Individualised Support

(and using a SBC Care Plan +)

Resources

What is it? 

“There are approximately 184,000 children and young people in Scotland with ASN, or 26.6% of pupils. This could include having motor or sensory impairments, having learning difficulties such as dyslexia, having English as an additional language, or having emotional and social difficulties.” 

ASN (Scotland): Mentally Healthy Schools

We are seeing an increasing number of children in our settings who may need a more specific and considered approach to their support, enabling them to fully engage in all aspects of the setting. 

Enabling a universal provision for children is essential to supporting ALL children to be engaged in our settings.  This universal provision is a core provision which considers the needs of all children including neurodiverse, EAL, ASN and trauma-affected.

 

Key messages:

Before making a referral to outside agencies, the following must be in place;

  • The setting upholds it’s duty to provide support for all learners including those with additional support needs (ASN) as laid out in the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Scotland Act 2004; UNCRC Rights of the Child Act (part of Scottish law from June 2024)
  • Practitioners ensure there is a high-quality universal provision, which is neurodiverse affirming, and provides individualised support where required.
  • Practitioners use data (observations/developmental overviews/ trackers/chronologies/ care plans/ medication etc.) to build a holistic picture of each child and inform how the setting can best support them.
  • Practitioners plan their universal provision (high quality spaces, interactions and experiences carefully to provide support for all learners, (link to Spaces – universal provision).
  • Practitioners access advice and guidance from outside agencies, where required, to inform individualised support and strategies.
  • For individualised support, practitioners work closely with parents and carers, to build a more holistic picture of the individual child and build a consistent approach to agree strategies.
  • Where individualised support and strategies are required, this information will form an individualised support plan, for example an SBC Care Plan +.

 

Ways we can do this: 

Statutory Duty

The convention for the rights of the Child is now in Scottish law (June 2024) all settings must adhere to these.  Ensuring a quality universal provision linked to the Rights of the child to enable support for ALL children. Practitioners should engage with appropriate training in relation to The Rights of the Child (UNCRC).   The rights of the child link directly with a Nurture Principles Approach. 

All practitioners have engaged with key guidance e.g. UNCRC, SBC Nurture Principles, SBC Mandatory Nurture Training, Supporting Children’s Learning: Statutory Guidance on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Scotland Act 2004 (as amended) and use these to create a nurturing climate which celebrates diversity and inclusion.  Practitioners have also accessed SBC training on Self-Regulation.

Universal Provision

Spaces

  • Use of audit tools to evaluate whether spaces meet the needs of all children in your setting
  • Support Independence for all developmental levels
  • Appropriate and relevant visual timetable that is used in practice
  • Self-regulation designated area or the child should be allowed to choose a space where they can self-regulate.
  • Outdoor learning opportunities to develop gross and fine motor skills as well as develop language and vocabulary;

Experiences

  • Differentiated to meet all ages and stages of development.
  • Linked to pupil interests.
  • Well-considered transitions to give child space, time and sensory ‘aware’ (Consider – noise/space/smells etc).
  • Sensory experiences which enhance opportunities for learning both indoors and outdoors.
  • Provision of routines which are predictable and signposted;

Interactions

  • Have high aspirations for all children, ensuring that all feel accepted for who they are
  • Pictorial lanyards to support communication as well as feelings
  • Sensitive, nurturing interactions which are aware of bias, ableist attitudes, and promote the potential of each child.

Use of Data

Practitioners plan a range of types of observations (based only on what you see) to build a more detailed picture of a child’s experience in the setting (e.g. Leuven Scale, time sampling, use of spaces, focussed observations) – consider things like: what triggers certain behaviours (environment, interactions with others, routines, transitions); which spaces and experiences the child thrives in; how the child communicates; who the child relates well with etc

Practitioners use developmental overviews & trackers to identify areas for support and challenge – for example a particular interest in one area of the curriculum or a lack of evidence in one particular element of a developmental overview.

Practitioners use information from chronologies & care plans to gain a wider understanding of the child’s life experiences and personal preferences, so that they can use this to inform their interactions & build more meaningful & nurturing relationships with the children and their families (e.g. understanding why child might come in tired or with their emotional reserves low, why they might find certain situations triggering or how we can help them self-regulate in a way consistent with home).

Access advice from within the school and outside agencies

Consider accessing information/training/ extra support, if needed (e.g. through pastoral care/school counselling, school nurses or through referral to community-based support.

Using readily available information from outside agencies to support individual children (e.g. using visuals, documents, online training, websites, Facebook pages and sensory resources from agencies such as Speech & Language, Occupational Therapy, Home-School visiting teacher, Physio)

Create an Individualised Support Plan

All practitioners consistently follow strategies in individualised support plans.

Scottish Borders Council have created an example of an individualised support plan which we call the SBC Care Plan +.

SBC settings are free to create their own type of individualised support plans, but they must include similar sections within the support plan and similar approaches to those listed below.

Individualised Support Plan templates must have the following sections:

    • The child`s name / DoB/ Key worker/ picture of child
    • Inclusive input from the family.
    • Child’s strengths/ interests/skills.
    • Include headings that allow practitioners to consider how they support the child through communication, physically, sensory, transition, social & emotional, self-regulation.
    • Review date that is agreed by staff and family, signed off and dated. Next review date agreed.

It must be worded in a supportive way which is respectful of the individual. 

The SBC Care Plan + shows you how we do this in Scottish Borders Council.

Use similar approaches to those detailed below in the “Guidance for Care Plan +” tab.