The ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency) Learning Support Funding is a vital initiative aimed at providing additional support to apprentices in the UK who have learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD), including those who are neurodivergent. This funding is critical for creating an inclusive learning environment that accommodates the unique needs of all learners, ensuring they have the opportunity to succeed in their apprenticeship programmes.

Learning Support Funding (LSF) is provided by the ESFA to support learners with identified learning difficulties or disabilities. The funding is aimed at helping education/training providers offer tailored support to apprentices, ensuring they can fully participate in and benefit from their training. This could include extra time with tutors, assistive technology, and implementing reasonable adjustments to the training programme​.

To access the Learning Support Funding, the following steps are generally involved:

• Identification and Assessment:

  The process begins with identifying apprentices who might require additional support. This includes those who have not had previous diagnoses of learning difficulties but are identified by their training providers as needing support. A detailed assessment is then carried out to determine the specific needs of the apprentice​​​​.

• Application and Evidence:

  Training providers must include information about identified learners in need of support on the apprentice's individualised learner record (ILR). A claim for funding can only be made after a screening exercise for learning support has been undertaken. This exercise identifies potential learning difficulties and/or disabilities. If the assessment reveals a need for reasonable adjustments, these must be documented and a plan for implementing them throughout the apprenticeship should be developed, with the apprentice's consent​​.

• Ongoing Support and Monthly Evidence:

  Providers are required to document and provide ongoing support to learners, with monthly evidence of the reasonable adjustments delivered. This ongoing support is crucial for ensuring that learners receive the appropriate support when they need it and helps in maintaining the quality of learning provisions​​.

Recent updates and the community's feedback have prompted the ESFA to continue supporting funding for apprentices identified with hidden learning needs upon enrolment in apprenticeship programmes, following an appropriate assessment. This marks a significant shift towards inclusivity, ensuring that apprentices with learning difficulties or disabilities are recognised and supported right from the start of their programmes​​.

This support from the ESFA is an essential step towards accommodating neurodivergent apprentices, breaking down barriers to learning, and fostering an environment where every learner has the opportunity to achieve success. The focus on early identification, assessment, and ongoing support underlines the commitment to inclusivity and support for all apprentices, regardless of their learning needs.

You can access the complete set of rules on the official gov.uk website. Dive deeper into eligibility criteria, funding allocations, compliance requirements, and more to ensure your apprenticeship program thrives within regulatory frameworks.

Optimum Student Support offers a comprehensive 5-Step-Wrap-Around Package tailored to the specific academic and wellbeing needs of apprenticeship learners. This package includes initial learning needs assessment, academic and mental health support, designed to help each apprentice reach their full potential in both their professional and personal development. Our services are mapped to Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours (KSBs) and End-Point Assessment (EPA) requirements, ensuring that apprentices receive support that is directly relevant to their training programme and career goals.