Section 11 Effective Partnership (Roles and Responsibilities)

The diagram above demonstrates the very wide range of support and additional support which can be available across Education and Learning – Education, including Community Learning and Development and Social Work – Health and Post 16 Partners to meet the additional support needs of children and young people and their family or carers. The additional support needs of children and young people can only be met through effective support delivered by an integrated team of staff which is clear about respective roles and responsibilities.

Levels of Identification and Support

Broad roles are outlined in Supporting Children’s Learning code of practice (Revised Edition), at 3.31: the Framework of Identification and Support, shown in the link and in the following diagram. Levels of Identification & Support

The Code recommends three (revised) levels of identification and support that are in line with GIRFEC, and which Aberdeenshire has developed to suit its own situation. The Levels of identification and support are described as follows:

Universal
Targeted/ Single Agency plan
Specialist/ Multi-Agency plan

This link takes you to Education Scotland’s description of Staged Intervention. All managers and practitioners should be clear about the Authority’s staged approach to identification and support, Aberdeenshire’s Staged Intervention and understand the role of relevant practitioners who are involved at the different levels in identifying and supporting children’s learning. At all Levels, it is the Class teacher who holds the main responsibility for nurturing and educating all pupils in their class. Additional support at level 1 means that teachers can receive advice with planning and additional support from within their own school’s resources. That is, they can receive additional support from colleagues, Support staff and Promoted staff. This is described as universal provision, ie provision which is available for all children. At Level 2, Class teachers can be helped to meet needs with additional support from beyond the school albeit still located within Education and Children’s Services. This can include additional support from Peripatetic teachers, Educational Psychologists and advice and consultation from Social workers and Community Learning Development workers. Planning to meet the needs of a child receiving support at Level 2 will require a Single Agency plan. The support provided is described as targeted provision. At Level 3, Class teachers can receive a range of support from within the school as well as support from beyond the school. This Multi-Agency input can include direct intervention by social work when appropriate,and/or advice and/or direct support from health and/or voluntary agencies. A child whose support is considered to be at Level 3 requires a Multi-Agency action plan. The support provided is described as specialist provision. Further information on planning is provided in Section 14.

Co-ordinating (Educational) Support in Schools

All schools benefit from a Headteacher who demonstrates acceptance and embraces diversity and is highly committed to ensuring the needs of all children are met. All schools irrespective of size need to be clear who forms their in-school Support team and be clear how different functions will be delivered. They should also know who forms their wider multi agency team be clear about specific roles and responsibilities within this broader team. The following tables provide an overview of roles and responsibilities within schools and across Social Work, Health Services and Post 16 Provision in Aberdeenshire. However, roles and responsibilities will change depending on the context of the school. It is therefore important that each school clarifies their own situation within their own Authority policy, so that there is no confusion for practitioners, children and young people, parents and carers. All partners can use the descriptions which follow to ensure managers and practitioners have an effective collective framework of support for children and young people. Who is specifically responsible and how they decide to deliver the tasks and functions will require careful consideration and agreement. The Named Person and Lead Professionals (school staff or partners) are responsible for co-ordinating help and support to a child or young person and family, including planning provision. The following define specific roles and responsibilities.

School Senior Management Team

(read Faculty Management and Guidance For Newly Appointed Faculty Heads) The key roles and responsibilities of the School Senior Management Team are as follows:

have very good knowledge of support, including identification and assessment of needs, referral systems and procedures
ensure that appropriate documentation is used, reviewed and shared, eg Managing Accessibility Plan (MAP)
ensure continuous updating of knowledge and be able to identify, promote and model best practice in teaching;
demonstrate commitment and respect to all children and young people;
promote within the school community an ethos of inclusion, equality and professionalism;
develop and implement a school policy which clarifies how the school meets learning needs,
including additional support needs. Further Information at 9.1 provides advice on developing a school policy on Additional Support Needs;
cultivate effective partnership with all parents including families and carers of children with additional support needs
ensure effective provision of pastoral care for all pupils;
ensure the provision of support to all pupils who require additional assistance with their learning and provide support and direction to Class teachers, Support for Learning and Guidance staff, and all other staff;
fulfill all duties in relation to Child Protection
pursue all issues in relation to children missing from education ensure safe administration of medication;
co-ordinate support for Looked After Children;
provide clarify of roles and responsibilities within and beyond the school;
promote a multi-agency approach, in line with GIRFEC and MAAP principles
take account of the advice in Section 12 of the manual in respect of organising a range of solution focused meetings to ensure effective communication across the team’s;
chair the Pupil/ School Support team and, where appropriate, multi agency meetings (managing effective meetings);
manage and co-ordinate the multi-agency staff, including ensuring effective transition arrangements, action planning and review meetings;
manage and co-ordinate adjustments to school buildings for pupils with additional support needs;
co-ordinate and review the use of specialised equipment to ensure curricular access;
ensure effective allocation and timetabling of staff to undertake key tasks such as the organisation of transport and organise school trips ensuring inclusion of all pupils, support in the playground, therapy follow-up, personal care, as well as classroom support. This link takes you to guidance for escorts, parents and schools on the transport of pupils with additional support needs;
ensure robust approaches to whole school self -evaluation which takes full account of how well the school and each class teacher meets learning needs, including additional support needs (see Section 9).
co-ordinate PDRS/ EDRS EARS of members of the Support team and identify and collate staff knowledge and skills for Career Long Professional Learning. These links provide information on Standards for Full Registration ‘Standards for Leadership and Management; Standard for Career Long Professional Learning (which supercedes Chartered Teacher Standard)
effectively use the School Improvement Plan to continuously improve the way in which learners’ additional support needs are met.

And, in Secondary schools:

chair Pupil Support staff meetings;
ensure Assessment Arrangements for candidates with additional support needs are in place – see Section 13 Further Information and this link to SQA;
ensure that 16+ co-ordination is undertaken effectively (see Section 12: introduction to Skills Development Scotland).

Class/Subject Teachers

Class teachers/subject hold the main responsibility for nurturing and educating all pupils in their class. Key roles and responsibilities are to:

develop meaningful relationships with children and young people and ensure a positive learning environment to promote learning and personal development;
work constructively with parents;
undertake effective approaches to planning for the class, groups and for individuals and differentiate the curriculum accordingly. Along with colleagues, take responsibility for developing Individual Education Plans, where necessary;
develop well considered curriculum programmes for the class as a whole, for small groups and for individuals where necessary;
deliver high quality learning experiences which include active and experiential learning,
Assessment is for Learning strategies, co-operative learning and effective use of ICT;
continuously track and monitor the progress of all pupils through formative assessment and evaluation of outcomes;
remain alert to the lack of progress or accelerated progress and understand the importance of communicating concerns to relevant others about progress;
work in partnership with Support staff to plan, deliver and review;
ensure effective communication/ consultation with Support and Teaching staff and ensure strategies are meaningfully implemented;
adjust timetables flexibly to maximise support;
incorporate suggested strategies, resources and advice whenever possible.

