The ALN Team

The ALN Team is responsible for administering Torfaen’s statutory obligations as outlined within the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales 2002 and from September 2021 ALN and Education Tribunal Act (2018).

We work in collaboration with  key partners and  parents/carers and young people to offer advice and support throughout the statutory process and once a Statement/IDP has been issued.

Role:

• provide advice and guidance to education providers, parents and other professionals regarding statement process.
• Write and amend statement of Special educational needs.
• Providing a main point of contact between the LA, schools, parents and other professionals associated with a particular pupil.
• Attend Annual Reviews of pupils with a statement of SEN/IDP to provide advice, guidance and support.

ALN Link Officers

Torfaen have a small team of Link officers who provide advice and guidance to support schools, parents/carers and other agencies to plan for pupils with ALN and vulnerable learners. The team undertake the statutory duties set out by the Education and ALN Acts to promote inclusion, support schools to ensure pupils receive their education entitlements and have their individual needs met in accordance with Local/Regional and National processes and procedures. Each school has a designated link officer that can provide advice and guidance on ALN. 

Referral Route

The majority of pupils ALN will be planned for and provision provided by mainstream schools via a graduated response from the delegated ALN budgets. For a small number of pupils who have significant and highly complex needs a more specialists’ assessment or provision may be required.

A request for a statutory assessment or IDP can be made by a school or by a parent /person who has parental responsibility to the Local authority following the statutory assessment process set put in the ALN Code of practice 2002.

From September 2021 the ALN and Education Tribunal Act will come into force. Over the 3 year implementation period statements of special educational needs will be transferred into an Individual development plan (IDP)which will be Wales new statutory plan for pupils with ALN. The majority of IDPS will be maintained and managed at a school level .

Contact Details

Senior ALN Manager

Donna Lewis
Tel: 01495 766974
Email: donna.lewis@torfaen.gov.uk

ALN Manager

Tracy Tucker
Tel: 01495 766998
Email: tracy.tucker@torfaen.gov.uk

ALN Link Officer (North)

Sarah Garner
Tel: 01495 766971
Email: sarah.garner@torfaen.gov.uk

ALN Link Officer (South)

Angharad Wooding
Tel: 01495 766973
Email: angharad.wooding@torfaen.gov.uk

ALN Link Officer – Looked After Children

Natalie Hodges
Tel: 01495 766985
Email: natalie.hodges@torfaen.gov.uk

Emma Murphy
Tel: 01495 766900
Email: emma.murphy@torfaen.gov.uk

ALN Support Officer

Gemma Cording
Tel:  01495 766950
Email: gemma.cording@torfaen.gov.uk 

Last Modified: 13/01/2023 Back to top