Additional Support for Learning tribunals
The Scottish Government’s Additional Support for Learning legislation seeks to ensure that all young people who are identified as having additional support needs have full and appropriate support in order to help them overcome any barriers to their learning.
In the vast majority of cases, these needs are adequately and effectively addressed by the supports that are put in place. However, the legislation also makes provision to ensure that parents can legally challenge the authority, if they believe that their child’s needs are not being fully met. This includes mediation and dispute resolution services at a local level and a more formal level of appeal through a legally constituted Tribunal Service.
Parents will have a right under the terms of the legislation to appeal to a tribunal, if they feel they have no satisfaction in trying to resolve any dispute with the education authority. The tribunals have a range of powers that can place legal obligations on education authorities with respect to discharging their obligations under the legislation.
It is very rare that any dispute or disagreement cannot be resolved at a local level and very few cases find their way into the tribunal system. However, tribunals do offer parents and young people an ultimate guarantee that needs will be met, where it can be shown that a local authority is not discharging its responsibilities in an appropriate manner.
Educational & Social Services