Early Years Practitioner (formerly Nursery Nurse)

Early Years Practitioners ad as a member of Early Learning and Childcare team, with full involvement in the work of the Early Level curriculum, and where appropriate the pre-Birth to Three Framework, helping to contribute to the care and education of children.

Contribute to planning and implementation of a curricular programme which meets the needs of the individual child in line with National and Local standards.
Observe and interact with children in order to support their learning and record and report on individual children’s progress in line with the Council’s policy and procedures.
Collaborate and participate in partnership and outreach work with others involved in children’s learning and development (eg parents, carers, teaching staff, health visitors) at all times maintaining confidentially.
Contribute to the delivery of the Early Level curriculum in line with pre-determined policy and procedures and where appropriate the pre-Birth to Three Framework.
Contribute to assessment and reporting of children’s progress.
Participate in all aspects of team work within the unit including training of students,
preparation and care of resources, maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene and contributing to staff discussions.
Keep abreast of early years initiatives and developments and participate in continuing professional development in line with Council policy and procedures.
Undertake an active role in all aspects of care which meet the needs of the individual child in line with the Council’s duty of care and the principles of GIRFEC.

Pupil Support Assistants (PSA)

Pupil Support assistants are essential and valuable members of the Support team. They are able to make and maintain positive professional relationships with children and young people. They may know aspects of the child/ren better than anyone and their contribution to discussion about needs and strategies is beneficial. Schools must ensure there is a forum and good opportunities for Pupil Support assistants to contribute to discussion. Purpose: Assist teachers in promoting achievement and raising the standards of pupil attainment and provide general ‘hands-on’ support in relation to the needs of the class and individuals’ care, health and wellbeing and safety; to ensure a secure and safe environment. There is a requirement to be flexible in school location within the cluster and neighbouring clusters, according to individual circumstances and work with a range of pupils from Pl-S6.

Duties and Responsibilities

Supervise pupils whilst in attendance in learning environments, and assist in providing a healthy, safe and hygienic environment.
Encourage pupil independence, and with appropriate training, assist with intimate and personal care, and support physical needs.
With appropriate training, attend to individual healthcare or medical needs, including first aid.
Provide individual support, where required over the course of the day.
Assist pupils with practical input and support in specific subject or work areas. Create and maintain learning resources under the guidance of a teacher.
Assist the teacher, as part of a team, in the planning, delivery and review of activities.
Encourage an inclusive environment in line with authority and school policies and adhere to child protection and all relevant legislation.
Implement school policies on promoting positive relationships.

Additional Support for Learning Teacher

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Meeting learners’ needs is potentially more challenging within mainstream since the presumption of mainstreaming. In addition, the Additional Support for Learning Act and GIRFEC emphasise the necessity of collaborative working as the means to meeting significant additional support needs. The expectation is that they will support pupils with additional support needs. Their main aims are to identify and assess (with others) barriers to learning and in partnership with appropriate practitioners and parents, address these needs through a relevant curriculum, delivered effectively. The Pupil Support teacher utilises 5 roles of support. These include:

Identification and Assessment:

assist Class teachers in identifying additional support needs;
liaise with Senior Managers to clarify those children and young people who are at risk of low achievement;
undertake relevant assessments of learning and/ or behaviour in conjunction with others as appropriate;
provide useful advice and strategies to relevant staff including Pupil Support assistants, on the basis of identification and assessment and ensure regular follow up meetings.

Good practice in identification and assessment supported by and/or undertaken by Pupil Support teachers is described in Section 13.

Planning Learning and Teaching, Including Co-operative Teaching

Pupil Support teachers can:

actively teach alongside the Class teacher to provide all pupils with greater support and enrich the overall quality of learning and teaching;
plan for and/ or teach groups, and individual pupils either in the class or in a suitable smaller attractive environment;
on occasions, follow the teacher’s plan and provide focused assistance in a planned way to pupils who have barriers to learning, whether arising from learning difficulties and/ or behaviour, and enable the Class teacher to work with other groups or individuals;
provide short-term assistance to help pupils to catch up on work after a period of illness or absence;
provide support to Class teachers to develop Individual Education Plans.

Consultancy/Consultation:

give advice and guidance to Class teachers, Pupil Support assistants and Senior Managers on the learning and/ or behaviour needs and aspects of support programmes for individual pupils;
work with the Management team and the Principal teacher/s Support to suggest ways of improving the quality and effectiveness of identification and assessment; and advise on the suitability of the learning environment; support learning and teaching throughout the school including providing advice on differentiation of the curriculum;
work within a multi-agency context to support pupils with Additional Needs;
follow guidance on confidentiality.

Partnership with Specialist Services:

as part of the Support team, liaise with Specialist Support services such as Therapists, Sensory Support teachers, English as an Additional Language teachers, and Educational Psychologists and others to help Class teachers to incorporate additional or alternative strategies into the class curriculum.

Contributing to Professional Development:

along with the Principal teachers, Pupil Support (Support for learning/Guidance), the Educational Psychologist, and other Specialist Support staff, contribute to their colleagues’ professional development through providing formal and informal training on aspects of additional support needs;
model practice and provide training for Pupil Support assistants in practices such as the delivery of literacy and numeracy, managing motor skills, social skills or behaviour support programmes;
provide information and advice on appropriate resources/CPD Material.

Timetables have to reflect the school’s current needs so that an appropriate balance of the five roles is planned to ensure effective outcomes for all children and young people. These links provide additional guidance for:

Working with parents
Support for dyslexia
Support for autism
- Aberdeenshire provides placement opportunities and provision in mainstream schools, support bases and special schools to reflect the diversity of needs of children and young people with autism. This development will include professionals and parents who have undergone specialist training and/or have developed an expertise in autism support and will initially be piloted on a case study basis in identified Community School Networks (CSNs).Staged intervention and a single/multi-agency approach (as appropriate) promotes good practice. The approach includes professionals and parents who have undergone specialist training and/or have developed an expertise in autism support. This approach provides practical strategies for school staff Guidance to ensure that all managers and practitioners effectively meet the additional support needs of children and young people. Guidance on supporting autism can be accessed at this link. Please refer to the policies and guidance section of the website for more information on Autism Guidance.

