S139a LDA Form Guidance Notes 2010-11

Introduction

Please ensure that you read the guidance notes carefully before completing the form. 

Summary guidance notes on each section will appear when you place your mouse cursor over each underlined heading.  A link to the full guidance notes will be enabled if you hold the control key and click.

Information included in the assessment must be current and relevant, please do not ‘cut and paste' out-of-date information from other documents such as a Statement of Educational Needs.  Extracts from other reports or comments from others should be referenced and the reference details included at the end of the form. 

The more accurate, relevant and meaningful you can make this document, the more useful it will be to learning providers and the more the young person will benefit. 

Personal Details

Please ensure that you complete this section in full, checking spelling and number sequences to ensure accuracy. 

Learning Needs

This section should show where the young person is now; what attainment level they have reached or are expected to reach soon; and where they want to be in the future. 

Present Situation

Include quotes of the views of the young person or parent / carer as appropriate.  You are expected to draw all the contextual information together in a summary of the present situation.

Attainment Level

What GCSE's studied with predicted grades?  Other subjects studied and at what level - predicted outcomes?  Milestone or P Scale levels achieved?  Assessment scores - age of young person in years and months at time of test - reading age, comprehension age, spelling age?  Key Skills/Life Skills - any information on young person's ability to plan, organise work, meet deadlines, work in a team and so on. 

Education, Training and Employment Ambitions

What options have been explored by the young person and which are they most interested in and why?  You can insert key points from recent reports or action plans or ‘see attached Annual Review report' or ‘Personalised Action Plan' which includes details of options considered and future ambitions. 

Life Aspirations

What are the young person's dreams for the future and how does s/he plan to make his/her dreams a reality?  Include personal development plans such as improving self-awareness, developing strengths, improving social abilities, enhancing quality of life, improving health, exercising personal autonomy, identifying potential and building employability.   

Support Needs

This part of the form includes several sections from ‘Learning Difficulties' through to ‘Benefits and Entitlements'.  In each ‘Support Needs' section you should ask how the young person perceives their difficulty?  This is particularly relevant where emotional and/or behavioural issues are present (including ASC) since some young people are very sensitive and this has to be taken into account. 

Please insert N/A if any section is not applicable to indicate that it has been considered. 

Learning Difficulties

Does the young person have a Statement and are they receiving additional support in school?  What is the Statement for?  Class ratio taught in?  Specific strategies used by school?  Specific equipment?  Is a Learning Support Assistant required?  Are prompts used and by what means - verbal, bullet points and so on?  Consider attaching any relevant professional reports.  Any names and contact numbers? 

Physical Difficulties

What is the Statement for - diagnosis?  Any equipment required?  Wheelchair user?  Any other support identified by school?  Consider attaching any relevant professional reports.  Any names and contact numbers? 

Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

What is the Statement for?  What does other professional advice state?  Strategies and techniques used?  Is there evidence of any specialised therapy required, e.g., counselling?  Is a Learning Support Assistant required?  Any other support strategies used by school?

Health Issues

List health issues (e.g., asthma, hay fever, epilepsy) and any special support measures that need to be put in place (e.g., toileting, administration of medicine). 

Sensory Impairments

Hearing or visual impairment?  Any support needs identified?  How are needs met in school?  Specialist equipment?  Specialist therapy support being received?  Consider attaching any relevant professional reports.  Any names and contact numbers? 

Mental Health Issues

Nature of mental health issues.  Consider attaching any relevant professional reports.  Support strategies used by school?  Any names and contact numbers? 

Autistic Spectrum Condition

Nature of Autistic Spectrum Disorder?  Support strategies used in school?  Consider attaching any relevant professional reports.  Any names and contact numbers? 

Family, Social and Environmental Issues

Who does the young person live with?  Is the home environment adapted in any way - should it be?  Has a home visit been made?  Is the young person the subject of a care order or looked after child?  Who in the family requires correspondence - one parent or both? Supply both addresses if necessary.  Consider attaching any relevant professional reports.  Any names and contact numbers? 

Social and Personal Development

What are the young person's views of their social needs - include quotes if possible?  Are they fairly isolated at home or are they able to make full use of local activities and meet their friends?  How do they relate to adults and peers?  What type of personality does s/he have - shy and withdrawn or able to mix and make friends easily? What development needs to take place - emotionally, socially, independence training, relationships with peers and so on?   

Transport and Travel Needs

Is the young person transported to school?  Would s/he benefit from travel training?   

Benefits and Entitlements

Is the young person or his/her family entitled to any state benefits or other forms of support?  Are they claiming for their full entitlement? 

Recommendation

Include a recommendation of the type of learning provision that seems capable of best meeting the needs of the young person, even if several options will need to be explored by the young person and their parents/carers. 

Future Learning Options Considered

Consider the range of future learning options available to the young person and include details of those that seem most realistic in being able to meet the young person's needs in whole or part, even if additional support would need to be put in place. 

Consider how the placement decision will affect the young person's future.  Where is the benefit to them and where are they likely to progress to? 

You do not have to complete six options, nor do you need to restrict yourself to that number.  Use additional sheets if required. 

Parent's Views

Include the parent's views using quotes as appropriate.  If a funding process is involved, it may be useful to include a more formal supporting statement from the parents, especially is there is a difference of opinion on the content of this report. 

Summary of Useful Contacts

This summary should include only significant and directly relevant contacts. 

Summary of Report References

You are encouraged to consider attaching any relevant professional reports throughout the assessment report.  This summary should include only significant and directly relevant reports. 

Information Sharing Consent Form

When the assessment report is completed and signed off it should be saved as a protected pdf file before being sent out electronically, to prevent anyone from making unauthorised amendments.