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Careermag for Inclusion - Issue 7 : Careermag for Inclusion - careermag | Careermap

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If you’re a school leaver, graduate or job seeker, we have lots of options! Search & apply for apprenticeships, graduate schemes & jobs.

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Into Apprenticeships- Disability Rights UK

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Into Apprenticeships- Disability Rights UK

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Getting it right for Disabled apprentices- Pdf

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Getting it right for Disabled apprentices- Pdf

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Guidance for employers from Disability Rights UK

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Support young people and adults with sight impairments to support with careers workshops onsite in schools and virtually, and information to ensure a stable transition into the working world.

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At Blind in Business we help people who are blind or have partial sight get into the world of work more easily. Our Training and Employment Services help you to identify your ambitions and achieve your goals. We offer help and support with finding work, the interview process, and obtaining the equipment you need to succeed. We also support employers in hiring and working with people with visual impairments.

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Getting blind and partially sighted people into work

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Blind in Business help people who are blind or have partial sight, into work. Our Graduate Training and Employment Services help you to achieve your ambitions.

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Here to help

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We help disabled children and young people gain confidence and independence. We're there for families when they need us

A disabled child should have the same opportunities as any other child. But caring for a disabled child or young person can be challenging. Even the most experienced parents and carers need someone to turn to for help and advice.

The tailored support we offer helps families cope - and gives disabled children a chance to thrive. Last year, we helped more than 22,000 disabled children, young people and their families with our specialist services.

Action for Children's short breaks services offer lots of activities and opportunities. These could be in the community, or a residential or foster home. They're a way for disabled children to have fun and develop their independence. They give them a chance to try new things and make friends.

Short breaks and outings give parents and siblings time to recharge, too. They're a lifeline for families who feel overwhelmed or overcome by the challenges.

We provide a key worker to support disabled children and their families. They work with the family to make sure the young person's opinions get heard. If they need it, we can speak on their behalf.

The key worker will help children and young people build the confidence to lead their own lives. This includes teaching or helping with life skills, friendships, community activities and getting around.

For those with more complex needs, it may be about celebrating the small steps. We support young people to reach their full potential, whatever that may be.

It can be hard for families to know where to look for the help. We help families find the support they need in their area. We do this with disabled children and young people, so they get to say what works for them too.

Our work doesn't stop there. We empower parents and carers to take part in forums where they can share their views and help improve local services for all disabled children.

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We support disabled children and young people to live full, exciting lives. And we're there for families when they need us.

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Do you know your Rights?

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Disability Rights UK prides itself on its high quality information provision developed by and for disabled people.

This combination of factsheets and guides provide basic information about benefits, tax credits, social care and other disability related issues for claimants and advisers.

You can find out more detailed information in Disability Rights UK's Disability Rights Handbook.

By giving as little as £2 a month you can help us continue to provide high quality, free information to everyone who uses our website.

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Disability Rights UK prides itself on its high quality information provision developed by and for disabled people. This combination of factsheets and guides provide basic information about benefits, tax credits, social care and other disability related issues for claimants and advisers. You can find out more detailed information in Disability Rights UK's Disability Rights Handbook.

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Play

Support to Work video transcript

Lucy: My name is Lucy, I have a condition called Elhers-Danlos Syndrome which means my joints are very loose an unstable and prone to dislocation.

At the beginning of my entrance into the world of work I was considered to be non-disabled because my condition back then was invisible. It wasn't difficult for me to get jobs but as my condition started to deteriorate, I was asked by an employer why I had applied for the job and why I didn't just stay on benefits instead.

I heard about Support to Work just after it was rolled out, I saw an advert on Facebook and I thought "oh, what's this?". At the time I was not in the best place with looking for work, I had been unemployed for sometime and I thought "you know what? What the hell have I got to lose?"

Mwila: So, during the initial conversations we create and action plan, which are actions we aim to achieve every week. So each week we have a catch up to see what has been done based on the previous actions set. But the action plan can be 12 actions long, it could be 24 actions long or it could be just one action that the customer would like to achieve over the course of the twelve weeks.

Lucy: My CV wasn't attracting the attention of employers in a good way, so we tidied up my CV, we ended up writing a cover letter together, which ended up being really nice and we'd speak the kind of jobs I'd applied for, what response I'd had, What follow up I'd done. And it was very much a nice balance between, me knowing he wasn't going to find me a job, but also, I wasn't relying too heavily on him.

Mwila: I think my favourite part of the role is the feeling you get from making a difference to people's lives. Getting that feedback when people tell you you've made a difference to their lives by helping them find employment, when they had given up hope.

Narrator: Support to Work involves, digital, online support, a 12-week action plan and can be found in England and Wales.

Find out how we can support you to get into, stay in and progress in work.

Support to Work is a free online and telephone support programme for disabled people who are looking for paid work, in England and Wales.

If you already have a Support to Work account you can sign in.

Find out how to use the service.

Eligibility

Support to Work is open to disabled people who:

are 16 years or over

are looking for a paid job

have internet, email and telephone

live in England or Wales

have been out of work for less than 5 years, or are in work but looking for a new job

If you are looking for in-person support or have been out of work for more than 5 years? Try Support to Work Extra.

Sign up

Signing up for Support to Work is a 3-step process:

check this service is right for you

create a Scope account

register for Support to Work

Employment advice

You will get help from one of our specialist employment advisers online and over the phone.

