Equalities

In line with North Ayrshire Council policy, educational provision is open to all pupils, regardless of sex, age, religion, race, disability or any other potential barrier and all reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that the curriculum is available to every child. Schools also have a duty to promote equality and to eliminate racist and other discriminatory behaviours.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 has been drawn up to tackle inequality and prevent discrimination against people on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’.  It brings together several existing laws and aims to make understanding the law simpler and also introduces a new single public sector equality duty, which requires public bodies to actively advance equality.

The duties set out in Chapter 1 of Part 6 of the Equality Act apply to all schools.  These provisions protect pupils at the school and in the case of admissions, those applying or wishing to apply for admission.  Former pupils are also protected from discrimination or harassment.

Guidance on the Act and its requirements for schools in relation to the provision of education can be accessed via the Scottish Government website via here:

https://education.gov.scot/improvement/research/equality-act-2010/

Child Protection

Education Services has a fundamental duty to contribute to the care and safety of all children and young people in North Ayrshire. In fulfilling this duty, the service must engage in close partnership with parents/carers and relevant agencies, primarily the Health and Social Care Partnership and where appropriate the Scottish Children’s Reporter’s Administration. The Service will work in partnership with a number of levels within the establishment or school within the cluster or local area and through Integrated Children’s Services and Community Health Partnership.

The Standard Circular entitled, “Protecting and Safeguarding North Ayrshire’s Children” provides guidance for policy and practice within all educational establishments. The Council is one of the key partners in the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee, a multi-agency group which takes the lead role in ensuring that our children and young people are cared for, protected from harm and grow up in a safe environment.

Each school has a named Child Protection Co-ordinator who is the main point of contact for school staff and for external agencies seeking contact with the school on child protection matters. There is an extensive staff-training programme available to staff and, in addition, at the beginning of each school session all staff receive an update on child protection policies, safeguarding and procedures.

Inclusion

North Ayrshire Council is committed to supporting the well-being and educational progress of all learners including those with Additional support needs. Including learners requires all staff to demonstrate commitment, innovation and flexibility in order to ensure that all children and young people have access to quality learning opportunities and experiences. Our Inclusion Strategy states that:

• An inclusive approach to education supports an ethos of achievement and high expectation, recognises difference, respects these differences and sees differences between learners as opportunities for learning.
• An inclusive approach to education promotes tolerance and a positive understanding of diversity.
• An inclusive approach to education alleviates the barriers to learning, supports the achievement of all and has positive relationships at its heart.

The presumption of mainstream as outlined in the Standards in Scotland’s Schools (2000) sets out that children will be educated in a mainstream setting unless exceptional circumstances apply. North Ayrshire therefore has a duty to ensure that clear assessment outlines the additional support needs of a child or young person which may require support in an alternative provision.

Where this is the case, North Ayrshire has a clear process that supports the Team around the Child to make a recommendation for consideration of alternative provision. This is outlined in the Standard Circular E19 and requires establishment staff to work with parents/carers to ensure all supports have been put in place to support a child or young person in their mainstream context before submitting clear evidence of what has been implemented and going on to request alternative provision.  North Ayrshire council staff will then make a recommendation based on the evaluation of this evidence and a review of the needs of the young person and the current peer group in each setting.

The Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act, October 2002, requires local education authorities to prepare and implement accessibility strategies to improve, over time, access to education for young people with disabilities.  Access covers:

• The physical building and grounds
• The curriculum (both formal and informal)
• Information on any educational planning that might affect the child’s/young person’s education

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) (2009) Act sets out certain duties on local education authorities and confers certain rights on children and their parents.  These duties include the need to:

• Identify, assess and address the need for additional support for any child or young person failing to benefit from school education, for whatever reason
• Seek and take account of the views of the child or young person on issues relating to their education
• Engage in helpful partnership working with parents/carers and staff from other agencies

These are the various pieces of legislation that support the right to inclusion and that define the main features of that right.

