervention; it builds the environment around the child.
What should you ask a training provider?
If you are considering using inclusion or SEND funding for staff development, it is worth asking potential providers:
Is the training evidence-informed?
What expertise underpins the content?
Is it relevant to our staff?
Will practitioners be able to apply what they learn in their actual setting? Can all of our staff access it?
Is it practical?
Does it provide strategies and resources rather than information alone?
Can it reach the whole staff team?
Can the provider support your intended number of participants?
Is it flexible?
Can staff access it around their existing responsibilities?
How long can staff access it?
Can new staff or staff who need to revisit the material access it later?
How will we know it has helped?
Does the provider offer appropriate ways to consider knowledge, confidence or implementation?
These questions can help turn a funding decision into a meaningful workforce-development investment.
Check the funding rules carefully
There is no universal answer to whether a particular funding stream can pay for a particular training programme.
Eligibility depends on:
the funding source
the purpose of the funding
local authority arrangements
the organisation receiving the money
any conditions attached to the grant
local purchasing or procurement requirements
Always check the current guidance before committing funding as criteria and reporting requirements can vary, so it's important for both the organisation receiving the funding and the training provider to understand the conditions before making a commitment
But if staff development is an eligible use, it is worth considering not just what training staff would like to attend, but what capability the organisation needs to build.
Funding can create an opportunity for lasting change
Good inclusion funding should ideally leave something behind.
A trained staff team can continue using its knowledge after the funding period has ended.
New staff can be introduced to established approaches, SENCOs and leaders can build on a shared foundation, and children can benefit from adults who are better equipped to understand and support them.
Investing in staff doesn't take the focus away from children.
Done well, it is one way of investing in the adults who support children every day.
Looking to invest in your staff team?
If you're responsible for allocating SEND or inclusion funding and want to give your staff practical training to better support children's speech, language and communication, my Speech & Language Training Package is a useful next step.
The package provides flexible, online professional development that staff can access around their existing responsibilities, with 12 months of access to revisit the material.
If you're a Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, SENCO or setting manager looking to train your own team, get in touch to discuss the number of staff you want to train and which package would suit your setting.
If you're a local authority, charity, funding organisation or other organisation looking to make training available across several settings, I'd love to hear from you. Email me to discuss how The Orchard Training Package could support your plans.
Let's explore how we can help more staff feel confident supporting children's speech, language and communication.
