Send Support
Check out our HAF programme
Explore and book all funded spaces in one place
Explore some pay as you go providers on one page
Funded by the Department of Education to support benefits free school meal families, the HAF programme has been rolled out across the country to support lower income families during the school holidays.
Please note, families must have been granted benefits related free school meal status to access a free, funded space.
There are a small percentage of spaces for non free school meal families which are granted on a case by case basis through a professional service referral and is targeted to support the most vulnerable families. SEND needs will be considered as part of the referral evaluation but do not guarantee a funded space.
HAF Fun Pompey gives children time together over the school holidays to explore what the city has to offer, learn new skills and enjoy a nutritional meal.
The programme provides some fantastic opportunities to book onto a diverse range of activities and our providers are working hard to make their offer as inclusive as possible.
Activities include sports, theatre, storytelling, cooking, laser tag, arts & crafts, day trips and much more as well as good, tasty food.
In Portsmouth City we have been working closely with our activity providers to make sure they are as inclusive and accessible as possible. We also have SEND specific activities on offer. We have also worked with local independent charity, Enable Ability, to offer activities specifically for children and young people with SEND. We have also worked with Council for Disabled Children to collate a Holiday Activities and Food Programme Toolkit to inspire providers across all local authorities to accommodate SEND families as best as possible.
We are working hard to ensure more mainstream provision can appropriately support SEND during the HAF Fun Pompey programme. Enable Ability have hosted a training workshop for ‘Confidence in SEND’ and many participants with additional needs have had fantastic experiences in our mainstream provision.
Enable Ability were recently recognised for their invaluable offer to the HAF programme and our families by the Department for Education having received an outstanding provider award. They were one of 18 provider across the country to be awarded from a nomination pool of over 100 providers. You can see the press release here – Portsmouth’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) provider named best in region – Portsmouth City Council
“…this week my little one with lots of additional needs has….loved it. I was a bit nervous leaving her with others that don’t know her but they’ve dealt with her amazingly. Thank you.” HAF Parent/Carer
“He is autistic and doesn’t engage at all well at school. He was so nervous about attending however the staff knew his situation and were amazing…so he knew what to expect. On the day they were on hand straight away and really de-sensitized him, he couldn’t stop talking each day and showing us what he had been doing. Best of all he made his first friend. This scheme is amazing!” HAF Parent/Carer
When you add a child onto the booking system you complete a profile, there is a ‘LEARNING INFORMATION’ section, here you can list:
- Allergies and health notes
- Learning notes & personality
- Portfolio personal statement (optional)
We recommend giving as much information as possible so providers can cater for your child’s needs as best as possible and/or assess if they are well enough equipped to meet their needs. This will give your child the best learning experience possible.
You will also need to answer the following when completing a booking:
- Any dietary requirements for this child
- Any SEND that this child has (list of options, including ‘Other’ if it is not listed).
- Confirm any medical details above.
- If this child has a medical condition, is this likely to cause difficulties in participating?
Select the icon below to see a list of providers for each category
FAQS
Frequently asked questions
HAF is open to all eligible children aged 5-16 and we have made sure activities are as inclusive and accessible as possible and some SEND specific provision.
- Enableability Playschemes
- Pompey in the Community SEN Multisports
- Redwood Academy
- Cliffdale Academy
Families can also attend any of our family days together.
Enableability playschemes at Paulsgrove and Landport will be open this Easter. Please note home visits and consultations are carried out before any new bookings can be made.
However, most of our universal providers are happy to support SEND if they have the capacity, appropriate staff available and suitable facilities.
You can filter by age, SEND, provider and date range when searching for activities on our HAF Fun Pompey Eequ pages.
Providers have selected if they are a ‘Universal Holiday Club’, ‘Universal Holiday Club with SEND Support’ or ‘Specialist SEND Holiday Club’.
If your child is in receipt of benefits related free school meals they are eligible for a free, funded space on the HAF Fun Pompey programme.
Parents and carers when booking can give as much information as possible on their child. We recommend carefully researching what is on offer and booking your child onto activities that are suitable for their needs. All providers will be keen to know lots about your child’s strengths and needs and how best they can be supported before they start at the activity.
When you add a child you complete ‘LEARNING INFORMATION’ under their profile. Here you can list:
- Allergies and health notes
- Learning notes & personality
- Portfolio personal statement (optional)
We recommend giving as much information as possible so providers can cater for your child’s needs as best as possible and/or assess if they are well enough equipped to meet their needs. This will give your child the best learning experience possible.
You can also filter by age, SEND, provider and date range.
Help article for Parents: How to find and book a HAF activity
You will also need to select the following when completing a booking:
- Please select any dietary requirements for this child
- Please tick any SEND that this child has (list of options, including ‘Other’ if it is not listed).
- Please confirm you have provided any medical details above.
- If this child has a medical condition, is this likely to cause difficulties in participating?
If attending SEND specific activities, they might be able to provide 1 to 1 support and they will look to do this on an individual basis. They will carefully consider each individual child and the staff they have available.
For other activity providers options there will be limited 1 to 1 support available, but providers will tell you about this once they know more about your child’s needs. 1 to 1 support shouldn’t be a barrier to your child joining an activity and we will do our best to work closely with you and know as much about your child or young person as possible, in advance.
All Children and young people aged 5-16 who are eligible for benefits related free school meals can access the programme.
If your child or young person is vulnerable there is some funding available for a few places. You will need to get a professional lead referral this could be your school, social worker, GP or Family hub worker to refer you to the programme. They can do this by completing a form and returning it to the HAF programme co-ordinator. Cases will be considered on their own individual needs.
If you are struggling to speak with your school and would like support from the HAF team you can send them an email at haf@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
If you are not eligible and you are not successfully referred by a professional lead, then there are some pay as you spaces available. Please check under each activity/provider listing to see if pay as you go is available.
If you are on Universal Credit, you can receive help with childcare costs – Help paying for childcare: Universal Credit and childcare – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