Additional Support for Learning

Any child who needs more or different support to what is normally provided in schools or pre-schools is said to have ‘additional support needs’. This includes children who may need extra help with their education as a result of issues arising from social and emotional difficulties, bullying, physical disability, having English as an additional language, a sensory impairment or communication difficulty.

The Additional Support for Learning Act

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 came into force in November 2005. In June 2009, the Act was amended. These amendments form the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 and came into force on November 2010.

Main provisions of the Act

• The Act provides the legal framework underpinning the system for supporting children and young people in their school education, and their families.
• This framework is based on the idea of additional support needs. This broad and inclusive term applies to children or young people who, for whatever reason, require additional support, long or short term, in order to help them make the most of their school education and to be included fully in their learning.
• The 2009 Act automatically deems that all looked after children and young people have additional support needs unless the education authority determine that they do not require additional support in order to benefit from school education.
• In addition, education authorities must consider whether each looked after child or young person for whose school education they are responsible requires a co-ordinated support plan.

 Duties under the ‘Additional Support for Learning’ legislation

North Ayrshire must assess any pupil with additional support needs and provide with any support necessary for them to benefit fully from their education. All the evidence says that it is best to intervene early to prevent any difficulties developing and taking root.  For example, by making sure reading is very well taught and that all pupil gets encouragement and support at home we can hopefully reduce later difficulties.

Whatever the type of challenge that arises, it is important to detect it early, develop a shared understanding of what is needed (the school may request extra specialised help to do this) and take action to help to pupil achieve. Whenever we start this process for any child or young person, we will always explain to them and to their parents/carers what our concerns are and what we will do to help.

The school can get support from a range of visiting professionals including Educational Psychologists. These professionals are regularly in all schools and teachers and others will ask for informal advice on supporting pupils for example on the best way to support a pupil who is having difficulties with reading.  If the school wants more detailed individual help, then they would talk to you about formally involving the educational psychologist. The educational psychologist can only be involved in consultation, collaborative assessment and planning interventions for your child after you agree to this.

For a few children and young people their needs are so complex that professionals from two or more agencies need to work together over a significant length of time to enable the child to benefit from school education.

The authority approach to staged intervention has been updated to take ensure it is line with the CYP (2014) and ASL (2004) (amended 2009) Acts. The aim is to ensure children and young people get the right support at the right time.

Where a child or young person has additional support needs, extra planning is required every time there is a move to a new class, new school or college.  How far ahead this transition planning needs to start depends on the particular type of needs but for most children and young people with Additional Support Needs transition planning should start at least one year before the date of the planned move.

Detailed advice on transition planning is provided in the Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice, which can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.dsscotland.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Consultation-Doc-June-2017-1.pdf

Dispute Resolution Procedures

If you feel that things are not being done properly to support your child then the Council has a range of ways to work with you to resolve any issues.  You can ask at any time for a copy of the booklet called ‘Resolving Disagreements’.  This booklet will give you ways to make sure your concerns are listened to and addressed.

Further Support

The following organisations are able to provide advice, further information and support to parents of children and young people with ASN.

1. Enquire: Scottish Advice and Information Service for Additional Support for Learning

Website: http://enquire.org.uk/

Helpline: 0345 123 2303

Email: info@enquire.org.uk

2. Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

Website: http://www.siaa.org.uk/

Telephone: 0131 260 5380
Email: enquiry@siaa.org.uk

3. Scottish Child Law Centre

Website: http://www.sclc.org.uk/

Telephone: 0131 667 6333
Email: enquiries@sclc.org.uk

Getting It Right for Every Child – Ensuring their Wellbeing

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 puts children and young people at the heart of planning and services and ensures their rights are respected across the public sector.  It seeks to improve the way services work to support children, young people and families.

 

• The act ensures that all children and young people from birth to 18 years old have access to a Named Person.
• The act puts in place a single planning process to support those children who require it.
• The act places a definition of wellbeing in legislation.
• The act places duties on public bodies to coordinate the planning, design and delivery of services for children and young people with a focus on improving wellbeing outcomes, and report collectively on how they are improving those outcomes.

