Additional support in Wales

This information is for families of deaf children and young people in Wales. Read our information for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Deaf babies, children and young people may need extra support in education so they can achieve and make good progress in their learning. For most deaf learners, their education setting will be able to provide this support, but some may need a formal plan which legally sets out what support they need and how this will be provided.

All children have the right to access education and to have their needs met, this includes children and young people with all types and levels of deafness.

Understanding the additional support deaf learners can get in education settings can help to make sure that they get the most out of their education.

We have more information about rights in education in Wales.

Additional learning needs (ALN)

Babies, children and young people may have ALN if they need extra support to learn which is not normally given to other learners their age. This includes learning difficulties or a disability that makes it harder for them to learn if they are not given extra support. 

Deafness is considered an ALN in Welsh Government guidance (gov.wales). Most, but not all, deaf learners may be viewed as having ALN and needing additional learning provision (ALP) (extra support). 

The law

The Welsh Government aims to make sure that children and young people aged 0-25 with ALN are supported in education in Wales to achieve the best possible outcomes. 

This is laid out in the Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Act (gov.wales). This law means that local authorities should: 

• provide an education that allows learners to achieve the best possible outcomes
• have arrangements in place to support learners with ALN
• identify a member of staff to act as an EYALNLO or ALNCO
• listen to and involve learners and their families in all decisions
• give information to families on how providers will support learners with ALN
• make sure that learners with ALN get help from specialist education services as quickly as possible
• work together with other professionals, such as Teachers of the Deaf (ToD) and the local authority

Additional learning provision (ALP)

Learners with ALN will receive ALP (extra support) in education.

If the EYALNLO or ALNCo agrees that a learner has ALN and would benefit from ALP (extra support) they will invite parents or carers and the professionals who support the learner to a meeting to discuss their needs. Parents or carers should be included in discussions about a learner’s ALN and ALP at every stage.

If you need communication support for these discussions (such as a spoken or sign language interpreter), this must be provided.

If a learner has ALN, their ALP may be laid out in an Individual Development Plan (IDP).

How additional support is provided

Deaf learners may have ALN and need ALP (extra support) so they can achieve and make good progress in their education.

For most deaf learners, their education setting will work with other professionals to be able to provide this support. Some may need a formal plan which legally sets out what support they need and how this will be provided. 

The type of support available for deaf learners will depend on: 

• the type of education setting they’re attending or are planning to attend (for example, a mainstream school or a mainstream school with a resource base)
• their support needs in education

If you wish to explore special schools for the deaf, this option is not currently available in Wales. A ToD will be able to help you look into special schools for the deaf across the UK.

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

Learners in Wales who need support with their learning may be eligible for an Individual Development Plan (IDP). Find out more about IDPs in this short video.

Learners with ALN can get ALP with a support plan known as an Individual Development Plan (IDP). An IDP is a legal document which describes a learner’s ALN, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve. Any support written into an IDP must be provided by law. 

IDPs are for:

• babies and learners with ALN aged 0 to 16
• learners with ALN, aged 16 to 25, who attend sixth form or college.

Parents, carers, or a professional working with a learner, can make a request for an IDP to the local authority. 

Learners with all levels of ALN can get an IDP, not just those with a high level of support need. However, not every child with ALN will meet the criteria for needing an IDP. For example, if the local authority assesses that a learner’s needs can be met by the resources available to their education setting, they may decide an IDP is not necessary.

Support in early education

As a parent or carer of a baby or child who has been identified with any type of hearing loss or level of deafness, you can contact your local authority (council) and ask to speak to the EYALNLO, about your child’s development and learning needs. The EYALNLO is your local authority’s key contact for ALN in Early Years. 

You can get support whether your child is looked after at home, goes to nursery, spends time with a childminder or uses any other kind of early years education or childcare. 

Professionals working with your child might talk to you about having a support plan. This is an Individual Development Plan (IDP). 

Support in school

If your child is already at school and you think they have ALN, talk to the school’s ALNCO. The ALNCO will discuss your child’s needs in more detail, the support available within the school, and how your child can get additional support via and IDP if needed. 

IDP assessment

If the ALNCO at your child’s school agrees that your child has ALN and would benefit from ALP (extra support), they will invite you and the professionals who support your child to a meeting to discuss your child’s needs. 

This is called an IDP assessment. The assessment will involve consulting a range of professionals including, for example, a ToD, educational psychologist, audiologist and your child’s school teacher. These professionals will meet with your child to carry out an assessment and write a report. You can ask your local authority to consider involving any other relevant professionals. If your child has already undergone any other assessments, you can submit these to be considered as well. Your local authority will use the information collected in this assessment to decide whether your child needs an IDP. 

The local authority will tell you within 16 weeks whether an IDP is going to be made for your child or not. 

If the local authority decides to prepare an IDP for your child, the information gathered at the assessment will be used to draw up the plan, so it’s important that the assessment is as full and thorough as possible. 

Think about what support you would like, who could provide it and how. The professionals who already support you will also be able to help with suggestions and information. Bring this information to your child’s IDP assessment.