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Local authorities in Wales must follow the Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (ALNET) Act. The systems and processes to support learners with ALN (additional learning needs) in Powys are based on this Act.
In Powys, we have three main 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 a learner's ALN. Your child's Tyfu profile will automatically follow them throughout their education in Powys. This ensures that your child's new school has access to their documents. The Tyfu platform is also used by schools to submit referrals and requests for support. You can access your child’s profile by contacting the school (more info on this below).
The Tyfu gateway is a telephone and email-based helpdesk. The purpose of the gateway is to be the first point of contact and a helpline for schools, parents, and professionals. The Tyfu gateway can direct you to the correct team if you are unsure where to go for support. The Tyfu gateway 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. We also have an Early Years Powys Inclusion Panel (EYPIP). For more information on EYPIP, please see the ALN - Early Years page.
Parent/Carer Support
My Child's Individual Development Plan
- a guide for parents/carers
Quick Ref guide - my child's IDP for parents.docxMy Child's Annual Review
- a guide for parents/carers
Quick Ref guide - annual reviews for parents.docxYour Child's IDP at Post-16
- a guide for parents/carers
P16 Quick Ref guide - IDPs at P16 for parents.docxConsidering Specialist Colleges - a guide for parents/carers
P16 Quick Ref guide - Specialist Colleges for parents.docxAccessing your child’s Tyfu profile
To access your child’s Tyfu profile, please contact the school Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (ALNCO). They will send you an invitation which goes straight to your email address. You can then use the below guide to accept the invitation.
Invitations to Tyfu User Guide.pdfTransportation Post-16
P16 Quick Ref guide - transport for parents.docxTransportation ALN
Quick Ref guide - ALN transport for parents.docxEarly Years Setting’s duties under ALNET
Early years settings must support children with emerging and additional learning needs (ALN). The setting will support your child with a different plan depending on their level of need. For example, a child with emerging needs will be supported by a Universal Learning Provision Play Plan (ULPP plan). These plans set short term targets for the learner which the setting can help them achieve. These plans also outline the help and support that the setting will offer. If a child has ALN, the local authority will maintain an Individual Development Plan (LA IDP), which is a legally binding plan for that outlines the child's needs and the provision that will support them. For more information on ALN in the early years, please click on the green button below.
Early Years ALN referral route
EYALN referral route (parents) .pdfSchool’s duties under ALNET
Schools must support learners with emerging and additional learning needs (ALN). The school will support your child with a different plan depending on their level of need. For example, a learner with emerging needs will be supported by a Universal Learning Provision Plan (ULP plan). These plans set short term targets for the learner which the school can help them achieve. Examples of provision that could see in ULP Plans include small group work, extra lessons, or small-scale interventions. If a learner has ALN, the school will be required to write a school maintained Individual Development Plan (School IDP) which is a legally binding plan that outlines the child's needs and the provision that will support them. An IDP must be reviewed annually to track and monitor the learner's progress.
The local authority offers support to schools in the form of individual consultations, assessments, school visits, and general advice. Schools must take all relevant steps to support a child based on their need. They can do this by submitting requests and referrals to the local authority via the Tyfu platform. As a parent, you can see all requests and referrals that the school has submitted to the local authority and the outcomes in the "authority referral" tab on your child's Tyfu profile.
Schools and parents can request that the local authority takes over the maintenance of a School IDP if the learner isn't making progress, making it a Local Authority IDP (LA IDP).
The IDP FAQ for parents and carers
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 child’s ALN, their one-page profile, and the additional learning provision (ALP) which they need to support their learning. The sections of the IDP are:
One page profile
Areas of need
Timeline of key events
ALP
Communication
About me
Transition
An IDP can either be maintained by the school or by the Local Authority.
What is the difference between a school maintained IDP and an LA maintained IDP?
In most cases, the school will maintain the IDP. The LA will automatically be responsible for an IDP if the pupil is:
under 5 and not in a maintained school
CLA
dual registered
detained
EHE/EOTAS
The LA would also be responsible for pupils with more complex or low incidence needs.
What is the definition of ALN under the Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021?
A learner 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.
Disagreement resolution
You may disagree with a decision made by the school or be unhappy with the support that your child receives. Powys County Council encourages all disagreements to be first discussed with the school. If you are still unhappy, you can contact the Tyfu gateway and ask the local authority to reconsider your child’s case at the relevant panel.
If your case has already been discussed by the local authority and you are unhappy with the decision that they have made, you can ask the Disagreement Resolution Panel to review the case if you have additional information that may impact the outcome of the decision. You can also contact the independent advocacy service, SNAP Cymru on 0808 8010608 or see https://www.snapcymru.org/contact/ .
You also have a right of appeal to the Education Tribunal for Wales and can ask them to review some of the elements of the IDP.
The Tribunal’s contact details are as follows:
Education Tribunal for Wales
Welsh Tribunals Unit
PO Box 100
Llandrindod Wells
LD1 9BW
Telephone: 0300 025 9800
E-mail: educationtribunal@gov.wales or tribunal.enquiries@gov.wales
Glossary of Terms
Key Terminology Glossary English.pdfWelsh Government Guidance
ALN System Parents Guide
ALN Factsheet for Children, Young People, Parents, and Carers
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