I am delighted to have been asked by the Scottish Government to chair the “Strategic review of learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs” 

I strongly believe that high quality education and care is a right of all children and young people.  There are particular challenges faced by pupils, their parents and services when there are complex additional support needs to be addressed.  Nevertheless every child in Scotland should have the opportunity to realise their potential, no matter the barriers to learning.

I agreed to chair what may prove a challenging review, as I believe that everyone involved with the education and care of children wants to make a positive difference. That aspiration needs to be supported by clear policies and strategic planning to make the difference achievable. 

The remit document sets out the principles, objectives and outcomes of the review and these will be further defined on an ongoing basis. However, these broad principles will remain at the core: 

  1. That at all times, positive outcomes for children and young people with complex Additional Support Needs will drive policy;  
  2. Curriculum for Excellence entitles every child to a broad general education which develops their talents and personality reflecting the ways different learners progress;  
  3. This entitlement extends to the provision of the health/care and support necessary to allow them to access educational opportunities;    
  4. That all activity will be in line with the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child and will seek to ensure that children and young people are safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included; and 
  5. That to be consistent with the principles for the commissioning of national services for children established by the National Residential Child Care Initiative (NRCCI), the review will explicitly ensure that a national sector is shaped to deliver efficient and effective education and associated health/care in a manner which complements Local Authority provision and reflects Best Value. 

This review will open up many challenging conversations, I welcome the discussion and guarantee that all issues raised will be heard and considered in a spirit of openness and inclusion. Already I am impressed by the positive commitment to the process of the review by participants, parents and others who have been in touch. 

My overarching hope for the review is that it will have a lasting impact on the way we plan and organise provision so as to improve outcomes for children and young people. There may be obstacles but I believe that this review can be both aspirational and grounded in the financial and political realities we face.

Peter Doran
Chair
www.doranreview.org