Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018

4 Additional learning needs code

(1) The Welsh Ministers must issue, and may from time to time revise, a code on additional learning needs (“the code”).

(2) The code may include guidance about the exercise of functions under this Part and about any other matter connected with identifying and meeting additional learning needs.

(3) The following persons must, when exercising functions under this Part, have regard to any relevant guidance contained in the code—

(a) a local authority in Wales or England;

(b) the governing body of a maintained school in Wales or England;

(c) the governing body of an institution in the further education sector in Wales or England;

(d) the proprietor of an Academy;

(e) a youth offending team for an area in Wales or England;

(f) a person in charge of relevant youth accommodation in Wales or England;

(g) a Local Health Board;

(h) an NHS trust;

(i) the National Health Service Commissioning Board;

(j) a clinical commissioning group;

(k) an NHS foundation trust;

(l) a Special Health Authority.

(4) For provision about local authorities requiring certain providers of nursery education to have regard to guidance contained in the code, see section 153 of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32).

(5) The code may impose requirements—

(a) on a local authority in respect of arrangements it must make under sections 9 (advice and information), 68 (avoidance and resolution of disagreements) and 69 (independent advocacy services);

(b) on a governing body of a maintained school in Wales or an institution in the further education sector in Wales or a local authority in respect of—

(i) decisions as to whether a child or young person has additional learning needs,

(ii) the preparation, content, form, review and revision of individual development plans, or

(iii) ceasing to maintain individual development plans;

(c) on a governing body of a maintained school in Wales or an institution in the further education sector in Wales in respect of the provision of information for the purposes of this Part.

(6) The code must include the following requirements on governing bodies and local authorities—

(a) a requirement under subsection (5)(b)(i) for the notification of a decision that a child or young person does not have additional learning needs to be given in accordance with section 11(4), 13(3), 18(3) or 40(4) before the end of a period of time specified in the code, subject to any exceptions to the requirement specified in the code;

(b) a requirement under subsection (5)(b)(ii) to prepare an individual development plan and give a copy of it in accordance with section 22 or 40(5) before the end of a period of time specified in the code, subject to any exceptions to the requirement specified in the code;

(c) a requirement under subsection (5)(b)(ii) to use the appropriate standard form set out in the code for an individual development plan; and the code must include one or more standard forms for this purpose.

(7) The code may make—

(a) different provision for different purposes or cases, and

(b) transitory, transitional or saving provision,

in relation to a requirement imposed under subsection (5) or provision made under section 7(4) or 8(4).

(8) The duty imposed by subsection (3) and a duty imposed under subsection (5) also apply to a person exercising a function for the purpose of the discharge of functions under this Part by the persons mentioned in subsection (3).

(9) The power to impose requirements under subsection (5)(c) does not include the power to impose requirements in respect of the disclosure of personal data to a person who is not the data subject, except for cases where the person is the parent of a child and the data subject is the child; and in this subsection “personal data” and “data subject” have the meaning given by the Data Protection Act 1998 (c. 29).

(10) The Education Tribunal for Wales must have regard to any provision of the code that appears to it to be relevant to a question arising on an appeal under this Part.

(11) The Welsh Ministers must publish the code for the time being in force on their website.