FamilyFX: The Family Reset System
Local support in Cardiff

Additional learning needs in Cardiff: school, IDP and health routes

Cardiff Council publishes detailed guidance for each stage of the ALN process. Local NHS community paediatrics is provided by Cardiff and Vale UHB.

Sources checked 14 August 2026Next review 14 August 2027
An illustrated Cardiff Bay waterfront with the red-brick Pierhead, modern buildings and low hills.
Stylised illustration representing the area's character, not an exact photograph of a landmark or service location.

How support is organised in Cardiff

In a large city, families can be passed between school, council and health teams without anyone making the immediate next step clear. Start with the setting responsible for the learner's education and describe the problem in practical terms.

Ask the teacher, ALNCo or college team what support is already available, what will change now and how progress will be checked. A diagnosis may add useful information, but the first question is whether the learner faces a barrier that requires education support.

Cardiff Council's ALN hub separates the process into clear stages, including identifying ALN, getting help from school or council, person-centred meetings, individual development plans, early years and post-16 support. Many IDPs are prepared and maintained by a school or further education institution, while the council has duties in particular circumstances.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board provides community paediatrics and linked neurodevelopmental services for children in Cardiff and the Vale. A health referral and an education support request answer different questions, so one should not be treated as a reason to pause the other. SNAP Cymru offers independent ALN advice and Llais supports concerns about NHS and social care services.

FamilyFX local support signals

The local picture in Cardiff

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 health boards for Cardiff

Local health boards plan and provide many NHS services in Wales. Individual pathways may be delivered by a specialist team or through a regional service.

Cardiff and Vale University Health BoardCovers Cardiff and Vale University Health Board areaVisit health board website

Urgent help

Urgent mental health help in Wales

NHS 111 Wales offers urgent mental health support through 111, option 2. Call 999 if life is at immediate risk.

Visit Urgent mental health help in Wales

Local organisations and advice

Cardiff Council

Covers Cardiff

The council publishes guidance across the ALN process, from identification to post-16 support.

Visit website

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Covers Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area

The health board provides community paediatrics for children in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Visit website

SNAP Cymru

Covers Wales

Independent information and advice about ALN and education processes.

Visit website

Llais

Covers Wales

Independent support for people raising health and social care concerns.

Visit website

NHS 111 Wales

Covers Wales

Official urgent health and mental health access through NHS 111 Wales.

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Services and local pathways

Welsh Government ALN guidance for families

Welsh Government additional learning needs guidance

Official Welsh Government guidance about ALN, IDPs and rights.

Who it is for: Children and young people in Wales who have or may have additional learning needs.

How to access it: Start with the education setting or local authority and use the government pages to check who should decide and maintain an IDP.

Check current details

SNAP Cymru information and advice

SNAP Cymru

Independent ALN information and advice for families and young people.

Who it is for: Families and young people seeking help with additional learning needs and education processes in Wales.

How to access it: Use the SNAP Cymru website to check current advice and contact options.

Check current details

Practical next steps

Write down the part of the day, lesson or environment that creates the difficulty. Ask who will take the next action, when it should happen and how the learner will be involved. If an IDP is prepared, check that the additional learning provision is specific enough for staff and family to recognise whether it is being delivered.

Where several services are involved, name the actual team rather than recording only 'the council' or 'the NHS'. Keep referral dates, meeting notes and promised follow-up in one chronology. If the route stalls, return to the last named action and ask the responsible organisation to confirm its current position in writing.

Related FamilyFX help

Library articleSchool Support Scotland Wales Northern IrelandUse the correct Welsh ALN framework and terminology.Library articleSend Rights Scotland Wales Northern IrelandUnderstand individual development plans and the Welsh rights framework.Library articleKeeping A Record For School And Gp MeetingsBuild a concise record for education and health conversations.
Help us strengthen this directory

Do you support SEND families in Cardiff?

If you are part of a charity, parent group, advice service, inclusive activity or another organisation supporting SEND families in Cardiff, 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.

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Sources and checking dates

Local services change. We check the sources below and review any substantive change before altering the page.