Improving Our Schools: Special Educational Needs: The Programme of Action

A: The Programme of Action Summary

Action to date:

• Independent National SEN advice service set up to provide information and advice to parents and children and young persons [Enquire, launched by Children in Scotland in September 1999].
• Resources available to local authorities for SEN in-service staff development and training doubled to over £5 million per year. [Implemented April 1999]
• National SEN Co-ordination Project extended to March 2001 to work with local authorities on priorities for staff development and training
• Provision available to local authorities for speech and language therapy for recorded pupils more than doubled to £6.5 million per year. [Implemented April 1999]
• Grant scheme (£6 million over 3 years) created to support voluntary and non-statutory organisations in SEN area. [21 organisations awarded £3.8 million in grants for 33 projects in first round of programme]
• Good Practice Manual for staff and professionals involved with children and young people with SEN issued to all schools in January 1999.
• £12 million Inclusion Programme to assist local authorities to include children with special educational needs in mainstream provision. [Effective from 1 April 2000]

Work in progress:

• National SEN Advisory Forum established under the chairmanship of Peter Peacock, Deputy Minister for Children and Education [First meeting held in March 2000]
• Provision of guidance on role and responsibilities of education authorities in relation to children with significant health needs who are unable to attend school [Amendment on local authority's statutory duty included in Standards in Scotland's Schools Etc. Bill. Circular and guidance to be issued to all local authorities in autumn 2000]
• The Scottish Executive has invited views on specialist SEN qualifications for teachers in Improving our Schools: Consultation on the Schools Scotland Code by the end of June 2000
• Review of current funding issues and supply of speech and language therapy and occupational and physiotherapy services [Arrangements under consideration]
• Advice to bring school week for pupils attending special schools and units into line with their counterparts in mainstream provision [Guidance will be prepared in consultation with CoSLA]
• Review of supply and funding of trainee educational psychologists. [Initial discussions to take place in May]
• Changes to funding arrangements for seven grant-aided schools. [Ministers agreed principle - delay of one year in implementation announced December 1999 - further discussions with schools over transitional arrangements have taken place and revised arrangements will be announced.]

Further measures:

• A review by the National SEN Advisory Forum of how the current Records of Needs process can be improved or updated.
• An examination by the National SEN Advisory Forum of the legislative position on inter-agency joint funding responsibilities and the need for national guidance.
• A project to be commissioned by the National SEN Advisory Forum to draw together up-to-date advice for staff to hear and take account of the views of children and young people. [Will be complemented by production by Enquire, the national SEN information and advice service, involving children and young people, of guide to issues affecting their education.]
• A review of how information is collected in future School Census exercises with a view to providing more accurate statistics across authorities.
• Research study by National In-Service Training Co-ordination Project evaluating the impact of in-service SEN training.
• The Scottish Executive will take forward the devolved issue of a duty on education authorities to plan to improve provision for disabled pupils.