Clackmannanshire Council Online

Resolving Differences

Resolving Differences

The council works in partnership with parents/carers to ensure that their children and young people with additional support needs, have their needs met in accordance with the requirements of all additional support needs legislation and guidance.

We also seek to work in partnership with those young people, 16 years and over, who exercise their right to be fully involved in meeting their own additional support needs.

The council recognises that some parents/carers and some children/young people will not agree with the planning for meeting additional support needs that are implemented through the Staged Intervention and Team Around the Child (TAC) processes and procedures. Therefore we have a process in place for enabling those parents/carers, as well as children/young people who have differences with the actions/decisions identified at a TAC meeting. These will be recorded in the minutes of the TAC and (depending on the stage of intervention) may also form part of a Child's Plan.

Communication

Good communication is the responsibility of everyone who is involved in meeting the needs of those with additional support needs. We must ensure that there is a clear understanding of the processes and procedures used to meet the additional support needs of children and young people and the role and responsibility that everyone has.

The following steps should be followed by educational establishments for resolving differences and disagreements:

Step 1

Parents/carers and children/young people should raise any differences and disagreements that they have regarding the decisions/agreed actions and ensure they are discussed and recorded in the minutes of the child or young person's Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings. If they cannot be resolved at the TAC, then proceed to Step 2.

Step 2

Parents/carers and young people 16 years and over, should ask for a formal discussion/meeting with the Improving Outcomes Team Leader for ASN about any differences and disagreements in relation to the decisions/agreed actions that have not been resolved at educational establishment level. If the differences and disagreements cannot be resolved at this stage, then proceed to Step 3.

Step 3

Parents/carers and young people 16 years and over, should seek a further, formal discussion/meeting with the Improving Outcomes Manager for ASN in relation to any differences and disagreements they have in relation to the decisions/agreed actions that have not been resolved by discussion/meeting at Step 2.

If the differences and disagreements cannot be resolved then the Improving Outcomes Manager ASN will arrange for one or more of the resolutations detailed on our next steps page.

You can also refer to the specialist national services - Enquire and Resolve: ASL page.