FAQs — Co-ordinated Support Plans

Who can have a CSP?

There are four criteria which must be met if a child is to be considered for a co-ordinated support plan:

• The education authority must be responsible for the child’s education.
• The child’s additional support needs must be likely to continue for at least a year.
• The additional support needs must be caused by one or more complex factors or by multiple factors.
• Significant additional support must be required from education and from outwith education — for example, from health services or from social work.

Children will have to meet all the criteria to qualify for a CSP.

Please see Factsheet 15 — Co-ordinated support plans.

What is a CSP?

A co-ordinated support plan (CSP) is a legal document, which aims to ensure that the different professionals involved in providing support work together and that the support is properly co-ordinated. The CSP will describe your child’s strengths, your child’s additional support needs, your child’s educational objectives, the support required to help your child achieve their objectives, the types of professionals who will provide support and the details of the person co-ordinating your child’s plan. It will also contain the name of the school your child will attend.

Please see Factsheet 15 — Co-ordinated support plans.

I have waited months for the education department to open a CSP for my child. Are there any rules which say how long it should take to open a CSP?

It should take no longer than 16 weeks for the education authority to prepare your child’s co-ordinated support plan. However, there are exceptions to the 16-week limit. One example would be if the education authority has asked another agency such as health for help and the agency has not replied in time. If there is a delay, the education authority must tell you and set a new date for the opening of the CSP. Whatever happens the time preparing the plan should not exceed 24 weeks.

Please see Factsheet 15 — Co-ordinated support plans.

I am unhappy with the content of my child’s draft CSP as it does not properly identify his additional support needs and I do not agree with the proposals for meeting his needs. What can I do?

When a CSP is being prepared the education authority should consult with you and your child, as well as with the relevant professionals. If required, meetings could be held to discuss the content of the draft plan. The plan should be sent to you for final comments.

Please see The parents’ guide to additional support for learning.

I am unhappy because my education authority has decided not to prepare a CSP for my child. What can I do about this?

As a parent you can appeal to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal if you want to challenge a decision about a CSP. You can appeal to the Tribunal if you are unhappy with:

• a decision to prepare a plan for your child
• a decision not to prepare a plan for your child
• a decision to continue your child’s plan following a review
• a decision to discontinue your child’s plan following a review
• the length of time it is taking to decide whether your child needs a plan, prepare a plan or review the plan. You can also appeal if the education authority fails to review your child’s plan after 12 months.
• a decision to refuse your request to find out if your child needs a plan, or your request to review the plan.
• the information in your child’s plan.
• a decision to refuse a placing request where a plan exists, or is required but not yet prepared, or an appeal against a refusal of a placing request has not yet been considered.

If you want to make an appeal (called ‘a reference’) to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal you can contact them to ask for advice. The tribunals website is www.asntscotland.gov.uk or you can ring their helpline on 0845 120 2906.

Your education authority can also provide you with information on how to make a reference.

The Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland are independent of local authorities and national government. Three people — one convenor and two members — will be present at each hearing. The convenor will be legally qualified and the members will have knowledge and experience of children or young people with additional support needs.

The education authority has to carry out the tribunal’s decision.

Please see Factsheet 5 — Resolving disagreements.

What can I do to make sure my child’s CSP is up to date?

Your child’s co-ordinated support plan must be reviewed every twelve months to make sure that the support it describes is still suitable for your child’s needs. You will be invited to a review meeting. The review meeting will consider if the aims and goals set out in your child’s plan have been achieved, whether any new aims or goals need to be set, and what support will be needed to help your child achieve them. The review meeting will also consider whether there has been any change in the circumstances which have led to your child’s additional support needs.

If you think your child’s circumstances have changed significantly during the year it may be decided that they no longer need a CSP or that the plan should change. If this happens, an early review meeting may be called. You have the right to request an early review meeting if you believe this to be the case.

Please see Factsheet 15 — Co-ordinated support plans.

Am I entitled to a copy of my child’s CSP?

Yes.

The CSP is a confidential document. Only the education authority, the school, you and your child if over 16, will have a copy of it. It will be available to the team working with your child.

Please see The parents’ guide to additional support for learning.

What if my child needs extra help but doesn’t have or require a CSP?

The education authority has a duty to make adequate and efficient provision for such additional support as is required by any child with additional support needs for whose school education the authority is responsible. The child’s additional support needs and the support provided by the education authority must be kept under review.

Please see The parents’ guide to additional support for learning.