SEND Community Grant
South Ribble Borough Council is proud to launch the SEND Community Grant scheme, designed to support families looking for holiday provision in the summer across our borough.
Before applying, please ensure you have read all the introductory information.
Expected Outcomes
The primary objective is to provide a range of activities for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities
Through this scheme, we aim to achieve:
-
offer support for families with special educational needs
-
provide several holiday clubs that offer SEND activities cross the borough
-
provide support by removing barriers to attend sessions
Project Duration: August and December 2026
Projects of Particular Interest
We are especially keen to support projects that address identified gaps in local services, such as:
1. Neurodiversity Support
Projects specifically designed for children and young people who are neurodivergent, including:
Examples include:
-
Autism (ASC), ADHD, sensory processing differences
-
Sensory-friendly environments (quiet spaces, low stimulation options)
-
Structured routines and clear transitions
-
Use of visual timetables and communication tools
-
Activities that reduce anxiety and support regulation
2. Holiday clubs that offer personal care support
Projects that can safely and respectfully support children with personal care needs, including:
-
Toileting and continence support
-
Hygiene and changing
-
Maintaining dignity, privacy, and safeguarding
-
Staff trained in personal care and appropriate facilities in place
3. Support for a range of SEND Needs
Inclusive projects that can support a wide range of needs, including:
-
Learning disabilities
-
Physical disabilities
-
Sensory impairments (hearing/visual)
-
Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs
-
Complex or multiple needs
This may include:
-
Adapted activities to ensure full participation
-
Flexible delivery approaches
-
Higher staffing ratios where required
4. High-needs / Complex Support
Projects able to support children with higher or complex needs, including:
-
1:1 or small group provision
-
Trained staff in specialist areas (e.g. moving & handling, medical needs)
-
Experience supporting children with EHCPs
-
Behaviour support and de-escalation strategies
Compliance, Monitoring and Evaluation
To ensure high‑quality, safe and effective delivery of mental health and emotional wellbeing activities, all funded groups will be required to meet the following standards.
Safeguarding, Risk Management and Duty of Care
Applicants must demonstrate that they have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place, including:
-
Clear processes for identifying, assessing and responding to risk and safeguarding concerns, including emotional distress, self‑harm or suicidal ideation.
-
Evidence that staff and volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding, confidentiality, and information sharing.
-
Procedures for recording and reporting incidents, including how concerns are communicated internally and, where appropriate, to external agencies.
Where relevant, organisations should also outline how they maintain safe environments (physical or digital), manage lone working, and ensure appropriate supervision for staff and volunteers.
Training and Competency
It is beneficial for organisations to demonstrate that staff or volunteers have relevant training in working with people with SEND. This may include, but is not limited to:
-
Safeguarding Adults/Children
-
Paediatric first Aid
Providers should demonstrate additional training in areas such as autism awareness, communication strategies, behaviour support, and supporting personal care needs (e.g. toileting, hygiene, dignity and privacy). Projects supporting children with complex needs must evidence specialist training where appropriate (e.g. moving and handling, medication administration, and supporting personal care safely and respectfully).
Monitoring Requirements
Funded groups will be required to submit end of project monitoring returns. These will include:
-
Financial information relating to the project, including all receipts and invoices.
-
Case studies demonstrating the impact of your work on individuals or communities
-
Basic project data such as attendance, demographics, outputs delivered, and any challenges or learning
We expect organisations to collect data consistently and ethically, ensuring participants understand how their information will be used.
Apply for the SEND Community Grant
Applications are completed using an online form please allow approximately 40 minutes to complete.
The application needs to be completed in one sitting as there is no facility to save your progress. To help you prepare your answers there is a PDF available SEND Application Guidance.
The application form will ask you to describe your project in detail. You will also be asked to upload compliance information documents which will be listed before you begin the application.
If you need any support with the application form, please contact our grants team on communitygrants@southribble.gov.uk (Opens in new tab)