South Lanarkshire Reply to msms Campaign

Here is the Council's letter in full:

Dear Mr Macfadyen,

Thank you for your correspondence sent to the leader, officials and elected members regarding South Lanarkshire Council's response to the National Autistic Society's make school make sense campaign.

I have provided a coordinated response to the points raised by your letter as follows:

1. Do you provide a range of educational provision which reflects the diversity of needs of children with autism, including autism-specific resource bases and specialist outreach support?

I am please to inform you that the Council has a wide range of provision for children and young people with autism. Many children with autistic sprctrum disorder attend their local mainstream provision and thier needs are met from within existing resources of the school. Some children require additional specialist support. This may include advice and/or input from a range of health, education and social work professional such as Specialist Support Teacher, Speech and Language Therapist, Educadtional Psychologist, School Support Assistant, Autism Outreach Teacher, Occupational Therapist, Community Paediatrician, Social Worker, Child and Family Services.

In addition to the special school and units, which cater for the needs of children with a wide range of difficulties, inculding autistic spectrum disorders, the Council has autism specific provision in the following schools:

2. Do all Principal Teachers of Learning Support receive training in autism? What are your plans for training teachers and support staff in autism?

Education Resources has a comprehensive strategic development programme in place for all staff. This inculdes continuing professional development opportunities in ASD. Staff are sponsored to participate in accredited post graduate courses at cretificate and diploma level. In addition, an Autism Support Network has been established for staff working with pupils in mainstream schools across the authority.

3. Do you consult people with ASD and their families during the planning, implementation and evaluation stages of developing services?

Education Resources is a valued member of the Pan Lanarkshire Autism Forum which provides opportunity for consultation and planning in relation to developing services. This forum is attended by colleagues from Health, Social Work Resources, parent representation and representatives from the local National Autistic Society

Education Resources has produced 7 core policies covering all aspects of educational provision for children, young people and adults. The policies have been produced with the aim of ensuring equality of opportunity for all and through a process of consultation with stakeholders.

4. What are your plans to ensure that all accessibility strategies & disability equality schemes refer to the specific needs of children with autism and are implemented effectively?

The Disability Equality Statement of Commitment for South Lanarkshire Council Education Resources is the written statement of disability equality policy required of each Education Authority under the Disabilty Discrimination Act 2005, in line with draft guidelines by the Disability Rights Commission.

The Disability Equality Scheme (DES) 2005-2008 for South Lanarkshire Council set out the vision and values of the Council together with the Council's commitment through its Equal Opportunities Policy to tackling disadvantage and barriers to access and services which some peole may encounter because of their age, race, gender, location, physical or learning disability. Education Resources complies with the Council's Disability Equality Scheme.

Individual establishments and services will involve employees, parents, cildren and other service users through their formal and informal mechanisms such as Parent's Teachers Associations, school board meetings, local community groups and individuals in the wider community.

Education Resource's Accessibility Strategy covers the period 2005-2008. Legislation requires that the Council’s accessibility strategy must cover the following:

- Increasing the extent to which pupils can participate in the curriculum
- Improving the physical environment of the schools to make them more accessible
- Improving communication with pupils of school information and in alternate forms

All children and young people with additional support needs are targeted through Education Resources ‘Inclusion & Equality’ Policy.

5. Will you sign up publicly to support the make school make sense campaign?

The Council supports the make school make sense campaign.

Please be assured that the council remains firmly committed to the development of local provision, which offers the geatest possible levels of support for every child with autistic spectrum disorder.

I hope that this information is of assistance to you,

Yours sincerely,

(Signed) Linda Harvie

pp Archibald Strang
Chief Executive
South Lanarkshire Council.

We’d like to thank the Council for their reply to the make school make sense campaign. If you have any comments, please get in touch with us.