How do I get additional support in Scotland?

In Scotland you're said to have additional support needs if you need extra support in order to benefit from education. Your need for extra support could be temporary or ongoing.

Examples of things that could mean you need additional support are:

• a sensory impairment, for example deafness
• a specific language impairment
• other learning difficulties
• being bullied
• behavioural difficulties.

Examples of additional support needs include:

• to develop greater self-confidence and self-esteem
• to extend vocabulary in British Sign Language (BSL)
• to improve the quality of speech
• to improve use and understanding of English
• to improve gross and fine motor skills
• to improve concentration and organisation
• to develop social skills
• to improve expressive language (putting thoughts into words and sentences that make sense and use grammar correctly)
• to improve receptive language (understanding language that is heard or read).

Local authorities in Scotland must put in place appropriate arrangements to identify children and young people with additional support needs. Each local authority will have its own Additional Support Needs Policy with details of local arrangements. You can contact your local authority and ask for a copy of their policy – if it isn’t on their website.

If you think you may have additional support needs but haven’t been identified or if your needs aren’t being met then you can have an assessment from your local authority. If you're over 16 years old then you can request your own assessment. If you're under 16 then a parent or carer would need to request the assessment for you. Professionals working with you could also request an assessment.

Examples of how additional learning needs can be met:

• Different teaching methods, such as sign language or total communication to make sure you can access the full curriculum
• Support from a Teacher of the Deaf
• Speech and language therapy
• Support from a learning support assistant (with experience of working with deaf children)
• Support from a communication support worker (CSW)
  radio aids (in and out of school)
• Other technology to help you to hear the TV or videos, such as direct input leads
• Reducing background noise

You should request an assessment in writing, and you need to include the reasons why you need to be assessed. The local authority must comply with the request unless it considers the request unreasonable, for example an assessment was done recently and there haven’t been any changes since then.

If you think you need significantly more support then you should ask to be considered for a coordinated support plan (CSP).

If you asked for a CSP you should receive a response from the local authority within four weeks. If you didn’t specify a CSP, you should receive a response within 10 weeks. If the local authority refuses to carry out an assessment, you can seek mediation or independent adjudication.

Once the local authority has agreed to carry out an assessment, they should let you know who will carry out the assessment and provide you with their contact details. This key contact or coordinator should keep you updated throughout the assessment process.

The assessment may include informal observations by teachers and more formal assessments from education, medical or psychological professionals. So, for example, a child who is deaf may be assessed by a Teacher of the Deaf (ToD), speech and language therapist, and educational psychologist. It will be up to the LA to decide who is best placed to carry out the assessment.

The assessment may lead to the development of an additional support plan (ASP), individual education programme (IEP) or a CSP.

Unless you're going to have a CSP, there are no specific timescales for when these plans must be produced – this depends on the local authority’s policy and your school or college’s approach.

During the assessment you should be asked your views and these should be listened to, particularly about big decisions, such as what subjects you want to study and what school you want to go to.

An additional support plan (ASP) involves your teachers working with you and your parents or carers to set clear goals and review your progress on a regular basis. All children and young people with additional support needs should have an ASP and for many this will be enough to address their additional support needs.

For some children and young people, an individual educational programme (IEP) is needed. This can be called different things depending on where you live. For example, it may be called an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or an Individual Support Plan (ISP).

Whatever it’s called, it provides more detailed planning for learning than an ASP. An IEP describes in detail the nature of your additional support needs, the ways in which these are to be met, the learning outcomes to be achieved, and what additional support you require, including from agencies other than education such as health or social services.

Some children and young people who have more than one disability or health condition have a coordinated support plan (CSP). A CSP is a legal document to make sure all local authorities follow the same rules. For example, if you have support from a social worker, a doctor and an occupational therapist, the CSP can help them work together.

Once the local authority has agreed to create a CSP it has 16 weeks to produce it. You’ll usually be invited to a meeting along with your parents or carers and professionals to discuss what should go in the CSP. The local authority should then send you or your parents or carers a draft of the CSP to approve.

A CSP will include information on:

• your strengths
• why you have additional support needs
• your educational objectives
• what support is needed to help you achieve your objectives
• who will provide this support
• details of the person responsible for coordinating the plan
• any other additional information.

Your CSP should be reviewed at least once every 12 months.

You have the right to appeal to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal if the local authority decides not to carry out an assessment for a CSP or if you’re not happy with the contents of the CSP.