 

Taking a ‘Getting it Right for Every Child’ approach to supporting every child is a priority within our school and we aim to assist every child in our school to reach their potential. The wellbeing of children and young people is at the heart of Getting it right for every child. The approach uses eight areas to describe wellbeing in which children and young people need to progress in order to do well now and in the future.

 

The eight indicators of wellbeing (SHANARRI)

 

Safe	Healthy	Achieving	Nurtured
Active	Respected	Responsible	Included

 

Why we have to get it right for every child

Education Services must safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of all children and young people and address need at the earliest opportunity. These functions are the responsibility of schools and establishments and those who work in them and with them. All who work in Education Services and in partnership with Education Services have a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of North Ayrshire’s children and young people.

For more information on Getting it Right for every Child in North Ayrshire go to www.girfecna.co.uk

Psychological Services

The Educational Psychology Service in North Ayrshire is part of and contributes to the aims of Education Services by improving outcomes for children and young people. Educational Psychologists work together with teachers, parents and other professionals to help children and young people achieve their full potential, within educational settings and the wider community. Educational Psychologists are involved in working with individuals, but also have a significant role in offering training, support and consultation to increase capacity in education establishments on a wide range of issues. They are also involved in supporting research to evaluate how effective approaches to support children and young people are.

Your child’s school/ Early Years Centre already has a system of staged intervention for identifying, assessing, monitoring and reviewing the ongoing progress of all children and young people.  As part of this wider system of support, each school and authority early years centre has a link educational psychologist.

When concerns arise about a particular child or young person the establishment will take action to address these concerns.  If the concerns continue, school/ early years may have an informal discussion with the educational psychologist and ask about general advice.

If needed, a formal consultation meeting with parents/carers involving the educational psychologist can then be arranged. This will be discussed with you beforehand.   This may be a one off or may lead to longer term involvement. Through this process the educational psychologist can, if required, contribute to the ongoing assessment and support for your child including providing support to the family. The educational psychologist will be involved while there is a specific role for them and will use a strengths based, solution oriented approach which takes into account the wider context of the child, family and community.

Find out more at:

http://www.northayr-edpsychs.co.uk/

Data Protection

Personal data is required to be collected by North Ayrshire Council in order to deliver education services.  It is necessary to collect personal data regarding pupils, parents, carers and other individuals to enable us to carry out our duties under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Education (Scotland) Act 2016.

The Data Protection Act 2018 sets out the legal basis for processing data.  You can refer to our privacy notice for details of the different basis under which we may process individuals’ data.

https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/Documents/EducationalServices/eye-privacy-policy.pdf

We may also share or receive an individual’s personal data with the following:

• Scottish Government & Education Scotland
• Private Nurseries’
• Strathclyde Passenger Transport
• Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration
• Social Work Services
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Where we are required we will also make disclosures required by law and may also share information with other bodies responsible for detecting/preventing fraud or auditing/.administering public finds.  Individuals’ have legal rights under the data protection legislation including the right of access.  Further details can be found in the Council’s Privacy Policy at:

https://www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/privacy-policy.aspx

Medical and Health Care

Medical examinations are carried out at various times during a child’s primary school years.  Parents are given notice of these and encouraged to attend.  Vision and hearing tests and dental examinations, which parents need not attend, are also carried out and parents informed of any recommended action or treatment.  All examinations are carried out by Ayrshire and Arran Health Board staff.

If a pupil takes ill or has an accident at school, which requires that the child be sent home or for treatment, First Aid will be provided and parents or carers contacted immediately. (In the event of a serious illness or accident, a member of staff will accompany the child to a doctor or hospital and parents/ carers will be notified immediately.)

For this reason it is important that the school has contact details for parents/ carers and an additional contact person in case parents/ carers cannot be reached. It is also important that the school is kept fully informed and updated with regards to any medical condition.

It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the school and keep medical information updated as required.

Children will not be sent home unaccompanied.