1.5.2 Support staff

Support staff play a key role within the school community to ensure that information is communicated to colleagues about effective practice to support learners with additional support needs and about individual learners who staff work with. This may take the form of a pupil profile or information within SEEMiS. Further information on the pupil profile can be found in section 2.4

All staff represent the school and therefore the local authority when they meet with parents and learners.

There are a range of roles within support teams, for example, support assistants, support for learning teachers, additional support teachers or Deputy Heads for support. Irrespective of their role, all educational practitioners need to have good interpersonal skills in order to support effective communication within their school community on the identification, support, monitoring and progress of learners. The essential skills include:

• Empathy
• Effective people skills
• Ability to listen
• Following up and communicating on actions