Co-ordinated Support Plans

The Additional Support for Learning Act strengthens and modernises the system for supporting children and young people who need help to benefit from school education.

The term 'additional support needs' replaces the term 'special needs' and applies to any child or young person who needs some sort of help with their learning, for whatever reason.

Under the Act, parents and young people have new rights to ask for:

• assessments for additional support needs or a Co-ordinated Support Plan
• supporters or advocates to represent them at meetings
• their views to be taken into account

Co-ordinated Support Plans

Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs) replace the old Record of Needs system, and are educational plans prepared for some children with additional support needs. Needs include:

• temporary medical conditions
• family circumstances (such as bereavement or illness)
• being bullied
• language communication disorders
• learning difficulties
• sensory impairments
• interrupted learning
• physical disabilities
• social and emotional difficulties
• being very able or gifted
  

CSPs must contain:

• a description of why the child or young person has additional support needs
• the educational aims the child or young person will be supported to achieve
• the support needed to help the child or young person to achieve those aims
• a note of who will provide this support
• the name of the child or young person's school
• the name of a contact person within the education authority to provide advice and information to parents or carers
• the name of the person who will co-ordinate support from the different services (the CSP Co-ordinator)

Useful websites