Additional support for learning: action plan (updated October 2021)

1. Children and Young People participation

Recommendation

Children and young people must be listened to and involved in all decision making relating to additional support for learning. Co-creation and collaboration with children, young people and their families will support more coherent, inclusive and all-encompassing policy making which improves implementation, impact and experience.

Response

Accept

Actions to be taken forward – Oct 2020

In line with our joint commitment to incorporation of the UNCRC and implementing the reform of the Care system outlined in the Promise, the Scottish Government and COSLA will ensure that when additional support for learning policy is developed or revised, one of our key guiding principles is that children and young people are fully involved and listened to. This will enable all relevant guidance to be informed and shaped by ensuring that the needs of all children and young people are at the centre of any policies.

At both local authority and school level we will seek to fully involve and listen to children and young people in the development of local policy and guidance.

In doing this, the Scottish Government and Local Government will seek to ensure that any barriers to participation of children and young people are considered and support is put in place to encourage their participation.

COSLA will seek and share the views of children and young people with their members when considering responses to policy proposals.

The Scottish Government will continue to fund and support the Young Ambassadors for Inclusion and utilise their unique input and experience on matters related to policy consideration and development.

The Scottish Government will continue to fund and support the Children's Service, My Rights My Say. This service supports children aged 12-15 to access support and advice to allow them to be fully involved in decisions about their education and exercise their rights under Additional Support for Learning legislation.

The Scottish Government and Local Government will seek to expand and consolidate opportunities for participation and engagement with children and young people through other existing networks and linking with organisations that promote and develop participation.

These actions will align to the work being taken forward elsewhere in this action plan.

Delivery Timescale

As set out at 9.1, as part of its on-going commitment to monitoring progress of the ASL Action Plan, ASLIG will review the reporting cycles and provide an update in Spring 2022.

Status Oct 2021

On-going / On track

Progress made:

The Scottish Government and Local Government have continued to progress our commitment to incorporate UNCRC into law to the maximum extent possible within the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

As a key guiding principle, the Scottish Government always seek to create opportunities to ensure that children and young people are fully involved and listened to in additional support for learning policy development.

Since October 2020, as part of our strategic approach, we have continued to ensure that children and young people are represented on our stakeholder groups and have engaged directly with children and young people to inform our work.

COSLA Officers are developing a children and young people engagement plan, ensuring participation and lived experiences consistently help to inform decision-making by their Children and Young People Board^[1]. The Board agreed at their August 2021 meeting that meaningful engagement and participation of children and young people is a key priority across all of their policy work.

To further support children's and young people's participation, the Scottish Government increased funding for this financial year to the Young Ambassadors for Inclusion project. This additional investment has supported the Young Ambassadors to meet more frequently, to consider further opportunities to support the delivery of the ASL Action Plan and inform policy. This has included the creation of a vision statement for success and a resource to support inclusion within schools. Further information on these actions is included within section 1.1 below.

This key network of children and young people with additional support needs from across Scotland remain crucial partners as we continue to drive forward work to deliver the actions in the ASL Action Plan.

To support individual young people, the Scottish Government continues to fund and support the Children's Service - My Rights My Say. This service supports children aged 12-15 to access advice and support to enable them to be fully involved in decisions about their education and exercise their rights under Additional Support for Learning legislation. Between October 2020 and August 2021 My Rights, My Say supported over 100 children to exercise their rights through independent advocacy, legal representation and the seeking children's views service. The Scottish Government has continued to fund Enquire to promote awareness of children's rights. Enquire has continued to develop the online Reach platform to provide information directly to children and young people on their rights and entitlement to support.

The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) are incorporating action to ensure that children and young people's voices are heard within their work to secure UNCRC compliance .

In addition, Education Scotland have developed How good is OUR school? to support learner participation in school self-evaluation. The framework has been produced as result of engagement with schools, organisations and groups of children and young people across Scotland.

Education Scotland have also developed and delivered professional learning on UNCRC, rights and participation, supporting practitioners at all levels to understand their duties and responsibilities in enabling and facilitating learner participation. This includes a 'Train the Trainer' programme to build capacity within local authorities.