Information for Children/Young People

In Powys, we have three systems to support learners with emerging needs and ALN. They are the Tyfu platform, the Tyfu gateway, and the Powys Inclusion Panel (PIP).

The Tyfu platform is a website where we store all of the information related to your ALN. Your Tyfu profile will follow you throughout your education in Powys. This ensures that if you move schools, your new school will have access to your documents. The Tyfu platform is also used by schools to submit referrals and request support. You can access your profile by contacting the school (more info on this below). 

The Tyfu gateway is a telephone and email-based helpdesk. You can contact us if you have any questions about your rights, the support you are receiving, or anything else related to your learning needs. The contact details are:

• Email: tyfu@powys.gov.uk 

• Phone: 01597 827 108 

The Powys Inclusion Panel (PIP) meets every two weeks during term time to discuss referrals and requests from schools. Please see the Powys Inclusion Panel page for more information on this.

According to the Additional Learning Needs law, children are classed as anyone up to 16 years of age, and young people are 16 to 25 years of age. 

Your rights under the ALN code 

As a young person (16-25 years old), you have certain rights under the ALN code. These rights include: 

• Withdrawing consent at any point for ongoing assessments 

• Deciding who can see the information on your Tyfu profile 

• Referring yourself to be assessed for ALN 

• Your school or FEI must gain your consent for any assessment  

The IDP FAQ for young people 

What is an IDP? 

An IDP, or an individual development plan, is a legal document which Powys County Council hosts on the Tyfu platform. The IDP outlines your ALN needs, your one-page profile, and the additional learning provision (ALP) which you need to support your learning. The sections of the IDP are: 

• One page profile 

• Areas of need 

• Timeline of key events 

• ALP 

• Communication  

• About me 

• Transition  

What is the definition of ALN under the Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021? 

A person has additional learning needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability (whether the learning difficulty or disability arises from a medical condition or otherwise) which calls for additional learning provision (ALP). 

There are two tests in the code which schools and local authorities (LA) must use to determine if a learner has ALN.  

Test 1: Does the child have a learning difficulty or disability? 

i) Does the child have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or 

ii) a disability (within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010) which prevents or hinders the child from making use of facilities for education or training of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream maintained schools. 

Test 2: Does the learning difficulty or disability call for ALP? 

The answer to both test 1 and test 2 must be yes for the learner to have ALN under the Act.

Welsh Government Guidance