About ASN in West Dunbartonshire

Some children or young people may need extra support, long or short term, to help them make the most of their school education and to feel fully included in their learning.

Children may need extra help for a variety of reasons, for example:

• physical impairments or learning disabilities
• family circumstances, e.g. young carers, substance abuse, looked after children
• are on the child protection register
• being bullied
• being able or talented
• have English as an additional language.

We decide which children have additional support needs by using the Stepped Approach as outlined in Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC).

Who supports you and your child

The staff who help you child are as follows:

• key adult, e.g. key worker in early years centres, class teacher or specific teacher in schools
• named person, e.g. midwife, health visitor, Head of Centre in early years centre and Head Teacher or specific teacher in schools
• lead professional when more than one agency is involved, e.g. Head Teacher or Head of Centre, Social Worker or Educational Psychologist.

What we can do

There are a number of ways we can help children with additional support needs through our use of methods, resources and staff.

For example:

• learning assistants and Pupil and Family Support Workers
• access to specialist teachers or resources in mainstream schools
• specialist schools
• specialist support services

Accessing support

Contact the child's school or early years centre that your child attends. The staff there will be able to help you.

More information on how we assess your child's ASN requirements.

More information is available on children's social and care services on West Dunbartonshire HSCP website.

Placing requests

If your child has additional support needs you can make a placing request to any of our schools. You do not need to live in the area.

A young person with additional support needs has the right to make a placing request for them self.

If we refuse your child's placing request you can appeal to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal. However, if you live outside West Dunbartonshire your appeal is heard by an appeals committee and then the Sheriff, i.e. you do not appeal to the tribunal.