Principal Teacher of Guidance/Pastoral Care

The Principal Teacher Guidance/Pastoral Care plays an important leadership and management role. Within the support for pupils provision, Guidance/Pastoral Care teams work in close partnership with pupils, families and carers, Support for Learning colleagues as well as with Subject teachers, SMT, and a range of external agencies such as educational Psychologists, Social Workers, Community learning and development workers and Health professionals. Their roles and responsibilities are as follows:

support, encourage and motivate teaching and support staff to foster relationships with children, by providing staff with advice, encouragement, information and training as appropriate; and contributing to the positive ethos of the school by encouraging the development of the four capacities;
support children, young people and their families to resolve complex problems. This requires the development of a close and trusting relationship with the child and family and a sound knowledge of the potential role of other specialists and agencies;
deliver a coherent and high quality programme of education for personal development, promoting all aspects of health and wellbeing, with appropriate progression, preparing young people for adult life;
ensure staff know how to support children with medical needs
co-ordinate and integrate services to provide seamless support for the child or young person,
liaising with in-school integrated pupil support, support for learning and behaviour and other in-school agency provision such as Community link workers and Outdoor Education workers as well as work closely with Health colleagues and other partners;
monitor attendance and support for children and track their progress, ensuring all pupil achievement is recognised and shared with the children, young people and parents appropriately and used by staff to maximise opportunities and inform their further planning with children;
respond effectively to self-referrals by pupils and keep a simple record of interventions, such as using pastoral notes;
ensure that quality assurance processes are in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of Pupil Support in the school and identify priorities for the relevant Improvement Plan;
attend Multi-agency and/ or Planning and Review meetings as appropriate, and contribute to the regular planned programme of interviews with pupils in accordance with the school calendar;
play a key role in transition arrangements and take account of relevant advice such as that shown in 16+ learning Choices: Policy and Practice Framework and Partnership Matters;
prepare reports and references and signpost pupils to other agencies as appropriate.

Useful links include the following: Staged Intervention Protocols and GIRFEC – SHANNARI & Resilience Matrix; Attendance Policy and related documents CfE HWB outcomes and experiences LAC – links to examples of good practice; Aberdeenshire’s guide for parents, carers and schools; and Working together to support children and young people who are looked after’ Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) 16+ Learning Choices: Policy and Practice framework Partnership Matters Corporate parenting: key tasks of designated senior managers – Working together to support children and young people who are looked after Child Protection Children missing from education

Principal Teacher Support for Learning

The Principal Teacher Support for Learning has a key role in co-ordinating, managing and flexibly deploying their support team, and undertaking the 5 roles of support. In many Secondary schools, the context for Pupil Support teachers has changed to encourage more formalised links among all members of the school Pupil Support Faculty. The roles of Principal Teachers Support are strategic and operational. Roles and responsibilities are as follows:

work across all 5 roles as described previously;
guide and support all Support team members to undertake their roles effectively;
along with relevant others, ensure team members are deployed effectively and have suitable strategies and resources;
ensure team members receive suitable informal and formal training to meet the range of needs. This will include modelling good practice;
establish and respond flexibly to the changing needs of pupils; support schools to undertake an annual audit of needs;
along with relevant others, prepare, plan for and undertake a key role in transitions and take account of relevant advice such as that shown a in 1 6+ Learning Choices: Policy and Practice Framework and Partnership Matters
take a key role in establishing needs and implementing assessment arrangements (school assessment and SQA).

Designated Person for Looked After Children

All Aberdeenshire schools have a designated person who ensures the needs of Looked After Children and Young People are met. Their responsibilities are as follows:

along with schools and partners, work to raise achievement for all Looked After Children and Young People;
use electronic tracking systems effectively to identify and keep track of children who are looked after;
ensure schools are clear about the need for advocacy in certain situations such as Looked After Children/ Additional Support meetings;
ensure effective links between social work, health, education and other relevant agencies, and share good practice;
support carers and parents of Looked After Children in educating their children;
know about and work within the information contained in the material, ‘We Can and Must do Better’ and ‘These Are Our Bairns’.

Further information about Aberdeenshire’s approach to Looked After Children for staff and designated managers and include training materials

Peripatetic Services

The Additional Support for Learning Act (2004) states: ‘when the child or young person is, or is likely to be, unable without the provision of additional support to benefit from the school education provided or to be provided for the child or young person there is the need for additional support.’ This does not imply that a child or young person lacks abilities or skills. For example, bi-lingual children or young people, whose first language is not English, may already have a fully developed home language and a wide range of achievements, skills and attributes. Any lack of English should be addressed within support programmes which take full account of the individual’s abilities and learning needs. Similarly children and young people who are hearing or visually impaired, deaf or blind, will have barriers to learning which can be reduced through the expertise of the relevant Support teachers for hearing or visual impairment. Aberdeenshire has in place a range of peripatetic services in order to ensure the needs of children and young people with specific needs are met. The way in which each school co-operates with these Peripatetic services and the quality of the specialist expertise, determines how effectively the child or young person is supported. The titles below provide a guide to the roles of these Peripatetic services and will support Schools and other services in effective partnership working with them.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Aberdeenshire’s English as an Additional Language (EAL) Service has an advisory, training and teaching role. The EAL service is based at Monquhitter School . It consists of a Co-ordinator and teaching staff. All have undertaken specialist training in this field. The EAL Service works in a variety of settings with children, parents and carers, staff in schools and nurseries, staff in Community Learning Development, other agencies, eg Health Visitors, Social Services, voluntary organisations, eg Homestart, CAB and other education providers, eg FE colleges. The EAL Service becomes involved when a referral is made to the ser vice. This is followed by an initial assessment where the appropriate level of support is determined. Please follow the link to the EAL page were you can find details of roles, responsibilities and procedures: This short animated film (running time approx 10 mins) was produced in partnership with lnverurie Academy, Peacock Visual arts and the Arts Education Team to show the challenges facing immigrant children Training is available to all schools through the Authority’ s professional development programme.

Sensory Support Service

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. The Sensory Support Service is a peripatetic teaching service consisting of the Hearing Support Service and the Vision Support Service. The Service is based in Westhill Academy and supports children with sensory impairment in a range of settings. Where the child is under five, teachers may work with families in the home. Parents/carers, teachers and other agencies can make referrals to the Sensory Support Service. The manager of the Service makes initial contact with parents/carers. The work of the Service is very varied and includes teachers and communicators. Staff work with children from birth to 18 either in the home or in a variety of educational establishments throughout Aberdeenshire. The Early Years deaf support worker works in conjunction with teachers of the deaf and nursery staff to support children from birth to seven in a range of pre-school environments. Teachers can:

assess a child’s hearing or vision and then offer recommendations on how the child’s needs can best be met;
provide information, practical help, and advice;
provide support in the use of specialist resources to promote independence;
support the development of language and communication skills in pupils with a hearing impairment;
directly support children;
provide awareness raising sessions to ensure that everyone within the school community has an understanding of what it means to have a sensory impairment;
advise and support staff in how to promote inclusion;
work alongside teachers where pupils use Sign to communicate;
work alongside teachers where pupils use Braille;
organise mobility training for pupils with severe visual impairment;
monitor a pupil’s progress and provide reports;
attend meetings to review progress and plan for the future.

