How are Additional Support Needs identified and met?
- Staged Intervention
- Community Early Assessment Team (CEAT)
- Psychological Service
- Access Officer
- Child Care Services
Assessment, intervention and monitoring take place as a natural part of good learning and teaching in nursery or at school. With effective teaching and an appropriate curriculum most children are able to benefit from education without the need for additional support. However some children require support which is additional to or different from the education provided to their peers.
The additional support needs of all children and young persons in Clackmannanshire are addressed through the Staged Intervention process.
Staged Intervention
Staged Intervention is used as a means of identification, assessment, planning, monitoring and review of the learning needs of children and young people, and provides a solution-focussed approach to meeting needs at the earliest opportunity and with the least intrusive level of intervention.
It provides schools with structured planning and record-keeping procedures for those pupils who have additional support needs as well as a format for evaluating the strategies developed to support the pupil. In addition it provides opportunities for multi-agency working.
Children and young people will be placed on a Stage of Intervention depending on how their needs impact on their learning. The system is designed to be very flexible and to enable movement between stages depending on progress made.
Parents, carers, teachers and other professionals working with the child can raise concerns and can ask for the Staged Intervention process to start. Where parents or young people request a specific assessment as allowed for in The Additional Support for Learning Act the authority will respond accordingly.
At all stages, the views of children/young people and their parents/carers will be taken into account.
The 3 Stages of Staged Intervention
Stage 1
- The class teacher will have already taken into account the pupil's learning style, will have differentiated the curriculum and tried a variety of classroom strategies.
- If this does not address the difficulty the teacher will consult and work with support staff in school e.g. support for learning teacher, pupil support co-ordinator, head of department. Proposed targets will be agreed.
- If the intervention is successful the child or young person would come off the Stage 1 list. If the additional support needs continue to be unresolved further interventions may be put in place.
- If difficulties persist a review meeting will be called and a move to Stage 2 discussed.
Stage 2
- The Headteacher/pupil support co-ordinator will invite appropriate agencies from outwith the school e.g. speech and language therapist, psychologist, Inclusion Service to discuss difficulties and to help devise strategies to meet the child/young person's needs.
- Observation and consultation may be used at this stage
- A meeting of parents and professionals will discuss the results of this work and suggested strategies will beput in place.
- At the Stage 2 review joint decisions would be made as to appropriate next steps based on the progress made towards addressing the additional support needs.
- This could include - a move to Stage 1, remain at Stage 2 or a move to Stage 3.
- Stage 2 is an assessment stage and will not normally last more than one term
Stage 3
- Agencies from outwith school undertake direct work to meet the needs of the child or
- The school makes substantial adaptations to the curriculum being experienced by the child/young person
- Targets are set, needs are fully evaluated, strategies are put in place and monitored.
- Children who are requiring substantial adaptation of the curriculum will benefit from an Individualised Educational Programme (IEP).
Individualised Educational Programme (IEP)
An IEP describes in detail the
- nature of a child's support needs,
- ways in which these needs are to be met,
- learning outcomes to be achieved.
- Who is responsible for providing support
Where other agencies are involved in providing support they should also be involved in drawing up the IEP so that there can be co-ordination of services.
Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP)
Some children and young people at Stage 3 may meet the criteria for a co-ordinated support plan. These will be children and young people who have enduring complex or multiple needs which require significant support which requires a high level of co-ordination from education and other appropriate agencies.
It is important that parents/carers and children/young people are involved at all stages so that there is true partnership between families and services.
Community Early Assessment Team (CEAT)
It is important for children's additional support needs to be identified as early as possible so that appropriate support can be put in place. This can prevent further difficulties developing later on and maximise learning opportunities.
Clackmannanshire Council together with Central Scotland Health Care have developed a cohesive, multi-disciplinary assessment process for very young children suspected of having a disability.
The Community Early Assessment Team (CEAT) aims to offer a co-ordinated assessment and clear proposals for intervention and support:
- Referrals are made to CEAT by those directly involved with pre-school children e.g. parents, Health Visitors, nursery or playgroup staff;
- Each referral is considered by a co-ordinating team consisting of a representative from Social Services' Speech and Language Therapist, Consultant Paediatrician, Psychologist and Paediatric Occupational Therapist. This group decides which professionals will be involved if assessment is to be undertaken. In addition, where indicated, children have vision and hearing assessments carried out by Community Paediatricians;
- Each assessment is carried out during an 8 week period;
- At the assessment meeting a full discussion of reports and proposed measures to meet the child's needs takes place. Each professional involved will discuss their assessment with the parents;
- A plan of action and copies of reports are distributed to parents and involved professionals and a core-worker is identified;
- The service also employs a co-ordinator who is located within the Psychological Service.
For further information please see the CEAT page.
The Psychological Service
The Psychological Service provides consultation, advice and support to a wide range of agencies making provision for children and young people as well as directly to children, young people and families.
Educational Psychologists have specialist skills and knowledge in child development and assessment. They visit all schools, including nursery schools and classes, and the Family Centres and work in the children's own homes.
All psychologists provide a number of services including consultation, assessment, intervention, research and training. They work closely with families and other professionals in education, social work and health.
Contact with the service usually happens through the Staged Intervention process although parents or young people can make direct contact for a consultation.
For further information please see the Psychological Service section on this site.
Child Care Service
The Child Care Service is part of the Council's Social Work Service and provides a range of services to children, young people and their families. These services are provided either directly by Child Care staff or in partnership with other services and agencies - Police, Education, Health, and voluntary agencies. The Child Care Service is committed to promoting the bringing up of children within their own families. This is based on the principle that children and young people should only be looked after away from home where it is completely necessary and for no longer than it is necessary. Child Care staff are involved in providing assessments of children in need and in either directly providing services, which meet that need, or in commissioning these services from other providers.
Services provided include
- Child Protection
- Fostering
- Residential Care
- Adoption
- Services to Children Affected by Disability
- Practical and emotional support to families
- Youth Justice Services
For further information please see the Child Care Services page.
Page & Site Tools
Contact information
For further information about this page please contact:
Quality Improvement Officer (ASN), Educational Development Service
Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa, FK10 1EB
Tel: 01259 452377 / 450000 Fax: 01259 452440
Email: servicestopeople@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form
