Services

Additional Support Needs - resources and information

Additional Support Needs policies, guidance and links to resources and support for education staff in Argyll and Bute. This is a private website so please save the website address to your favourites bar.

Contact details for Additional Support Needs support staff

Argyll and Bute Council ASN Staged Intervention Framework

Argyll and Bute Council utilise the Additional Support Needs Staged Intervention Framework as the guidelines for implementing additional support for children and young people in early years and schools.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a group of behavioural symptoms that may include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

Argyll and Bute Council Policies and Guidelines

In this section you find the Argyll and Bute Council policies and guidelines for: Anti-Bullying, Additional Support Needs (ASN), Autism Spectrum Disorders, Multi-agency guidelines, Our Children Their Future, Risk assessment templates and School Exclusions. Information about placements and the application process can be found at /additional-support-needs

ASN Policies (other)

In this section there are links to other useful documents about Additional Support Needs.

Asylum seekers and refugees

Autism Spectrum Disorders:

In this section there is more information about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) including Asperger’s Syndrome and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). This includes: National Guidelines, The Autism Toolbox, Managing Behaviour, TEACCH, routines for ASD and other ideas and strategies to support children and young people with ASD. More information is available: autism.org.uk and autismtoolbox.co.uk

Behaviour and Relationships Management

In this section there is information and advice about managing behaviour in an educational setting. There is particular reference to managing episodes of violence and how to de-escalate stressful situations. There is a wide range of global research available in the section.

Bereavement

Below is a link to bereavement support for children and young people in Scotland. There are a number of organisations and charities that can support children during the process of bereavement.

CALL Scotland

CALL Scotland supports children and young people with communication and language difficulties. They provide training, advice and assistive technologies.

Childrens' Rights and Participation

This is a one day professional learning module which:

  • Raises awareness and develops knowledge and understanding of the United Nation Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC);
  • Allows establishments to self-evaluate their practice in light of the UNCRC;
  • Supports improvement planning within establishments.

Recognising and Realising Children's Rights in Youth Work

​This is a professional learning resource aims to raise knowledge and awareness of United Nations Conventions of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014: The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act (2014) places a duty on local authorities and schools to ensure the wellbeing of children and young people is safeguarded, supported and promoted. This has been an important addition to inclusive education legislation because the experience of the child or young person and the extent to which they feel included impacts on their wellbeing. The voice of the child or young person is essential in understanding their needs and ensuring their wellbeing is safeguarded, supported and promoted. Fostering strong relationships between staff and children and young people is essential to this practice.

Co-ordinated support plans

A Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) is an action plan used for some children and young people who need significant additional support with their education. It is monitored and reviewed regularly and supports professionals to work together to help children and young people achieve educational targets.

Deaf Education/Hearing Impairment

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a group of language disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence. There is detailed advice in this section about how Dyslexia can be managed and supported at school with links to the Dyslexia Toolkit: 

Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. It may also affect speech.

English as an additional language (EAL)

Children and young people with English as an Additional Language (EAL) may require support to help them learn English. In this section is access to national guidelines, legislation and an EAL toolkit for teachers.

Education Scotland

In this section there are copies of the Scottish legislation that pertain to Education and Additional Support Needs (ASN).

Education Psychologists

There is a team of Educational Psychologists that work in Argyll and Bute. In this section is information about the service and the referral process.

Education Resource Group

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome/Disorder

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome/Disorder (FASD) occurs when a foetus is exposed to alcohol in utero which can cause FASD. Symptoms may include developmental issues and behavioural issues.

