Managing the funding
The Ministry of Education: Special Education is the fundholder for students in the SHHNF. Some Specialist Service Provider schools (SSPs) manage funds for the SHHNF and Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS). Funds are paid each term to the student's school to employ the paraprofessional. The level of funding is determined through the Individual Care Plan (ICP) process.
The fundholder or SSP school is responsible for ensuring that the student has an annual ICP that details:
- the care and supervision tasks the paraprofessional will carry out
- the monitoring system that ensures the care remains appropriate to the student's needs during the year.
- The evaluation process to determine the student's ongoing level of need for care and supervision.
Reviewing eligibility
Each student in the Fund is reviewed at a notified time- by the verifiers.
The verifiers ask to see the current Individual Care Plan (ICP) and a recent medical report to decide whether the student continues to meet the criteria and is funded for a period of time.
SHHNF and other resources
The SHHNF is in addition to the services provided by Regional Hospital Health Schools (RHHS). These schools are for students in hospital, or convalescing at home, or returning back to their usual school.
The RHHS have a core role as schools for students who are in hospital for longer than two weeks. They are also responsible for providing services to students who are chronically ill and cannot attend their regular school for long periods, or have a psychiatric illness and live in a health-funded institution, or need support as they return to their regular school after a lengthy absence due to medical intervention.
Students returning to their local school from the roll of a RHHS may require support from the SHHNF.
Students may receive resources from the SHHNF and any other special education funding schemes, EXCEPT for ORS. Students who meet the criteria for ORS, and who have high health needs, receive resources for all their care and supervision through the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme.
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