COUNCILS are giving out fewer legally-binding support plans for children with autism and other complex conditions, despite diagnoses rising, it is claimed.
The number of pupils identified as having additional support needs (ASN) like dyslexia, austic spectrum disorder and mental health problems has risen from about 118,000 in 2012 to almost 183,500 last year.
The total makes up more than a quarter of the total pupil population.
But despite the increase, the number of co-ordinated support plans (CSPs) put in place for learners in this bracket has fallen.
The agreements provide some guarantee of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress for youngsters with barriers to education, placing statutory duties on councils to review and ensure the provisions set out are being met. This includes coordination by education, health and social work to ensure young Scots have the backing they need to achieve.
According to Scottish Government data, just 3500 of these were in place in 2012, aiding fewer than three per cent of eligible pupils. This has now fallen to 2200 – only 1.2 per cent of those with ASN. In two council areas – East Ayrshire and Falkirk – the level is as low as 0.1 per cent, which compares to 5.3 per cent at highest-placed Renfrewshire.
In Glasgow, which has the largest number of young people with ASN at almost 21,200, the level is 0.9 per cent. And in the Orkneys, which has the lowest ASN pupil population at 840, the rate is 0.6 per cent.
At the same time, provision in England is rising, with the number of those in possession of a CSP-style agreement six times higher than the overall Scottish level.
The Scottish Children’s Service Coalition (SCSC) has today called on ministers to review the way councils are implementing the agreements, claimingthey may be “more reluctant” to provide CSPs than in previous years as a result of spending cuts and suggesting the regional differences raise questions about the need for a standardised approach.
The body, which includes a range of specialist organisations, says those from deprived backgrounds are most likely to miss out, with CSPs more than twice as likely to be opened for pupils in the wealthiest areas when compared with those in the poorest.
The disparity is despite the fact that youngsters in the poorest areas are more than twice as likely to be identified as having some form of ASN.
The coalition said there is now a “clear concern” that affected youngsters “may not be getting the care and support they need”. A spokesperson said: “If we are to close the educational gap, it is key that we target the resourcing to achieve those on those in the most deprived communities. It is vital that the Scottish Government urgently undertake a review of how CSPs are being implemented by local authorities.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We want all children and young people to receive the support they need to reach their full potential. The Additional Support for Learning Act requires education authorities to identify, provide for and to review the additional support needs of their pupils. This includes a requirement to consider whether pupils with additional support needs require a co-ordinated support plan.
“The Scottish Government published detailed statutory guidance, in December 2017, on the requirements of the additional support for learning legislation, which strengthened the guidance on these requirements. We are now reviewing the guidance to support the pupil census national statistical collection. This includes guidance on the different planning mechanisms, and will support improved recording of the additional support that pupils receive.
“In 2017 nearly 70,000 children had their additional support provided through a planned approach, including through CSPs, individualised educational programmes and child’s plans. Many more children and young people receive support in schools which does not require a formal planning approach.”
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