Free training and resources

  • Free training and learning resources
  • CIRCLE Framework Child Inclusion Research into Curriculum Learning Education (OpenLearn) - Inclusion in practice- secondary online modules
    The module has been developed to provide professional learning for teachers who wish to improve inclusion in their classroom and school, thereby improving the educational experiences of all learners. It is based on The CIRCLE Framework, a collaboration between practitioners in Edinburgh City, Queen Margaret University and NHS Lothian, that has been adapted for modular learning by Education Scotland. ​​It offers practical advice on how to meet the needs of individual learners and supports practitioners to develop collaborative approaches and share good practice. 
    After studying this module practitioners will have:
  • an understanding of how to promote effective inclusive practice using the CIRCLE Framework of inclusion
  • an awareness of how to promote a learner centred approach where learners are listened to and involved in the management of their own learning
  • an awareness of documentation to evidence assessment and input.​

Introduction to inclusive education – Free online professional learning
This badged module provides educational practitioners and local authorities with an introduction to inclusion and equality set within the context of Scottish education. The module and activities will support practitioners to develop an:

  • understanding of the education context in Scotland of inclusion and equality;
  • awareness of additional support needs and inclusion;
  • awareness of how to deliver child centered approaches within the Scottish legislative framework;
  • awareness of universal and targeted support;
  • awareness of information and approaches which support inclusive education.

This module been also designed to support teachers meet the GTCS standards for Professional Learning, annual reviews and Professional Update.
National Improvement Hub has wide range of pages related to inclusive education and additional support for learning.

Trauma informed practice training - these training courses support Scotland's vision of achieving a trauma-informed and responsive national workforce, and are aimed at all managers, practitioners and carers working across childrens' services

Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)

GIRFEC guidelines and practices are embedded within Argyll and Bute. In this section there is guidance about GIRFEC, Care Experienced children and young people, Inclusion and Well-being.

These resources are currently being updated.

Guidance for schools using ASN assistants and classroom assistants

Health NHS contacts

A list of contacts for NHS nursing practitioners in Argyll and Bute.

  • Community Nursing Teams - Scotland, contact numbers 

Highly Able Pupils

There is no universally accepted definition or attributes associated with being Highly Able. Highly Able pupils can excel in one particular area or in a number of areas. Pupils with significant abilities should be challenged to progress further within the education sector.

Hygiene, Toileting and Intimate Care

Best practice and policies on toileting and hygiene for children and young people.

Learning Centres

Learner participation

Learner Participation in Education Settings
Guidance and support materials to help schools and early years settings develop an understanding of learner participation and plan for implementation within their setting.

  • The guidance offers :
  • a clear definition of learner participation
  • principles for participation
  • the rationale and benefits of participation
  • an outline of the four arenas in which participation happens.

five film case studies which exemplify practice in the arenas and a number of other support documents.

Looked After Children

In this section is guidance about Looked After Children. A child becomes looked after when a local authority needs to act in order to protect and promote the child’s welfare and wellbeing. The vast majority of looked after children have become looked after for care and protection reasons. Some will have experienced neglect or mental, physical or emotional abuse. Some parents are unable to look after their children because of their own substance misuse or limited parenting skills.

Mental health

In its Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027, the Scottish Government committed to a review of Personal and Social Education (PSE); the role of pastoral guidance in local authority schools; and services for counselling for children and young people.

The review is taking place in three phases. Phase 1, a review of communications and initial exploration of PSE teaching resources, was completed in August 2017.

Phase 2 has been a thematic inspection of delivery of PSE and health and wellbeing in schools and early learning settings across Scotland, carried out by Education Scotland. The following report contains the findings of Education Scotland's thematic inspection.

Thematic inspection of personal and social education (PSE) and health and wellbeing in Scotland’s schools and early learning and childcare settings

Phase 3 was the analysis of findings and development of recommendations. The final PSE Review report and recommendations and a PSE Delivery and Implementation Group, jointly chaired by Scottish Government and COSLA will be established to monitor progress against each of the recommendations.

