Parent Partnership Service

Role of ALNCo and Professionals

Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCo)

All schools, (except special schools) have an identified member of staff to act as Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (or ALNCo for short). 

The ALNCo at a school is responsible for carrying out or making sure that the following tasks are carried out:

• identifying a pupil’s additional learning needs (ALN) and co-ordinating the making of the Additional Learning Provision (ALP)
• securing relevant services to support the pupil’s Additional Learning Provision
• keeping records of decisions about ALN and Individual Development Plans (IDPs)
• liaising with and providing information to the pupil and parents/carers of the pupil
• promoting inclusion in the school and access to the school's curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities
• advising, supervising and training school staff about differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual pupils with ALN, and contributing to in-service training
•  monitoring the effectiveness of any Additional Learning Provision made
• preparing and reviewing the information required to be published by the governing body of the school

An ALNCo at a college is responsible for carrying out or ensuring that the following tasks are carried out:

• identifying a student’s ALN and co-ordinating the making of Additional Learning Provision (ALP) that meets a student’s ALN
• securing relevant services that will support a student’s Additional Learning Provision
• keeping records of decisions about ALN and educational plans (eg. Individual Development Plans or equivalent (IDPs)
• liaising with and providing information to the student about that student’s ALN, IDP and the Additional Learning Provision
• promoting the inclusion of a student with ALN in the FEI and access to the FEI’s curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities
• preparing and reviewing the information required to be published by the governing body
• advising, supervising and training staff about differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual students with ALN
• monitoring the effectiveness of any Additional Learning Provision made

The ALNET Act says that the prescribed qualification or experience of an ALNCo at a school must be:

• a school teacher; or
• a special educational needs co-ordinator within the school immediately prior to the coming into force of these Regulations.

Early Years Non-Maintained settings (private nurseries)

A local authority must designate an officer to have responsibility for co-ordinating the authority’s functions in relation to children under compulsory school age (5 years) who are not attending maintained schools.

An officer designated under this section is known as an Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer. 

How will my child be supported in an Early Years setting?

Your child’s key worker will be able to direct you to the Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EY ALNLO) who can tell you what support is currently in place for your child and discuss with you what additional support may be available for your child.

If a child has a health professional working with them e.g. Speech and language therapist, the professional will continue to work with the child and support the setting with targets and strategies.

A transition meeting takes place the term before a child starts a new school.  A transition meeting is held with both the school and early years setting in attendance. A transition meeting is held to ensure that there is discussion about how your child will be supported, and to pass on any key information that will help the new school support your child.  The meeting will also be attended by any professionals supporting your child.

Designated Educational Clinical Lead Officer (DECLO)

Every Local Health Board must designate an officer to have responsibility for co-ordinating the health board’s functions in relation to children and young people with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). This role is Designated Education Clinical Lead Officer – DECLO.

The DECLO for Hywel Dda Health Board is Luke Jones - luke.jones@wales.nhs.uk

The DECLO must either be a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse or another health professional.

The DECLO will be responsible for:

•  operating strategically to promote awareness of ALN at executive level within the Local Health Board and promote new ways of working;
• sharing best practice with the other DECLOs to help ensure standardised approaches across Wales;
•  promoting a consistent strategic approach within the Local Health Board to the identification and assessment of ALN, the preparation and review of IDPs, the planning and delivery of ALP and the monitoring the effect of it on children and young persons;
• managing and monitoring compliance with Local Health Board duties under the Act, and measuring the success of the Local Health Board’s interventions.