How the School High Health Needs Fund is managed

Learn how the School High Needs Health Fund is managed alongside other learning support funds and how the rate of funding is decided.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform

  • Educators, Teachers and Kaiako
  • Learning Support Coordinators and SENCOs
  • Learning Support Specialist Staff
  • Specialist Health Workers
  • Boards
  • Principals and Tumuaki
  • Non-Government Agencies
  • Disability Sector
  • Mātua, Caregivers and Whānau

Managing the fund alongside other health funds

Ākonga | students may receive resources from the School High Needs Health Fund (SHHNF) fund and other learning support funding schemes, except for the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS).

Ākonga who meet the criteria for ORS and have high health needs will receive all their care and supervision through ORS. 

ACC provides the support needs of ākonga with high health needs as the result of an accident.

SHHNF is in addition to the education services provided by regional health schools. See more on regional health schools for ākonga who can not attend school because they are unwell.

Regional health schools

How funding is decided

Once ākonga are placed into the SHHNF, the level of funding is determined through the individual care plan (ICP).

The Ministry of Education, or the school if it is a fundholder, is responsible for making sure each ākonga has an annual ICP that details:

  • a brief summary of ākonga health needs
  • the care and supervision tasks the support person will carry out, how long each task takes and how many times a day and week the tasks are completed
  • what tasks ākonga can do independently and what tasks they need help with
  • a brief summary of the plans and strategies to help ākonga develop skills in self-managing their own health needs to the best of their ability
  • the monitoring system that will ensure the care remains appropriate to ākonga needs during the year
  • the evaluation process that will determine the  ongoing level of need for care and supervision, together with information about the progress of ākonga towards being able to manage their own needs
  • signatures of mātua/caregivers and the educator.

The fund supports ākonga with their health needs at school while helping them learn to manage their own care needs to the best of their ability and as quickly as possible. Most ākonga develop self-awareness and independence in managing their health care needs. A very small number of ākonga may need the fund’s support throughout their schooling. 

As ākonga start to develop skills in managing their own care needs the level of teacher aide hours will reduce. The hours will continue to reduce as their time in the fund comes towards an end.

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