Hoosup

On February 3rd 2014 Powys CC announced proposals to close all ALN units in all primary schools across Powys. 22 units in total including 4 pre-school assessment units.
Lisa Rapado took to Facebook and set up the pagehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/handsoffourspecialistunitspowys/?ref=ts&fref=ts as word spread about the consultation, and people looked for answers and support group membership group and now stands at over 1550!.

Without a doubt without this valuable group, the consultation would have had no opposition other then maybe a few handful of no's. However when consultation ended on March 17th, we later found that we had managed to get 759 responses to a consultation (normally no or very little members of the public respond) we filled 4 lever arch files! We have also handed in petitions with signatures amounting to over 5000.

The battle is not over though, this is just the first step. Now we await the portfolio holders report after he has analysed all 759 responses. Then as part of a delegate group a sub committee off HOOSUP to represent each unit affected.

We have had a lot of political support from local councillors all over Powys to AM's sitting in Welsh Assembly Government. (WAG) Kirsty Williams, Simon Thomas, Russel George, William Powell to name but a few. And this will be vital as the decision moves forward. This has united all political parties be it Plaid Cymru, Labour or Conservative all are behind us.

We also have the Bishop of Brecon and Swansea on our side as he was one of the 759 who responded.

For those who don't know what ALN units are I will provide a brief description as to what they do and why they are needed.

ALN units offer valuable support to children who have a range of learning difficulties and are either on a statement or action plus at school, this could range from autism, to dyspraxia, concentration and memory problems, behavioural issues. At a lesser degree children from mainstream classes also have suppport and services available to them eg speech and language therapy and dyslexia.

They spend part of their day in the unit (a seperate classrooom) and the rest in mainstream class alongside their peers. When they are in the unit their time is structured, focused it is an individual plan for their specific needs, The child is allowed to an individual and is rewarded for their successes however small they may seem to an outsider.

These units work, and every child in the units has passed a panel to go in there, their emotional and social skills alongside their education needs have been and are continuously assessed. They are there because they need to be, because they cannot and would not cope full time in mainstream education.

However due to the focused and structured attention they receive in the unit they can then adapt and cope in mainstream education for the rest of their day. They are integrated in mainstream education and they are part of the school family.

We cannot deny that there are now flaws in the system, but these are down to mismanagemnet at a higher level not in the units and not even in the schools.

In September 2012, 3 new schools in Ystradgynlais catchment opened (Ysgol Bro Tawe, Golwg Y Cwm, and Cribarth) the first 2 have integrated units and in Jan 2013 Dyffryn Y Glowyr opened its doors. When they opened as superschools (10 schools merging into 4) they were opened with the promise of a ALN provision, not only that but the blueprint model for these which a working group spent over 18 months working on, was to be rolled out acrossthe whole of Powys.

One of our many aims, is for Powys CC and any necessary education bodies to come and see just how these units work, not a flying visit but actually spending a few days in each units. Then go and see the other units that have been labelled as providing inadequate or inequitable provision. Compare them, and then roll out the Ystradgynlais model as promised.

The delegates sub committee along with other parents and groups have said they will be part of a working group to work alongside Powys CC and make this work, to offer support to the parents, the schools and teachers and most importantly the most important and valuable resource here our children!