The Hearing Support communicator:

works in the classroom promoting the use of sign.

The Vision Support communicators:

produce alternative formats, eg Braille and large print.

Awareness raising sessions can be delivered to provide general information about hearing or visual impairment, or to provide specific information about the support needs of a pupil Once parental consent has been received, a Hearing or Vision Support teacher arranges to carry out an assessment to determine how the child’s needs can be met. In order for Hearing & Vision Support teachers to fulfil their roles and responsibilities they will meet with the Head Teacher (Primary) and the PT Support for Learning or Guidance (Secondary) at the beginning of a session to discuss working together in the year ahead. Head teachers have overall responsibility for monitoring the needs of children with a hearing or visual impairment but require class teachers and support staff to track individual pupils’ progress and work in partnership with the Support for Learning Team. The staff within the Sensory Support Service also ensure high quality support through tracking and reporting on individual pupil progress, formal use of Quality Indicators on an annual basis and analysis of evaluative questionnaires to relevant staff, parents and pupils.

ASPECTS

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Aberdeenshire Special Technology Service offers an advisory, supporting and teaching role to schools, to complement the strategies already in place as part of Aberdeenshire’s agreed staged intervention process. This includes reference by schools to the hints and tips for introducing assistive technology to the classroom as part of the universal support given to all pupils. ASPECTS:

supports educational establishments in ensuring full and appropriate curricular access 3- 1 8 through the use of specialist equipment and software. Relevant training is available to all schools through the Authorities CPD programme;
becomes involved when a referral is made to the service. This will be followed by an initial assessment after which appropriate support will be determined;
provides support for pupils at Stages 2 and 3, of the Aberdeenshire Staged intervention process;
offers an advisory role to support the selection, procurement and installation of specialist ICT resources for students at stage 1;
reviews all equipment on loan regularly. This may result in the upgrade or discontinuation of ASPECTS support or resources dependent upon the outcomes of agreed review procedures. This is to ensure equity of resource a/location based on identified priorities and agreed outcomes and next steps;
works closely with other support services to support pupils and develop effective strategies to allow access to the curriculum;
ensures high quality support through pupil tracking and reporting systems and formal use of Quality Indicators on an annual basis. This also includes the use of evaluative questionnaires with a sample of service users.

The ASPECTS service and further information can be found here where regular updated information and a helpdesk can be found.

The Role of Educational Psychologists

Across Scotland, Educational Psychologists work with the individual child or family, the school or establishment, and the local authority. A link to the Educational Psychology Service handbook is here. The 5 core functions of a Psychological Service were defined by the SEED Review of Provision of Educational Psychology Services in Scotland, 2000 (Currie Report). Their core service is consultation with practitioners and parents who are concerned about children and young people. They can provide advice in relation to family issues, challenging behaviour, learning difficulties, raising attainment for a group of children and developing emotional wellbeing on a school wide level. Aberdeenshire’s Educational Psychology Service core values can be accessed here. To see Educational Psychologists’ role in Curriculum for Excellence access this link Their other functions include:

Assessment, which:
- can encompass cognitive, emotional and social factors and can involve classroom observation, analysis of class work, questionnaires, dynamic assessment and use of assessment tools where appropriate;
- supports practitioners in the analysis of useful existing information which has been gathered by the school or establishment;
- responds to parents’ requests for a psychological assessment within the context of the Additional Support for Learning Act, 2004 and 2009 and ifs amendments;
Intervention, which may include:
- solution focused work with a young person;
- use of video interaction guidance (VIG);
- peer assisted learning such as paired reading, checking chums etc;
- supporting the development of nurturing environments;
- group based approaches
Training, which may include:
- mediated learning;
- attachment and learning;
- emotional wellbeing and resilience;
- nurturing approaches;
- solution focused approaches;
- mental health needs;
- additional support needs;
- cognitive curriculum.
Research and Development, on behalf of schools and the Authority, including participating in key working groups.

Gypsy/Traveller Liaison Officer

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Part of the role of the Gypsy/Traveller Liaison Officer (GTLO) is to visit encampments in Aberdeenshire and help link members of Travelling communities with Council and other services. This includes encouraging Gypsy Travellers to access education services within the area and, where necessary or appropriate, helping families enrol children in schools. The GTLO also acts in a liaison role between schools and families whenever necessary, especially when children arrive at a new school and move on to another area. The GTLO also works closely with relevant staff in Aberdeenshire Council Education & Children’s Services to ensure that the Council is doing all it can to make provision that is accessible as possible for Travelling communities. Additional information can be obtained from the Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP) which promotes equality in education for Scottish Travelling Communities. STEP’s aims are:

Promote development of innovative, diverse and flexible approaches to education for Travelling people within Curriculum for Excellence.
Listen to and represent Travelling families’ views about education and their children’s educational needs.
Enable educators and other service providers to respect Scotland’s Travelling communities and to have greater awareness of their histories, cultures, traditions and contemporary circumstances.
Encourage positive approaches to diversity in education by working with practitioners to challenge racism, harassment and bullying.

Throughcare and Aftercare Teams

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Throughcare and Aftercare teams provide a specialist and integrated approach to meet the needs of young people who are about to leave care and have left care. The key aim of the team is to work alongside looked after young people, frequently in partnership with other agencies to support them in the transition to more independent living. Members of the team can:

undertake a Pathways Planning process with each young person which takes account of their needs and can guide and support them with transition to adulthood;
provide advice and support, both emotional and practical, including financial advice and assistance;
assist the young person into (further) education, training or employment;
liaise with co/leagues in the Housing Department to source suitable accommodation.

Youth Services Team

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. The Youth Services Team provides targeted support and assistance to young people as part of the multi-agency action planning process. This may be on an individual or groupwork basis, eg Kick start project, with the aim of supporting young people to remain within their local communities.

Social Worker

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. You can access Aberdeenshire’s Health and Community Care Strategic Partnership information here The role of the social worker is primarily to protect and promote the welfare and wellbeing of children and meet the statutory requirements of all childcare legislation. Other roles and responsibilities are as follows:

assess need and risk;
develop care and protection plans with clear objectives;
support individual families or groups who are facing a major problem and support them to achieve the outcomes they want or need;
promote people’s ability to maximise their own capabilities and choices;
help people to create and maintain independence and when this is not possible, to access and benefit from alternative forms of support;
work in partnership with families and a/I agencies to achieve positive change;
develop people’s ability to form positive relationships within their family and social network;
develop packages of care to meet identified need;
recruit, assess and train foster carers to meet the needs of children requiring accommodation;
deliver quality residential social care services to meet needs as required.

