Agenda item

The Committee received for consideration an update on the Authority’s implementation of the provisions enshrined within the Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, which aimed to transform the expectations, experiences and outcomes for children and young people with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). 

The report detailed the Authority’s progress to date, areas of best practice, areas for improvement and the future developments required to support ongoing reform.   The Committee was advised that the Authority was on target to transfer all children to the new ALN system by the end of the 2024/2025 academic year.

The Committee thereupon received a presentation which detailed the experiences of Ysgol Y Bedol, Ysgol Peniel and Ysgol St. John Lloyds in embedding the ALN system within their respective schools.

The Committee reviewed the areas considered to be working well and those that needed to be addressed in terms of the role of the ALN Co-ordinators, training and support, Person-Centred Planning approaches and the ongoing partnership working with health professionals.  The Committee acknowledged the endeavours of the Authority in embedding a system which ensured the availability and delivery of bilingual resources, assessments, staffing and sufficiency of specialist provision. In this regard the Committee was informed that the Authority was the Welsh National lead in working across Local Authorities to ensure Welsh provision is in place and resources are being developed to support ALN transformation.

In considering the challenges for the implementation of ALN it was noted that the main areas centred upon staffing capacity, consistency in ALN identification, funding and resource allocation, quality assurance of Individual Development Plans (IDPs), multi-agency collaboration and engagement with non-maintained settings and meeting post-16 learner responsibilities. 

The issues/observations raised by the Committee were addressed as follows:-

The Committee expressed concerns regarding the unacceptable NHS delays in children receiving autism and ADHD assessments but were encouraged to note that support was available to all pupils with additional learning needs, regardless of formal medical diagnosis.

The Additional Needs Provision Manager, in response to a query, appraised Committee of the array of measures undertaken by the Authority to enhance consistency of ALN procedures across schools; these included universal provision requirements, the sharing of best practice, the provision of a comprehensive training and support programme and close working arrangements with schools.

It was clarified to members that legislation prescribed that IDPs were expected to be completed within a period of 12 weeks using a person-centred approach and information gathering from a variety of sources / appropriate stakeholders.  Furthermore, an enhanced ALN transition protocol had been embedded within the Authority to ensure that appropriate pupil information could be shared seamlessly within the confines of data protection protocols.  Accordingly, IDPs were deemed to be flexible documents which would transfer with pupils who moved schools, including the transition from primary to secondary schools.

The ongoing review of the role requirements and pay structure of ALN Coordinators and Teaching Assistants was welcomed by the Committee, though it was acknowledged that any increases to the pay awards would have significant financial implications.

The Director of Education and Children’s Services confirmed to the Committee that the Authority had seen a significant increase in the number of electively home educated pupils during the year and this trend was reflective at a national level. In this regard, parents/guardians were not required to stipulate their reasons for removing their children from school settings.

The Committee was informed that complexities in respect of health and multi-agency collaboration centred upon referrals from social services, establishing responsibility for funding and dealing with differing protocols for cross-border agencies. Support was provided to schools by the Authority to overcome such challenges. In response to a query, the Additional Needs Provision Manager clarified that the Authority provided a differentiated model of support to schools to address the individual needs of pupils.