Additional support needs in Dundee City: finding the right route
Dundee City Council manages education support within the city. NHS Tayside covers a larger health-board area that also includes Angus and Perth and Kinross.
How support is organised in Dundee City
Dundee is a compact council area, but families may still use schools, colleges and health services beyond the city boundary. Begin with the organisation responsible for the question rather than assuming that one boundary applies to everything.
For learning, attendance or participation, speak to the nursery or school first. Give examples from the parts of the day that are hardest and ask what support can start before any specialist assessment is complete. The useful question is not only whether a need has been recognised, but what will be different for the child tomorrow.
Dundee City Council is the education authority. Its additional support material includes guidance and publications about assessment, planning, transitions and support for learning. School staff can draw on council services where the level or type of need requires this.
NHS Tayside provides health services across Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross. A regional health pathway does not alter Dundee City Council's responsibility for local education decisions. Enquire offers independent advice about Scotland's additional support for learning framework.
The local picture in Dundee City
This section maps the current health bodies serving this area and, where a comparable official measure is available, presents it alongside the national figure. It is not a rating of the area or the quality of an individual service.
Health
NHS boards for Dundee City
Territorial NHS boards plan and provide many local health services in Scotland. A particular assessment or treatment may be delivered by another team or through a regional pathway.
Urgent help
Urgent mental health help in Scotland
NHS inform guidance for urgent mental health support. Call 999 if life is at immediate risk.
Visit Urgent mental health help in ScotlandLocal organisations and advice
Dundee City Council
Covers Dundee City
The council is responsible for education and local additional support decisions within Dundee.
Visit websiteNHS Tayside
Covers NHS Tayside area
Health services may operate across Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross.
Visit websiteEnquire
Covers Scotland
Independent national advice about additional support for learning and education rights.
Visit websiteNHS inform
Covers Scotland
Use current NHS inform guidance for urgent mental health help; call 999 if life is at immediate risk.
Visit websiteServices and local pathways
Additional support for learning guidance
Scottish Government additional support for learning
Official Scottish Government guidance about additional support for learning.
Who it is for: Children and young people in Scotland who need extra help to benefit from education.
How to access it: Raise the concern with the nursery, school or education authority and use the official guidance to understand the framework.
Check current detailsEnquire advice for families
Enquire
Independent advice for parents, carers, children and young people.
Who it is for: Parents, carers, children and young people in Scotland, as well as people supporting them.
How to access it: Read the guidance online or contact Enquire for advice about a specific education question.
Check current detailsPractical next steps
Ask for the current school plan in writing and check that it describes support in observable terms: who will do what, how often, in which situations and when progress will be reviewed.
If a child attends a service outside Dundee, record whether access is based on home address, school, GP registration or the provider's catchment. For a health referral, keep the name of the receiving team and the referral date. If several professionals are involved, ask who is coordinating the next review rather than relying on everyone having the same information.
Related FamilyFX help
Do you support SEND families in Dundee City?
If you are part of a charity, parent group, advice service, inclusive activity or another organisation supporting SEND families in Dundee City, we would like to hear from you. Send us your website, the area you cover, who the service is for and how families can get in touch. We check submissions before deciding whether to add them.
Send us your detailsSources and checking dates
Local services change. We check the sources below and review any substantive change before altering the page.
- Dundee City Council, checked 14 August 2026
- Enquire: advice for parents and carers, checked 14 August 2026
- NHS inform: urgent mental health help, checked 14 August 2026
- NHS Tayside, checked 14 August 2026
- Scottish Government: additional support for learning, checked 14 August 2026