15. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported low uptake of co-ordinated support plans among pupils with additional needs. (S5O-02221)

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities have a statutory duty to consider whether children or young people for whom they are responsible require a co-ordinated support plan. The CSP’s purpose is to enable support to be planned in a co-ordinated way to meet the needs of pupils who have complex or multiple needs that require significant support from the education authority and any other agency. To support authorities in those considerations, we published in December 2017 the revised code of practice on supporting learners, which includes guidance for authorities on meeting their duties under the 2004 act in relation to CSPs.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

The supplementary question and answer must be short, please.

Does the Cabinet secretary accept that there is a direct link between the loss of hundreds of specialist additional support needs teachers and the exceptionally low uptake of co-ordinated support plans for young people who have additional support needs?

I do not accept such a relationship, because local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that any child whose needs require a co-ordinated support plan receives such a plan. The two processes are entirely separate. Local authorities have a statutory duty and obligation to fulfil what is expected of them under the 2004 act, and members of the public and young people and their families have a right to expect that of local authorities.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

I apologise to the five members I could not call. I will move straight on so that we lose no time.