Counselling in Schools referral form

CAMHS Children and Adolescents Mental Health Service

Nurture

Nurture, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma informed practice: Making the links between these approaches, 2018 - This document provides information on the key features of a nurturing approach; Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a Trauma informed approach. It offers some background as to how they specifically apply to a Scottish context and outlines the commonalities between the different approaches.​ It also provides some information on the benefits and challenges of implementing each approach and provides some details on examples of good practice in applying these approaches within an education context.​​

Applying nurture as a whole school approach - A framework to support self-evaluation: 
This self-evaluation framework provides a tool to support schools and early learning and childcare (ELC)settings who are applying a whole-school approach to nurture. It provides:
•links to the Scottish drivers and policy context;
•a definition of nurturing approaches;
•a guide to the self-evaluation process and a framework that links nurturing approaches to the Quality Indicators used in How Good is Our School (HGIOS) 4? and How Good is our Early Learning and Childcare (HGIOELC)?;
•explicit links between the Quality Indicators and the Nurturing Principles so that schools can link their self-evaluation with these principles.
It also provides a range of practical tools that can be used to triangulate self-evaluation information and support the implementation of nurturing approaches, along with focus group prompts, a questionnaire for staff and parents, and readiness checklists.

The Compassionate and Connected Classroom: A health and wellbeing curricular resource for upper primary: 
The Compassionate and Connected Classroom’ is part of a wider set of resources entitled ‘The Compassionate and Connected Classroom and Community’ which consists of a curricular and professional learning resource. This suite of resources aims to raise awareness of the potential impact of adversity and trauma in shaping outcomes for children and young people and provide support that can help mitigate the impact of these experiences.

Contact for the Nurture Team via Educational Psychology Team

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists support injured, ill, or disabled children and young people through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. This may include therapeutic exercises and activities, advising about specific equipment and guidance for Education staff.

Occupational Therapists can also do a sensory assessment.

Online bullying 

Parents

Parents may find resources from Enquire helpful. Enquire is a Scottish service to support parents and children in additional support for learning.

Profound and Complex Needs (PCN)

A child  that has been diagnosed with an illness, disability or sensory impairment that requires a lot of additional support for them to live day to day, may be described as having ‘profound and complex needs (PCN).’ Children and Young People with PCN may require specialist intervention and support in an educational setting.

Restorative Practice

  • Restorative approaches - Peer mediation: ​This is a professional learning resource about peer mediation. Peer mediation is a process where those involved in a disagreement volunteer to discuss the issues and explore how best to take matters forward. It requires them to operate within a whole school ethos, which is itself restorative.
    Video examples of restorative approaches: ​This is a professional learning resource about restorative approaches taken from the Teachers' TV website. It provides two different examples of restorative approaches (referred to as 'restorative justice' in the video clips) in secondary schools and is accompanied by a collection of resources, including printable subtitles

Risk Assessments 

Safeguarding

Argyll and Bute Council's Child Protection guidance and support

Service family children

Social and Emotional Well-being (SEW)

Children with social and or emotional well-being difficulties may experience disrupted learning. Children who have experienced challenges or trauma may need support to help them self-regulate emotions and behaviour; build social skills and establish trusting relationships with supportive adults.

  • Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) - programme used by many primary schools across Argyll and Bute. The programme helps children to understand their emotions and how to improve their relationships with others
  • Roots of Empathy - Roots of Empathy is an internationally renowned programme that empowers children by learning how to empathise with others
  • Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) - An overview
    MVP is a peer education programme where senior learners work with younger ones to challenge established attitudes to gender-based stereotyping or negative behaviours including the potential for violence.  This is a programme which is delivered in partnership between the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and Education Scotland-it is fully funded by SG.

Speech and Language Therapy (SLT)

There is a team of Speech and Language Therapists that work in Argyll and Bute. In most instances, referrals will come from parents or GPs. However, schools can also issue referrals if the need arises. The SLT team can support and care for children who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD)

The Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) is the lead strategic partner to the Scottish Government in the delivery of learning disability strategy and policy.

Travelling Community

Children and Young people in the Travelling Community may require additional support.

Vision Impairment

Young Carers 

There are many Young Carers in Scotland. A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol. The Scottish government recognise there are 44,000 Young Carers across Scotland (Carers Trust, 2019). Support for Young Carers in Argyll and Bute.

Young Offenders

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