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For the Education Advice Line (press option 3)
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Our Education Rights Service (formally the Advocacy for Education Service) provides advice and advocacy on additional support needs provision and entitlements for families whose children have an autism spectrum disorder.

For many parents, understanding their entitlements and the processes involved in getting their child's additional support needs met is confusing and complex. Parents can struggle to get the right kind of educational provision for their child. 

In Scotland, a new legislative framework has been established to help families and education authorities resolve disagreements through mediation, independent adjudication and Additional Support Needs Tribunals (where a Co-ordinated Support Plan is involved).

Our service is provided by volunteers who offer telephone-based advice and support from their own homes.

We aim to:

  • provide accurate information, support and advice on special educational needs provision and entitlements through our education advice line; advisors endeavour to help parents obtain appropriate educational provision for their child and give advice on issues including additional support needs, getting extra support at school, Co-ordinated Support Plans, reviews, exclusions and placing requests
  • offer telephone support and advice on preparing for Additional Support Needs Tribunals, and representation at tribunal where appropriate through our tribunal support scheme
  • encourage parents to be confident partners in their child's education, and assist them to make informed choices and decisions
  • identify educational issues faced by parents to feed into our campaigning and policy work

Support from Harper Macleod

This service is for parents who wish to challenge an education authority's decision through the Additional Support Needs Tribunal for Scotland.

Wherever possible, we aim to help families to represent themselves at tribunal. However, there are always some situations where families are unable to represent themselves.

As part of their community affairs commitment, Harper Macleod LLP, a commercial law firm with a reputation for innovation and a progressive approach to the law, provide free legal representation for those families in most need at Tribunal. Harper Macleod LLP also provide facilities and resources for our volunteer training.