Co-ordinated Support Plan

The Scottish Government introduced duties for local authorities to ensure that looked after children’s rights are being upheld so that they can fully benefit from their school education. 

Under these duties, there is a legal presumption that looked after children have additional support needs, unless proven otherwise. Therefore, every looked after child must be assessed for a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP).

Some children and young people with additional support needs require input from a number of different services. Young people may have input from social work, health services, education and others. A CSP makes sure that these services work together to give a young person the support they need to be able to properly benefit from their education.

A CSP outlines:

  • the additional support needs of the young person
  • objectives that have been set for them to achieve
  • the support they need to achieve these objectives.

As of 2015, only 6,374 (51%) of the 12,533 looked after children with additional support needs have been assessed for a CSP, while only 368 were deemed to need one.There is a wide variation in practice between local authorities.

Activity 4

While universities aren't usually part of a Co-ordinated Support Plan, it might be useful to look again at what it includes:

  • the additional needs of the young person
  • objectives that have been set for them to achieve
  • the support they need to achieve these objectives.

Make some notes about what support needs a Care-Experienced student in your university might have. Would it be helpful to develop some sort of support plan with them? Maybe this is something that already happens. If you're not sure, have a look at the information for Care-Experienced students on your website or speak to someone in your Student Support team.

Here are a few things the university might think about putting in place. What others can you think of? You could revisit this section (or add to your reflection journal) after you’ve studied the next section.

  • accommodation over the holidays
  • mentoring support
  • counselling.
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Mental health and trauma

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