Education
The term Additional Support Needs applies to children or young people who, for whatever reason, require additional support, long or short term, in order to make the most of their education.
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (“the Act”) [1] provides the legal framework for identifying and addressing the additional support needs of children and young people who face a barrier, or barriers, to learning.
The 2004 Act and the amendments resulting from the 2009 Act have extended the rights of parents and young people with regard to additional support needs.
The Acts do not just cover education. They place a legal obligation on other agencies to help the Highland Council to support children and young people with Additional Support Needs. Parents and young people can request an assessment of their needs at any time.
The Additional Support Needs of most children and young people will be identified, and provided for by the systems which all schools have in place (e.g. Normal Classroom Practice, Differentiation, Staged Approach, Individualised Educational Programme [IEP] / Child’s Plan).
Some children and young people may require help from other services/agencies and this will also be co-ordinated through the Child’s Plan in line with the Highland Practice Model.
A small number of children and young people will have additional support needs which are/arise from complex or multiple factors, have a significant adverse affect on their learning, will last for more than a year and require a significant level of support from more than one agency to benefit from education. Where this support needs to be co- ordinated a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) may be considered as part of the Child’s Plan.
The format of the Co-ordinated Support Plan is set by law. Parents can request that the Education Authority considers whether or not their child should have a Co- ordinated Support Plan, and that particular assessments be carried out as part of the process by writing to their local Area Additional Support Needs Manager. Co-ordinated Support Plans must be formally reviewed every 12 months.
Sometimes parents/young people are unhappy with a decision made by the education authority or perhaps about the support arrangements made for their child. If a local solution cannot be found there are rights for parents and young people to use mediation and dispute resolution services and to appeal to independent tribunals. Information regarding these appeal routes can be found from your school or Thriving Families
Guiding you through the Child’s Plan
This short video was created by Trish McQueen, Family Support Worker, Thriving Families, to guide you through the Child's Plan document and help make sense of the various sections and what should be included.
See links below for more information on Highlands’ Education Directive
Highland schools website
Highland Digital Schools Hub
Psychological services Website
Highland Council Policy And Strategy For The Education Of Pupils With Autism Spectrum Disorders
See below to contact you local additional support needs manager
South (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey)
Area ASN Manager,
The Highland Council Headquarters,
Glenurquhart Road,
Inverness IV3 5NX
Tel: 01463 702074
North (Caithness, Sutherland)
Area ASN Manager,
Drummuie,
Golspie KW10 6TA
Tel: 01408 635338
Mid, Easter Ross & Black Isle
Area ASN Manager,
Council Buildings,
Strathpeffer Road,
Dingwall IV15 9QN
Tel: 01349 868603
West, Wester Ross, Skye, Lochalsh & Lochaber
Area ASN Manager,
Fingal Centre,
Portree,
Skye IV51 9ET
Tel: 01478 614890