All children and young people may need additional support at some point to help them make the most of their education. Most children are supported through their own keyworker and the wider centre team with appropriate playroom-based strategies and supports.
If a child needs more help than a practitioner can provide, then a process of providing the right support begins. We call this staged intervention. Staged intervention is our way of assessing, identifying and then providing the necessary additional support and/ or strategies for a child or young person.
Staged intervention can be broken down into the following stages:
Stage 1 – In room support
Where additional supports can be delivered using room-based strategies/interventions.
Stage 2 – In centre support
Where a child’s additional support needs require intervention or targeted support from the School Assistant, Equity and Excellence Lead Practitioner or Principal Teacher. An action plan should be created and reviewed.
Stage 3 – Additional support from a service that is universally available
Where support for a child’s Additional Support Need cannot be met solely through centre-based interventions the centre and family may seek support from other universal services. The Named Person will contact the appropriate service/agency to discuss/identify what supports are universally available to meet the identified wellbeing need. Consent from parents will be sought prior to a request being made. An Action plan will be created and formally reviewed.
Stage 4 – Specialist help from a multi-agency team
At this stage, a My Plan will be completed. The Named Person will contact the appropriate multi-agency team, and work in partnership with parents to discuss/identify what targeted supports are required to minimise the barriers to learning.
A team with family meeting (TWF) will be convened to determine how agencies can provide support.
All children at Stage 4 will benefit from at least one targeted support. Further universal supports may also be part of the support provided to children at this level.
Stage 5 –Authority Specialist Placements or Outwit Authority Placements
Where a child or young person is placed in a specialist authority base or out with the local authority, they will be deemed to be supported at Stage 5.
All placements will be confirmed by the Central Admissions Group (CAG) or GIRFEC Advisory Resource Forum (GARF) following recommendations at the Team with the Family meeting with the parents/carers, professionals supporting and the child where appropriate.
At Stage 5 children and young people are required to have a My Plan. Where the Plan is held by another service all educational targets must be incorporated into this plan and a formal review TEAM WITH THE FAMILY meeting will take place a minimum of annually or more often if appropriate
