The council has a legal duty to support children and young people with additional learning needs.
Cardiff Council is responsible for learners with additional learning needs from 0 to 25. We must make sure they can access suitable education and training, including compulsory education and specialist post-16 education where necessary. We provide funding to schools to support children and young peoples with ALN.
Most Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for children with additional learning needs will be developed by school or further education institutes.
Parents, health and social care professionals that work with the child or young person can contact the council if they have concerns. They can ask them to decide if the child has ALN and prepare an IDP if:
- a child is under 5 years and not in a maintained school.
- a child or young person is looked after.
- a child is attending a school that is not financially supported by the council.
- a child is educated other than at school (EOTAS) or is dual registered. Dual registration means when a pupil is registered at one school and also another provision for some or all of their learning.
- a child is detained. For example, in a young offender institution or secure children’s home.
As a council, we must also provide:
- impartial, information and advice for children, young people and parents,
- arrangements for avoiding and resolving disagreements that are independent of those making decisions (we would assign an officer to work with parents and school to resolve any issues that may occur),
- access to independent advocacy services, and
- a lead officer who can support a child under 5 years old to start school.
We will regularly review the arrangements and provision that we offer to make sure it is worthwhile and effective.
Our duty to decide a child or young person’s ALN
When a child or young person is brought to the attention of the council, we have a duty to decide if they have additional learning needs.
For example, we would consider making a decision about a child or young person if:
- they have been referred by a governing body,
- a child, parent or a young person has made a request to the council,
- a Local Health Board has made a referral (section 64), or
- we have been directed to do so by the Education Tribunal.
We must make a decision unless one of the following circumstances apply:
- an individual development plan (IDP) is being already being maintained for the child or young person,
- we have previously decided that a child or young person has ALN and those needs haven’t changed since a decision was made, or there’s no new information that will alter the decision,
- we are satisfied that the decision about the child or young person’s ALN is being made by the school or further education institute (section 11(1)),
- the decision is about a young person who is a student in further education, or
- the decision is about a young person over the age of 16 and who does not consent to the decision being made.