Part 1.4 Strategic Planning for Future Service Provision
In Scotland, education authorities have a duty to ensure that they provide adequate and efficient educational provision for any child or young person with additional support needs and this of course includes children and young people with ASD. In ensuring that these needs are met, education authorities must also make a wide range of provision available and ensure that the teaching methods used in schools meets the needs of each individual pupil. This provision may be made in specialist units or bases within mainstream schools, or by outreach, or peripatetic support teams. Provision may also be provided in Special Schools.
This guidance is designed to support education authorities in the delivery of these duties and as a first step considers the legislative and policy context in which these duties exist.
Local authorities' Strategic Planning for Future Service Provision will include definition of strategy or direction for ASD, and making decisions on allocation of resources to pursue this. Strategic Planning should take account of the policy and legislative context summarised in Part 1, the advice offered in Parts 2 and 3 of The Autism Toolbox, and the more detailed Legislative section in Section 7, and should be predicated on the recognition that ASD is a lifelong condition. Services will need to offer at least some level of support throughout life. This highlights the importance of strategic analysis, direction and action planning in the light of the need for joined up services, consultation with families and service users, training of staff and the right services for ASD.
A number of key elements in strategic planning are listed here and elaborated in Section 7 which can be found on the CD Rom included with The Autism Toolbox.
Key elements in strategic planning:
- Statistics: Local authorities' provision and information collation
- A varied range of provision and publication
- Social and education inclusion
- Information to Parents
- The Right Training
Additionally, these annexes provide helpful information:
Table 1 - Annexes to Section 7 ( CD Rom)
Annex 1 Specific planning duties Annex 2 Collecting data on ASD - exemplar from Fife Council's ASD Data Survey Annex 3a Proforma for Pupils with an Autism Spectrum Disorder - exemplar from Moray Council Annex 3b Whole school organisation and training for managing pupils with autism spectrum disorders - exemplar from Moray Council Annex 4a Present training and development opportunities for ASD in Scotland Annex 4b Scottish National Training Framework - The Development of a National Training Framework for Autistic Spectrum Disorders, A Study of Training for Professionals Working in the Field of ASD in Scotland (MacKay and Dunlop, 2004) Annex 5 Information to Parents |