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Consultation on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004
Draft Code of Practice
Reference: Additional Support Needs - 02
ANNEX D
GOOD PRACTICE POINTS ON INVOLVING PARENTS
Section 4 set out the importance of parental involvement in supporting children and young people. Detailed below are some good practice principles for effective communication and involvement of parents.
Communication with parents
Professionals should
- acknowledge and draw on parental knowledge and expertise in relation to their child
- consider the child's strengths as well as areas of additional need
- recognise the personal and emotional investment of parents and be aware of their feelings
- ensure that parents understand procedures, are aware of how to access support and are given documents to be discussed well in advance of meetings
- respect the validity of differing perspectives and seek constructive ways of reconciling different viewpoints
- cater for the differing needs parents may have, such as disability, or communication and linguistic barriers
Information should be:
- clear and understandable and avoid jargon
- provided easily in accessible formats
- readily available and provided automatically without a fuss
- consistent and there is a clear point of contact who can discuss it
Communication works well when:
- people have the interpreters they need
- someone in authority takes responsibility for keeping parents up-to-date
- people are told what has been happening between meetings
- any information provided by parents is acknowledged
- formal references to statutory procedures are avoided
Effective working relationships develop when:
- contact with parents is sensitive, positive, helpful and regular
- parents feel included and are encouraged to contribute to discussions
- positive, clear and easily understood language
- parents are involved and processes and roles are explained from the beginning
- parents are told what to expect and the next steps
- times of meeting take account of parents' availability
Trust is maintained when people:
- are open and honest
- listen to what is being said
- stick to agreements and deadlines
- are clear that they want to sort things out amicably
Meetings work best when:
- parents are asked what times and places suit them best, taking account of any access need or family responsibilities
- notes from meetings and any papers to be considered are sent out in good time
- parents are invited to add points to the agenda, at the same time as everyone else
- people round the table are aware of their roles and the roles of others, they know the child's or young person's support need
- there are no hidden issues, no last minute surprise
- decisions are made when parents are at the meeting or agreed with them before meeting takes place, not after the meeting has closed unless further consultation takes place with them
- ample time is given to allow people time to raise concerns, so that decisions are not rushed
Identifying the way forward works well when:
- all views are taken on board - including those of the child or young person
- people are interested in learning from each other
- people show an interest in general family priorities and take them on board
- services are identified in agreement with the family and are responsive to individual needs
Accountability and involvement
- who is responsible for what is clearly defined and understood
- if parents raise concerns, they get an early response
- decisions are open to scrutiny
- parents have a clear point of contact who can answer questions, make decisions and ensure that agreed actions are taken
- people do what they agreed within the timescale committed to - if a decision is likely to take time, parents are told and given some idea of when a decision is likely
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