Complex ASN work at Children in Scotland
Abbey Stone, Assistant Policy, Projects and Participation Officer, tells us about some of the complex needs work happening at Children in Scotland.
All children have the right to be heard and to have their views taken seriously, as set out in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognises every child’s right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them. The Inclusion Ambassadors are a well-established platform for the voices, views, and experiences of children and young people who are entitled to additional support in school.
Over the 2025–26 school year, the project has expanded to engage with children and young people in new ways. The project team has been visiting specialist schools across Scotland to gather the views and experiences of children and young people with complex additional support needs. Additionally, we are seeking to influence key stakeholders and policymakers, ensuring that the voices, views and experiences of children and young people with complex additional support needs are considered in decisions regarding additional support for learning.
All of our participation work is guided by the Lundy Model, ensuring that children and young people have space, voice, audience, and influence throughout the process. It provides opportunities for those with complex additional support needs to engage with the Inclusion Ambassadors’ work in ways that are accessible, appropriate, and responsive to their individual communication styles. School-based sessions are thoughtfully designed around the interests, strengths, and needs of each young person, ensuring that participation is both enjoyable and purposeful. We work closely with schools to plan these sessions, drawing on staff knowledge and expertise to create meaningful opportunities for young people to share their views.
The resources and insights developed through this work will also be shared with the schools the pupils attend and be used to support staff learning, promoting reflective practice, and strengthening the quality of provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs.
To create the best conditions for space and voice, our approach to engaging with young people with complex additional support needs is carefully designed to be rights-respecting and person-centred. We work closely with young people, using intensive interaction and observation to understand their perspectives. Communication is supported through tools such as Talking Mats, while insights are also drawn from observations shared by other adults who have strong, established relationships with the young person. This approach ensures that each child’s voice is heard in a meaningful and supported way.
In December, we visited Langlands School in Dumfries for two consecutive days of in-person sessions. During the visit, I worked with one key pupil while my colleague Sophie worked with another, gathering their views about school. We also had the opportunity to engage with other young people within their classes and across the wider school. The days were filled with fun, play-based activities and many interesting conversations. There was a strong sense of being in a school that prioritises providing a personalised and meaningful educational experience, supported by teamwork and positive relationships.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to witness and observe many examples of excellent educational practice and strong relationships. We came away with a wealth of notes, which we are still in the process of reviewing, as there was so much that deserved to be recorded and celebrated. It was clear that pupils attending specialist settings have a great deal to share about their schooling and thrive when they feel that their experiences are genuinely heard and valued.
Some key learning I have taken away from my time at the school includes the importance of consistent and trusting relationships between staff and pupils, which form the foundation for engagement, wellbeing, and meaningful learning. I have also seen firsthand the value of ensuring there are opportunities for children to participate in their learning, ensuring that their views are heard and can influence decisions about their education. The benefits of play-based and child-led learning were evident, as these approaches create curiosity, motivation, and active engagement. The physical environment of the school also has a significant impact on learning and wellbeing: thoughtfully designed spaces can support accessibility, independence, and positive interactions, while a lack of space can limit opportunities for movement, play, and social interaction, which in turn can restrict learning and engagement.
Our recent work has highlighted the clear crossover between our work with the core Inclusion Ambassadors group and our work with young people with complex additional support needs. We are hearing many of the same themes from both strands of work, such as the importance of trusting relationships and learning in environments that are supportive and engaging.
We hope this strand of the project will encourage school staff and partners to engage more directly with young people with complex additional support needs. The project is still underway, with another school visit planned for next year. So far, it has been a fantastic opportunity to learn from pupils in specialist settings about their experiences of school and the support they need. One thing is clear: complex additional support needs school pupils have a great deal to share, and we look forward to learning even more as the project progresses.
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