Wrap Around Care

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. In Aberdeenshire Wrap Around Care is a way of working that seeks to design and provide an extensive range of support that helps families meet the 24/7 needs of their children, including the need to maximise the benefits of local educational provision. Wrap Around Care is a key component of the new model of Enhanced Provision recognising the need to provide support in the widest sense out with school hours to ensure that children remain with their families and consequently to be educated in their own communities. Wrap Around Care is a targeted service for children/ young people with Additional Support Needs/disabilities, children in need or those affected by disabilities and therefore requires a referral to be made by Social Work staff or an Individual Service Fund Provider if the parent/carer has selected to use Option 2 Self-Directed Support. Wrap Around Care services are currently being provided in 6 localities across Aberdeenshire. These services provide social opportunities for children and young people with Additional Support Needs and respite for parents/carers of children. The children and/or young people are supported through the provision of stimulating activities which promote independence, life skills, social skills and inclusion within the local and wider community. The services within Wrap Around Care are as follows:

Weekend Clubs for primary age children – alternate weekends for one day each weekend (26 days a year) with an approximate session time of five (5) hours for a maximum of nine children.
Weekend Clubs for academy age children – alternate weekends for one day each weekend (26 days a year) with an approximate session time of five (5) hours for a maximum of nine young people.
Holiday Play-schemes – Easter: three sessions a week for two weeks; Summer: three sessions a week for six weeks; October: three sessions a week for two weeks; Christmas: two sessions a week for two weeks. Each will have an approximate session time of five (5) hours a day for a maximum of nine children/young people.
Holiday Play-schemes for Complex Care – one additional day each holiday week is dedicated to children with complex care and health needs (potentially including, but not limited to, wheelchair/additional personal care/tube feeding/sensory input).
After-School Clubs – a maximum of three sessions a week for forty (40) weeks (term time) with an approximate session time of two and a half (2.5) hours a day for a maximum of nine children. One of these may be an early evening session for academy-age young people.
Care at Home for children and young people within the locality. This individualised support will be delivered in line with the desired outcomes in the child’s plan.

There are additional services across Aberdeenshire such as DIY Activity Clubs and Residential Respite Services.

Community Learning and Development Services

Community Learning and Development (CLD) is a way of working with people in their communities to improve knowledge, skills, confidence, networks and resources. This approach supports people to tackle issues and grasp opportunities, increase their employability and feel better able to take part in community life. In Aberdeenshire council, CLD staff are located in the Education, Learning and Leisure Service. The key priorities for CLD workers are:

achievement through learning for young people;
achievement though learning for adults;
achievement through building community capacity.

There are CLD teams in every Community Schools Network. CLD workers:

work in secondary schools with groups of young people, often those about to leave school, to strengthen employability – working with young people for whom mainstream school programmes are not possible and in accreditation schemes such as Youth Achievement and Duke of Edinburgh Awards – working with local youth forums and youth projects in the community. Another area of work could be with Primary l’s to ease the transition from Primary to Secondary school;
work with adults – often parents of children in our schools – in adult learning groups and activities such as English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes, adult Literacy and numeracy sessions, job clubs and family learning groups;
support community groups with funding applications, creating profiles of their community, putting constitutions in place and running training for groups on topics such as committee building, elementary food hygiene and first aid.

Aberdeenshire Young Carers Support Service

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Quarriers delivers a Young Carers Support Service across Aberdeenshire. The service provides confidential support to young carers less than 18 years of age. A young carer is someone whose family members may have a physical or learning disability, blood borne virus, a long-term illness or be affected by mental health or drug/ alcohol addiction. The young person has direct caring responsibilities or is affected by this caring role – either physically or emotionally. An individual or agency can make a referral to the service by completing a referral form or by contacting a member of staff. The service will try to reach young carers through two routes:

(a) community-based; (b) service-based.

Support and Interventions

We provide support on a one-to-one basis and encourage peer support through group activities. Quarriers meets with young people in venues of their choice. For one-to-one support this could be the family home or a community facility.

Group Activities & Peer Support

Quarriers can establish young carers peer support group work sessions in local communities in areas of Aberdeenshire where the need is identified.

Training for Professionals

We can provide information to professionals to highlight how to identify young carers, what do when you do identify them and highlight the support needed both in their caring role and to help them retain their own identify as a child / young person.

What kind of support can schools receive from Authority/Council Managers and Educational Psychology staff?

Local Authority Managers with responsibility for additional support needs provide significant advice and support. This includes providing legal and procedural advice to Senior Managers in schools and in other services. It also involves strategic planning with partners in Health and other agencies to ensure the children and young people receive the services to which they are entitled. Of particular importance is their relationship with parent groups as well as with individual parents when required. A key role in most Authorities is the deployment and monitoring of Support staff, generally on the basis of the annual staffing audit. Members of the peripatetic support services may provide support at key Additional Support meetings, including transition meetings. They may also support the development of Managing Accessibility Plans, Individual Education Plans and Co-ordinated Support Plans where necessary. They can advise schools to undertake risk assessments and direct them to specific training such as Crisis, Aggression, Limitation and Management (CALM) when needed. In summary, Core and Additional Support teams support schools and services and liaise with partners to help them improve the overall quality of provision.

Health Care Staff

Scottish Government has developed guidance to improve the quality of partnership between Allied Health Professionals and Education so that children and young people have better outcomes – They identified several key issues in relation to effective partnership working. These included ensuring everyone is clear about roles and responsibilities, the importance of shared partnership with parents, having a shared vision and strong leadership as well as sharing a focus on high quality thorough self evaluation. The guidance in this Manual takes account of key aspects of this national guidance. In the first instance, it is essential that all practitioners and parents understand a fundamental aspect about therapies. That is, their provision can be described as:

‘universal’, where Allied Health Professionals/therapists provide generic support which can impact on all children;
‘targeted’, where needs are met by Education staff, often Pupil Support assistants. This level of intervention is evidenced when Support staff use an appropriate curricular approach, based on sound understanding of the communication, mobility and physical development of children, supported by Therapists. Staff training by Therapists is an essential component of this model to ensure quality provision and positive outcomes;
‘specialist’, where there is direct, probably time limited, intervention by Allied Health Professionals on the basis of assessment of needs.

