How do I get additional support in Wales?

The Welsh Government is replacing the term ‘special educational needs’ (SEN) with ‘additional learning needs’ (ALN). However, the definition of ALN will be very similar to the current definition of SEN.

You have SEN/ALN if you:

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of other young people your age, or
• Have a disability which prevents you from using, or makes it harder for you to use, facilities provided for other young people your age in a mainstream school or college.

For example, as a deaf young person you may need speech and language therapy or a radio aid to hear in class. Many deaf young people meet the definition of SEN/ALN but not all.

You can find more information in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales or the Additional Learning Needs Code.

Schools and colleges have a responsibility to identify children and young people with SEN/ALN and take action to remove any barriers to your learning and put effective support in place. This should involve the creation of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), which describes your needs, sets you targets and outlines how your plan will be monitored and reviewed. This approach is known as School Action.

If your teacher or a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) don’t think you’re making enough progress under School Action they can move you onto School Action Plus and bring in outside support, for example from an educational psychologist or a speech and language therapist.

The majority of deaf children and young people with SEN will be supported through School Action or School Action Plus. If your school can’t provide you with enough support then they (or your parent or carer) can ask for a statutory assessment to see if you need a statement of SEN.

If you are assessed as having ALN in the new system you will be given an Individual Development Plan (IDP).

If you feel you aren’t getting enough support at school or college then please contact our Helpline.

Examples of support through School Action or School Action Plus could be:

• Technology: A radio aid or soundfield system to help you hear in classes or assemblies
• Help in school or college: This could be from a Teacher of the Deaf, notetakers, communication support worker (CSW) or learning support assistant
• Improving the school or college environment: Fitting carpets and curtains to reduce background noise
• Deaf awareness: Training and guidance for staff so they learn how to be deaf aware, like not turning away while they’re talking and making sure videos have subtitles.

A statement of SEN is a legal document which sets out a child or young person’s SEN, what support they will receive and where they will be educated. To get a statement of SEN you need to have a statutory assessment by your local authority. A statutory assessment will involve a number of specialist professionals including your school or college, Teacher of the Deaf and an educational psychologist. Throughout the assessment you should be asked for your views, particularly about what support you need and where you would like to go to school or college.

Following the assessment, if the local authority agree that you need a statement of SEN, it will be created.

If you have a statement of SEN, it will be reviewed every 12 months to monitor your progress and make sure you are receiving the right support. There will be an annual review meeting, which you can join. You will be asked about how you’ve found the previous year and your thoughts about the future.

In Year 9, the review meeting will be used to plan what happens when you leave school at age 16. Your Year 9 review will be used as the basis for a transition plan. During the review and transition process you should be asked your views, particularly when it comes to big decisions like what subjects you want to do and where you want to study.

If you have a big decision to make about your future see our tips on making decisions.

The provision in your statement of SEN should match your needs.

Depending on your needs, it could include the following support:

• A specialist placement, for example at a deaf school or college
• Technology, such as a radio aid (although you shouldn’t need a statement of SEN to get a radio aid)
• 1-1 support at school or college such as a communication support worker or learning support assistant
• Specialist speech and language therapy
• Help so you can learn British Sign Language (BSL)
• Notetakers
• Communication support, such as a BSL interpreter
• Deaf awareness training for people at your school or college.

If you request a statement of SEN, even if the local authority do an assessment there’s no guarantee you will get one. Many deaf young people don’t have statements but that doesn’t mean they’re not entitled to support.

If you do have a statement of SEN, at every annual review the local authority will review your support and may change what you receive. They could increase your support or if you are doing well they may try to reduce it. They will also consider whether you still need to have a statement of SEN.

If any of the following happen please contact our Helpline for further advice and support:

• You don’t have a statement of SEN but aren’t receiving the support you need
• You have requested a statement of SEN but been turned down
• You have a statement of SEN but still aren’t receiving the support you need
• You have a statement of SEN but your support has been changed
• You had a statement of SEN but your support has been taken away
• You aren’t receiving the support your statement of SEN says you should.