Plans you may come across
Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) – legally binding
This specifies someone’s needs, their goals and the support they will receive. The school usually manages the CSP and everyone in it has a legal duty to provide the support specified. A young person doesn’t require one to be eligible for transition planning, but in practice it can help. Parents can ask their local authority for a CSP if their child is eligible. Criteria include:
- the education authority is mostly responsible for the young person (so they aren’t privately educated)
- complex or multiple additional support needs are likely to last at least 12 months and high levels of learning support are needed
- support needs are significant and can only be met at least two agencies (e.g. the education service and health or social work or another education authority).
Individualised Education Plan (IEP) – not legally binding
This helps identify the support someone needs to be able to learn effectively in school.
Child’s Plan
This may combine a CSP and an IEP.
Transition Plan
These may have different names, or form part of the CSP or IEP, meaning it can be difficult for parents to recognise them. Some names currently in use include “A Passport Workbook”, “PATHfinder” (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope), “Adult Care and Support Plan” and “Additional Support Plan”. There are many others.
For information on what a transition plan should include, click here.
