Which Local Authorities is Player Ready Level-Up Approved or Listed with??

Most SEND parents know the battle they face to first get accepted for an assessment of needs, i.e. to to start the process of having an EHCP. To then getting the EHCP if agreed and then ensuring that EHCP is specific and meets needs of the Children or Young Person. Often this takes years due to backlogs and delays, sometimes going to tribunals and judicial reviews. 

When a parent comes to Player Ready often exhausted and stressed, unfortunately they have to decide if they can find funding or self-fund our provision here at Player Ready Level Up!

Although we’ve taken the bold step to offer “Ap-Lite” at a reduced cost, if the Child/Young Person requires half, full or multiple days of AP this can be prohibitively expensive if the child cannot access funding. 

Funding is often tied to two routes, the EHCP and as a requirement for meeting the EHCP funding may come via a School (if enrolled, even if not attending currently) or via the Local Authority (LA). If a Child or Young Person hasn’t been able to access Education for 15 days, then this can trigger Section 19 (S19) funding from the Local Authority, which basically provides some temporary emergency funding. 

Schools including multi-academy trusts (MATs) have some autonomy on the types of provision they can fund from the budget they receive. The school is then responsible to ensure that provision is safe and suitable, this is normally done with paperwork checks and then a Quality Assurance visit (for the first student from that school). 

 Local Authorities under guidance in 2023 from the Department of Education (DfE) and OfSTED have instructed Local Authorities (LAs) to improve how they commission (buy in) services from alternative provisions, tighten up their Quality Assurance (Safety checks etc) and sometimes reduce their reliance on Alternative Provisions. 

This has led to lots of Local Authorities, Unitary Authorities or Metro Councils etc implementing much more robust checks, which Player Ready fully supports. The safety and wellbeing of the young people is paramount, but also with limited funding we feel it is fair to ensure value for money as well – as long as meeting needs. 

Player Ready began its journey into “official” Alternative Provision in 2023 and started the long processes of formally tendering or submitting applications with various Local Authorities. The timing was perfect as Cornwall Council our home county, opened discussions on their new framework at the end of 2023. Accepted applications in April 2024 and granted contracts in Summer 2024. 

Player Ready has multiple venues, some like Portsmouth sit surrounded by several Local Authorities in Portsmouth case this is Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire County Council and to the East & West but within short driving distance Southampton City Council & East Sussex County Council. Which means to ensure we can offer provision to widest selection of young people within a 60 mile radius, submitting tenders or applications for all of the above Local Authorities. 

Professionals & Parents please use the correct referral link button below to start your enquiry, alternatively you can email us on alternativeprovision@player-ready.co.uk . 

This maps shows locations of our current venues. Plus  some of the areas we are currently an Approved Alternative Provision (purple) with the Local Authority / Council or in the process of Quality Assurance / Tendering to achieve that status in this school year (Yellow). 

Click Here to View the Live Map on Google Maps. 

We can still work with self-funding families and schools in any area of the UK, this map is purely for Local Authority funding.

Player Ready is an approved Alternative Provision for Cornwall with Cornwall Council for our online and venue based provision located in Truro, Cornwall. 

Click Here for Further Information

Player Ready Taunton is an approved Alternative Provision for Somerset Council for our online and venue based provision located in Taunton, Somerset.

Click Here for Further Information

Player Ready  is an approved Alternative Provision for Wiltshire Council Council for our online provision and a future venue based location in Wiltshire.

Click Here for Further Information

Player Ready  is an approved Alternative Provision for Swindon Borough Council for our online provision and a future venue based location in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Click Here for Further Information

The below Local Authorities are currently assessing our applications which should be approved in September-October 2024.

Our Portsmouth venue will provide in-person & online Alternative Provision for Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton & West Sussex Councils. 

We hope to add additional venues in Southampton & Basingstoke in 2024/2025 which will also serve some of these Local Authorities. 

The below Local Authorities we have submitted tenders or will be in September 2024 when the next intake happens. These Local Authorities Cover North Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Gloucestershire County Council. We hope to be on their Approved Alternative Provision lists be end of October 2024.

The below are just some of the many more Local Authority Partners Player Ready is working with to bring high quality in-person and online virtual Alternative Provision including Dorset, BCP Council, Brighton & Hove City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Kent County Council, Plymouth City Council, East Sussex County Council and Surrey County County. 

Devon County Council currently have their process of adding new suppliers frozen something we are working on challenging, however we can still work with families direct, via third party organisations or direct with educational partners like Schools & Academies .