Schools, Therapists and other partners require to work together ‘smartly’ and with a shared understanding of what constitutes the levels or tiers of need agreed within their Authority’ s/school’s Levels of Identification and Support . Further Information 11.1 shows the nationally agreed matrix of AHP tiered support. The roles of Therapists are described below

Speech & Language Therapist

This document provides information about this role within the staged intervention model and supersedes some of the details below. Many children with more obvious and significant speech, language and communication needs (SLCNs) will be known by health services, including the Speech & Language Therapist, at an early stage. Nursery staff have a key role to play in identifying (often more subtle) SLCNs and liaising with their Therapist. However, the SLCNs of many children will not be identified until they are exposed to more formal learning. It is essential that Class teachers and Pupil Support teachers are alert to indicators of SLCNs – expressive or receptive – and discuss these with their Therapists who will undertake assessment if necessary. Further Information 12.3 adapted from I-CAN Talk series Issue 6, provides basic information about SLCNs along with some strategies. The Speech & Language Therapist can:

(for a child with diagnosed SLCNs), re-assess when necessary and ensure all relevant practitioners are clear about current needs, their impact on learning and discuss strategies; on some occasions, provide a written report;
for a new referral, undertake specific assessment/s;
on occasions, undertake a home visit and offer therapy support at home;
ensure all relevant practitioners, parents and carers are clear about current needs and strategies;
provide specific support to Pupil Support assistants;
when the child requires Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), recommend relevant approaches including using objects, photos, signing, symbols and voice output devices such as Big Mac or sign systems;
assess and provide advice for children with eating and drinking difficulties arising from neuromotor difficulties. They will also liaise with dietetics staff regarding the method of feeding. This link takes you to the Special Dietary Policy
provide support in line with their support matrix, including direct support, mostly limited, in or outwith class;
support small groups of children, along with Education practitioners;
contribute to educational plans, especially for literacy and/ or input to the Care plan;
contribute to reports for Additional Support meetings;
provide formal and informal staff training on the impact of SLCNs for other practitioners, in particular Pupil Support staff, including Pupil Support assistants.

Speech & Language Therapists need to have a named contact in school so that there is effective communication of concerns or perceived changes in needs. In addition, the school should agree with whom the Therapist should have regular contact in order to communicate immediate needs and strategies. Where this is a Class teacher or Pupil Support assistant, the school should be clear about how to provide time for this discussion. The school can also communicate with the Therapist by telephone, email taking account of confidentiality) or by using a communication book. Senior Managers in schools and the Health service have overall responsibility for evaluating the extent to which the communication needs of children are met. All Therapists ensure high quality through tracking progress, having regular informal discussion with relevant practitioners/Senior Managers, through providing useful reports and input for Additional Support meetings and through joint self-evaluation using relevant Quality Indicators, Allied Health evaluation guidance and the discussion prompts in this Manual as long as children remain on their caseload.

Occupational Therapist

Children with more obvious and significant physical disabilities will be known by health services, including the Occupational Therapist, at an early stage. However children with less obvious motor difficulties may not be identified until they are in formal education. Nursery staff and Class teachers particularly at the early stages, and Pupil Support teachers have an important role to identify motor difficulties since they can seriously affect how the child functions in daily life as well as on academic achievement. Teaching staff should refer to Aberdeenshire Council’s guidance document ‘Working Together to Support Motor Skills’ This outlines education staff responsibilities for identifying and supporting the development of children with motor co-ordination difficulties and when to contact the occupational therapy service within NHS Grampian. The Occupational Therapist can:

for a new referral, undertake specific assessment/sand on some occasions, provide a written report;
ensure all relevant practitioners are dear about the current nature of needs and how these impact on learning;
discuss/provide appropriate strategies to support the child;
provide support in line with the child’s needs in or outwith class, mostly time-limited in blocks;
when necessary, undertake a home visit to assess and advise on activities of daily living;
within the child’s home context: refer to the social work occupational therapy team, if equipment/adaptations are required at home;
make recommendations to Education, Learning and Leisure Services for the supply of equipment required for the child to access school activities;
explain how any specialist equipment/adaptations that have been recommended by the occupational therapist should be adjusted and used and when to alert the occupational therapist if they are no longer suitable;
contribute to educational plans in relation to functional skills, for example hand skills, toileting, feeding, physical education, dressing – or equipment to support access to school activities;
collaborate in undertaking an access visit at school and provide recommendations to education on what is required;
advise and support the Class teacher /Pupil Support teacher on how to promote independence as well as how to ensure appropriate support such as the layout of the classroom, use of equipment and advice and strategies are in place;
provide specific support to Pupil Support assistants who can play a key role in carrying out programmes;
provide training on the impact of particular motor co-ordination difficulties, including developmental Co-ordination Disorder for all practitioners or specific staff members.

Occupational Therapists need to have a named contact in school so that there is effective communication of concerns or perceived changes in needs. In addition, the school should agree with whom the Therapist should have regular contact in order to communicate immediate needs and strategies. Where this is a Class teacher or Pupil Support assistant, the school should be clear about how to provide time for this discussion. The school can also communicate with the Therapist by secure email (ie using the .gsx email available to the school) or by using a communication book. Senior Managers in schools and the health service have overall responsibility for evaluating the extent to which mobility/ motor learning needs of children are met. All Therapists ensure continuous high quality through tracking progress, having regular informal discussion with relevant practitioners/Senior Managers, through providing useful reports and input for Additional Support meetings and through joint self-evaluation using relevant Quality Indicators, Allied Health evaluation guidance and the discussion prompts in this Manual, as long as children remain on their case load.

Physiotherapist

Children with more obvious and significant physical disabilities will be known by health services, including the Physiotherapist, at an early stage. However, if a child regularly falls, is very clumsy, has poor balance or co-ordination, Nursery and Class teachers, particularly at the early stages, and Support for Learning teachers should be alert to these indicators and speak with their school nurse or doctor so that a Physiotherapist can make a more thorough assessment. The Physiotherapist can:

(for a child with diagnosed physical disability), undertake an access visit in school, usually in conjunction with the Occupational Therapist;
advise and support relevant staff to promote independence;
for a new referral, undertake a specific physiotherapy assessment through probable referral by the community paediatrician or other CDT member;
make a home visit where appropriate;
with parents’ agreement, explain to relevant staff the nature of physical needs and the impact on learning and provide a brief written report which contains explanations and recommendations for school and home, the latter shared with parents’ agreement;
provide support in line with the support matrix, including regular direct support in and/or outwith class depending on the assessed need;
contribute to educational plans, eg for Physical Education, dressing, seating, mobility aids and/or the care plan;
provide strategies for the Class teacher such as layout in class or advice on how to use specialist equipment;
provide specific advice and training for Pupil Support assistants.

Physiotherapists need to have a named contact in school so that there is effective communication of concerns or perceived changes in needs. In addition, the school should agree with whom the Therapist should have regular contact in order to communicate immediate needs and strategies. Where this is a Class teacher or Pupil Support assistant, the school should be clear about how to provide time for this discussion. The school can also communicate with the Therapist by email (taking account of confidentiality) or by using a communication book. Senior Managers in schools and the health service have overall responsibility for evaluating the extent to which the physical needs of children are met. All Therapists ensure continuous high quality through tracking progress, having regular informal discussion with relevant practitioners/Senior Managers, through providing useful reports and input for Additional Support meetings and through joint self-evaluation using relevant Quality Indicators, Allied Health evaluation guidance and the discussion prompts in this Manual, whilst children remain on their caseload.

