Key Statutory Roles

Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer​​

Every Local Authority will have a designated officer known as the 'Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer' ('the Early Years ALNLO') who will have responsibility for co-ordinating the Local Authority's functions in relation to children under compulsory school age who are not attending maintained schools. 

The Early Years ALNLO is a strategic role and will be responsible for coordinating the local authority functions which include:

• deciding whether children have ALN
• the preparation and maintenance of IDPs (including securing the ALP specified in the IDP)
• the review and revision of IDPs
• the review of ALP arrangements
• making arrangements to provide advice and information and taking reasonable steps to make the arrangements known to (amongst other stakeholders?) parents
• making arrangements for the avoidance and resolution of disagreements and promoting the use of them
• making arrangements for the provision of independent advocacy services​

Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo)​

All schools, (except special schools) have an identified member of staff to act as Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (or ALNCo for short). 

The ALNCo at a school is responsible for:​​

• identifying a pupil's additional learning needs (ALN) and co-ordinating the making​ of the Additional Learning Provision (ALP)
• securing relevant services to support the pupil's Additional Learning Provision
• keeping records of decisions about ALN and Individual Development Plans (IDPs)
• liaising with and providing information to the pupil and parents/carers of the pupil
• promoting inclusion in the school and access to the school's curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities
• advising, supervising and training school staff about differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual pupils with ALN, and contributing to in-service training
• monitoring the effectiveness of any Additional Learning Provision made
• preparing and reviewing the information required to be published by the governing body of the school

An ALNCo at a college is responsible for:​​

• identifying a student's ALN and co-ordinating the making of Additional Learning Provision (ALP) that meets a student's ALN
• securing relevant services that will support a student's Additional Learning Provision
• keeping records of decisions about ALN and educational plans (eg. Individual Development Plans or equivalent (IDPs)
• liaising with and providing information to the student about that student's ALN, IDP and the Additional Learning Provision they receive.
• promoting the inclusion of a student with ALN in the FEI and access to the FEI's curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities
• preparing and reviewing the information required to be published by the governing body
• advising, supervising and training staff about differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual students with ALN
• monitoring the effectiveness of any Additional Learning Provision made

Designated Educational Clinical Lead Officer (DECLO)​

Every Local Health Board must designate an officer to have responsibility for co-ordinating the health board's functions in relation to children and young people with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). This role is called a Designated Education Clinical Lead Officer – DECLO.

The DECLO for Cardiff and Vale Health Board is Natalie Vanderlinden.
 

The DECLO will be responsible for:​

• operating strategically to promote awareness of ALN at executive level within the Local Health Board and promote new ways of working;
• sharing best practice with the other DECLOs to help ensure standardised approaches across Wales;
  
• promoting a consistent strategic approach within the Local Health Board to inform/support the identification and assessment of ALN, the preparation and review
• of IDPs, the planning and delivery of ALP and monitoring the effectiveness of it on children and young people;
• managing and monitoring compliance with Local Health Board duties under the Act, and measuring the success of the Local Health Board's interventions.

You can visit the Cardiff Education Services website​​​​​​​​​​​Link opens in a new window​ for more information on key roles.