Partnership with the School Nurse, Consultant Paediatrician, Multi-Agency Child Development Team and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

For most children, health issues will be dealt with by their General Practitioners or Health Visitor who may make referrals on to Specialist Hospital or Community Services. When a child is in school, the School Nurse can assess health issues, provide advice and make referrals to other services. Referrals to the School Nurse are usually from school staff, parents or the young person themselves. Some specialist services, for example, Speech and Language Therapy, also accept direct referrals from parents. These Health Services are available to all children. When Schools have health concerns regarding a child, these concerns must be discussed with parents/ carers in the first instance and any referrals made must be with parental consent, unless the pupil is over 16 years of age. If schools are uncertain as to how to proceed, the School Nurse should be the first point of contact for help and advice. Any health concerns regarding a Pre-school child should also be discussed with parents/ carers in the first instance. The concerns should then be directed to the child’s own Health Visitor or to the designated Health Visitor for the Nursery.

School Nurse

The School Nurse is generally based in the community and trained in health issues relevant to children and young people. By working in partnership with teachers and parents the School Nurse aims to assist children and young people of school age to achieve optimum health. Practitioners should refer a child to the School Nurse when:

a child has difficulty coping with the school environment because of health issues;
there are concerns about general health/ child care issues;
a child has recurrent absence due to medical complaints;
there are concerns about vision or hearing;
a child is soiling/wetting in school and/or at home;
a child displays significant behavioural difficulties or evidence of emotional disturbance;
there is a newly diagnosed medical problem which may require support in school;
a child returns to school after prolonged absence who may require support in school;
there are concerns that a child may have a developmental disorder such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

The School Nurse can:

promote healthy lifestyle choices;
offer a Health Promotion Programme to children and young people;
work with other practitioners to support young people with specific medical needs;
following referral, eg for suspected ADHD, review the child’s medical records and gather further information from teachers and parents and possibly refer the child onto the school age Child Development Clinic for further assessment;
support other practitioners in relevant programmes such as sex education and drugs and alcohol education;
take forward a request from the school or Education Authority for an assessment in response to Additional Support for Learning legislation.

Community Paediatricians/Neurodevelopmental Service

The Community Paediatrician is a children’s doctors who is an expert in child development. They can provide assessments in specialist clinics for children who may have additional support needs . Examples from Tayside Health Trust are shown below. School Age Child

School age children who may have developmental and learning problems can be assessed.
Educational Psychologists may directly refer children who they have assessed and who they feel require paediatric assessment.
Headteachers may directly refer children when deemed appropriate.

Pre-School Developmental Assessment

Referrals generally are from Genera/ Practitioners and Health Visitors and from other Health professionals.
Children who are known to have complex physical and learning disabilities are reviewed in the child development clinic. Referrals to this clinic are from other Paediatricians and Health professionals.
Children’s Audiology Assessment Clinics provide audiology assessment for children who may have hearing problems. Referrals to the clinic can also be made by teachers for a child of any age (provided parental permission is obtained) or by any health professional.
Parents of all P 1 children are given a checklist in order to help raise awareness of any possible hearing problems their children may have together with information about how to obtain a referral to the Children’s Hearing Assessment Clinic.
Referrals to the clinic can also be made by teachers for a child of any age (provided parental permission is obtained) or by any health professional.

Functional Vision Assessment Clinic

Children who are known to have a visual impairment are assessed in the Functional Vision Assessment Clinic. This is a multi-disciplinary clinic providing joint assessment by a Community Paediatrician, Orthoptist and/or Optometrist and a Vision Support teacher.
Functional vision is the sight available for use in daily activities. Information on Functional Vision is essential when identifying a visually impaired child’s additional support needs.
In order to identify visual problems a Pre-school vision screening programme for all children in their Pre-school year is to be carried out by Orthoptists.
If teachers have concerns regarding the vision of a child age 7 years and over, the parent should be directed to take their child to a High Street Optometrist (Optician). There is no charge for eye tests in children.
Children under the age of 7 years should be referred to the School Health Nurse with parental permission.

Primary Mental Health Work Team

The aim of the Primary Mental Health Work Team is to:

increase capacity in the community;
manage early intervention/early identification of mental health problems;
promote good mental health and wellbeing in children and young people.

Currently there is child mental health training, consultation clinics and link worker groups in a number of areas in Aberdeenshire. This is closely linked to a development project focusing on mental health in school pupils. The project aims to:

promote mental health and wellbeing;
supporting all those who have contact with children and young people to have the resourcefulness and confidence to help a child or young person to deal with issues that concern them regarding their mental health;
helps adults to have positive interactions with children and young people in relation to their mental health.

Further information about the service and the areas currently covered can be obtained from Educational Psychologists. A useful resource for professionals working with troubled children can be accessed here.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

Specialist child and adolescent mental health services are provided by clinical staff working in Child and Family Mental Health Services at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital/Rosehill House and at the Young People’s Department, Royal Cornhill Hospital. CAMHS provide specialist assessment and treatment for children and young people with significant mental health or complex developmental problems which have not been resolved by intervention in primary care or via social and educational support services. Primary mental health workers are part of CAMHS, for information follow this link; the aim of the Primary Mental Health Work Team is to:

manage early intervention/early identification of mental health problems;
promote good mental health and wellbeing in children and young people.

Services

Focus on the needs and wishes of the child or young person and their family.
Work in accordance with multi-agency child protection and GIRFEC policy and Mental Health Act legislation.
Provide evidence based care for significant mental health problems, to promote recovery and long-term health.
Provide initial assessment when the child and family meets a clinician who considers their wishes, and the best available options.
Arrange further assessment and treatment when appropriate, usually on an out patient basis. Such treatment may be individual, family or group based.
For more complex and severe problems which cannot be managed on an out-patient basis,access to a day programme with education.

Referrals Children and young people can be referred by general practitioners, school doctors, paediatricians,educational psychologists and social workers. Referrers should have met the child or young person to identify their needs and to obtain consent from them and / or their parent / carer for the referral, which should be made in writing to the appropriate department.

For children aged under 13, referrals should be directed to Child and Family Mental Health Services.
For those aged from 13th to 18th birthday, referrals should be directed to the Young People’s Department. Most of these young people will be competent to consent to referral in their own right.
There is a dedicated CAMHS-LD service for children known to have genera/ learning disability based at Rosehill House. This service can see children up to age 19 if still in education.

Clinicians can have an informal discussion about possible referrals, or advise about information which should be provided. A clinician can discuss a possible referral by contacting the appropriate department by phone. A consultation appointment can also be offered to professionals working with a child or young person, and may be of particular help if there are already a number of agencies working with a child or family.

Post 16 Services Partnership with Skills Development Scotland, Colleges and Universities

More Choices, More Chances (Scottish Government, 2006) is a strategy developed to reduce the proportion of young people aged 16-19 not in education, employment or training. Subsequently, 16+ Learning Choices aim to ensure that young people leave school with an offer of a positive and sustained destination. To ensure young people are given an oppropriate offer they must be given the support they need while at school to make an informed choice. Secondary school must ensure effective co-ordination of 16+ Learning Choices. This is generally overseen by the Depute Support who undertakes the following:

sets up a 16+ Learning Choices Group which includes a representative from Pupil Support (Guidance), a Community Link worker, the local Youth worker and the Skills Development Scotland Adviser for the school to discuss any young people who may need extra support to make their choice;
between January and March, ensures members of relevant Support staff meet with every leaver to discuss their likely destination;
gathers and records information from those meetings on an appropriate pro forma and records the likely destination of required times throughout the year;
shares data on each young person with Skills Development Scotland;
confirms or amends the Likely Destination when the young person leaves school.

Transition planning should begin as early as possible, particularly for young people with additional support needs. This link takes you to Partnership Matters which is an important document which aims to provide greater clarity on the roles and responsibilities of all agencies that support students with additional support needs studying, or intending to study, at college or university. Institutions, local authorities and NHS Boards have statutory responsibilities while other organisations such as the voluntary sector provide support on a non-statutory basis. Help @ Hand is an annual event which one Authority has developed to bring together a number of agencies in order for young people, their parents and carers to gather information and advice. It includes many agencies including advisers from Skills Development Scotland and college staff. This link takes you to Aberdeenshire’s Activity Agreements.

Skills Development Scotland

At Skills Development Scotland, it’s our job to support young people to make decisions about learning and their career. Whether they are making choices at school, furthering their education, managing their career or facing employment challenges, SDS has the expertise to help them make well-informed decisions. As well as offering free face-to-face advice SDS can support young people through their websites and telephone helpline. Skills Development Scotland can help young people to source training courses, search for jobs, provide information on Modern Apprenticeships and other training programmes. SDS works closely with individuals of all ages, as well as employers and learning providers, and even offer funding to ensure that everyone has the chance to benefit from building new skills. SDS advisors can:

visit secondary schools and special schools on an a/located day;
work with individuals, groups or classes to assist with career planning or employability skills;
provide a key worker service for young people who are at risk of not achieving a positive post-school destination or are within a placement and may just need some extra support.

The Careers key worker can:

manage a caseload of clients who face multiple barriers in entering employment, further education or training – including young people approaching their school leaving date who are disengaged or excluded from school and MCMC unemployed clients;
participate, where appropriate, in the transition review process for school pupils with additional support needs;
organise and deliver a programme of group work activities appropriate to the needs of clients;
provide individual mentoring support to clients;
assist clients to secure placements in education, training or employment suited to their individual needs;
provide ongoing support to assist clients to sustain placements in education, training or employment;
advocate, where appropriate, on behalf of the young person to other agencies and organisations;
identify clients likely to benefit from specialist support.

Youth Opportunities Database Aberdeenshire (YODA)

Colleges

Young people from Aberdeenshire Schools can move onto Further Education courses on a full-time basis after their 16th birthday. They can move on to North East of Scotland (Aberdeen), North East of Scotland (Banff and Buchan), Moray College or Dundee and Angus College. Some young people access link courses during their S3 or S4 years which may involve going to the college as part of their timetable or college tutors coming to schools.

Further Information

11.1 Guidance on Partnership Working Between Allied Health Professionals (AHP: Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy) and Education (Scottish AHP Child Health Action Group) -May 2010 This link takes you to the Ready to Act documentation. Below is the model for enabling understanding of AHP roles and ways of working between health and education that applies to a variable extent across the AHPs according to their involvement in supporting learning outcomes for children and young people.

Target Population / AHP Roles	Universal Roles	Targeted Roles	Specialist Roles
All Children	For all children irrespective of need. Includes preventative or health improvement measures.	For children potentially in need of support but not referred and un- named. Includes general advice for non-specified children but not advice for a named child. This can be post-discharge but the advice will be of a general nature and not specific to any one child.	For children in need of support and have been admitted to the AHP service. (Open duty of care exists if assessment has identified need. Referral may not be accepted if needs can be met through universal or targeted support alone.) Individual or group work.
Individual Child or Young Person (Intervention may be provided within a group)	Information about the AHP services available and how they can be accessed. Awareness of environments which will optimise a child’s development and facilitate identification of need.	AHP support given to school staff to enable them to help individual children within the school to achieve their learning outcomes or a particular group of children with common support needs.	Following assessment of need child requires time limited periods of AHP intervention to achieve predicted outcomes. Effectiveness of AHP support must be evidenced and either further support negotiated or child and family prepared for discharge. Specialist role could include supporting school staff in meeting identified needs.
School/ Educational Provision (pre- school to end of secondary school)	AHP support that impacts on the whole school population.	AHP support given to school staff to enable them to help a particular group of children within the school to achieve their learning outcomes.
Local Area/ National Context	AHPs work in partnership with national and local policy makers and planners to develop understanding of AHP contribution to influence best outcomes for children.	AHPs contribute to forward planning and resourcing for children with additional support needs.

Prompts for Reflection

How well do all partners understand their own and each other’s roles and responsibilities in relation to meeting additional support needs?

Best Practice

What is the Impact?

The school policy describes the roles and responsibilities of all school staff and partners, including emphasising that each Class teacher holds the key responsibility for meeting additional support needs. The policy describes the 5 roles of Pupil Support teachers (Support for Learning / Behaviour), and Senior Managers take very good account of the 5 roles when timetabling in light of the school context and children’s changing needs.All Class and Support teachers recognise the important role of Pupil Support Assistants and provide them with direction and support. Senior Managers ensure Pupil Support Assistants access relevant training. The School has in place formal and informal meeting opportunities to share information and expertise. The school provides Peripatetic teachers with named contacts to ensure effective communication. All Senior Managers are clear about the range of expertise within Education and Social Work and across Health, Post l 6 Services and other partners which are available to meet additional support needs and know how to access it. Senior Managers ensure specialist programmes such as those from Peripatetic teachers, Home/Community Link workers and Therapists are followed through. The school accesses the advice and support from relevant Authority Senior Managers as needed. Children and young people and their parents are clear about the roles and responsibilities of the wide range of practitioners who support them and know who to contact to discuss concerns.

All partners are clear about relative roles, know who to ask for help and feel supported and motivated by being part of a wider team (QI 1.2, 1.3) All partners support and work well with each other (QI 1.2) Children, young people and their families are clear who to contact when they have concerns (QI 1.2, 2.7 ) Effective partnership working leads to best outcomes for children and young people (QI 2.7, 3.2)