Our friendly advisers will listen to your challenges and give you advice for your situation. With in-depth knowledge and experience they can support you with many aspects of looking for paid work, including:

identifying your strengths and transferable skills

developing confidence and job skills like time management

reviewing your CV to meet your employment goals

how and where to look for jobs

mock interviews

how to talk to your employer about your impairment and reasonable adjustments

But, your adviser:

Contact us at supporttowork@scope.org.uk or call 0300 222 5742 if you want to discuss whether it's right for you.

12-weeks of support

Your employment adviser will work with you to create a personal and flexible 12-week programme. They will set you tasks to complete such as:

reading work and careers advice

writing a CV or cover letter from a template

preparing for interviews

Your adviser will be on hand to help you throughout the 12 weeks. At the end of the 12 weeks your time with the adviser will end, but you'll still have access to all resources in your personal online portal.

Once you start on the service. You will have access to vacancies through our online job board from:

partner organisations

recruiters, and

employers who are committed to employing more disabled people

Access eLearning with Learn at Scope

Learn at Scope is a convenient and simple eLearning platform that will help you get into work.

Access to our jobs board

As part of this service, you will get access to our jobs board which contains hundreds of job vacancies you can apply for.

Speak to your adviser if you want to use the jobs board.

In work support

Once you find work our support does not end. Our specialist in work support adviser will work with you for up to 26 weeks. They will support you with any issues that may arise in work, including:

support with asking for reasonable adjustments

Access to Work applications

Designed to make your job search and career progression easier. Giving you access to tools and developing your skills to get the job you want or boost your career.

Ask your adviser how you can access Learn at Scope.

Making adjustments

We can make adjustments if you need them, such as:

Opening times

Monday to Thursday: 9am to 7pm.

Friday 9am to 5pm.

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Support to Work | Disability charity Scope UK

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Online and telephone disabled people's employment support programme for disabled people applying for jobs in England and Wales.

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Supporting employers to create inclusive workplaces

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Supporting employers to create inclusive workplaces

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How to promote diversity and inclusion

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Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are critical priorities that are racing up the corporate agenda. But are you getting them right to benefit your organisation? We offer a number of services to help you build a thriving, inclusive workplace where everyone is able to participate and succeed; from employee needs assessments to consultancy and training courses. Chat with our friendly and knowledgeable team to find out how we can help you with diversity and inclusion at your organisation.
Speak to our experts
What is diversity?

Diversity refers to including, involving and recognising the diverse needs of individuals from different social, economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, genders, disabilities, sexual orientations, religions and more. Diverse workforces can give businesses a competitive edge.

What is inclusion?

Inclusion is the process of creating an environment in which individuals or members of groups feel welcomed, heard, respected, supported, valued and able to reach their full potential, whatever their background or identity or whatever disabilities they have.

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Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are critical priorities that are racing up the corporate agenda. But are you getting them right to benefit your organisation? We offer a number of services to help you build a thriving, inclusive workplace where everyone is able to participate and succeed; from employee needs assessments to consultancy and training courses.

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Support & Advice Archives * SEN Magazine

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The UK's leading magazine for special educational needs

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Supporting SEND Mental Health post Covid

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Supporting SEND Mental Health post Covid

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Let's talk about it!

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Sarah Johnson takes the 'Thinking About School' survey as the starting point for pupil-led mental health proposals
In March 2020, the previous Secretary State of Education of England made the statement that schools were closing for the majority of students, in order to reduce the number of infections and deaths, resulting from Covid-19. For the first time in the UK's education history, a mandate was made for the majority of children to stay at home and not attend school. However, as those working with children identified as having Special Educational Needs and/or medical needs know, absence from school may be something that they experienced long before the pandemic and will continue long after.

As a reflection and assertion that children are the experts in their own lived experiences, the 'Thinking About School' survey was designed to be completed by children to share their perspectives. Over 2000 school children from England completed the survey, a similar survey repeated shortly after when many children had returned to school had over 1500 respondents.

One of the young people who participated in the survey commented: "I think the government need to be asking the kids how we feel about going back, our views [are] not being taken into account"

So, how can we draw upon what these children said themselves? We can theme the children's comments into several important areas, and the good news is that children (those identified with special educational needs, with medical needs or excluded from school as well as those attending mainstream school) offered lots of practical ideas to help those returning to school that can be generalised beyond the pandemic. These themes were friends, teachers and family.

Friends
The connection that children have to others remains an important issue; how they may make friends as well as maintaining them. This is particularly challenging in instances when they have had absences from school, or during key transitions. Whilst moving between schools (such as primary to secondary, mainstream to specialist or Borough to Borough), the often lengthy process of identifying suitable provision can have a fundamental effect on a child's wellbeing. These system issues may also be compounded by a child's Special Educational Need. During school closures for COVID-19 we recognised friendship and loneliness as a key factor in children's wellbeing but we are in danger of forgetting those children who, for whatever reason, may have disrupted attendance at school both long before and after COVID-19. Here are some practical ideas of what we can do to build these connections with other children:

Encourage light-touch visits to school with low demands. For example, is there a quiet space that children recently on roll can meet others before attending the classroom environment?

Provide opportunities to 'drop in' to class through technology such as telepresence solutions or the now ubiquitous virtual platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Classroom?

Other children provide a video tour of the environment to share with the new or returning student.

This may be especially important if there have been changes to the premises or how the school space is used. Family One issue that comes up repeatedly, and with good reason, is the fundamental role of communication between families and schools. Children in the 'Thinking About School' survey saw families as being a key element in supporting their mental health in returning to school. Something that is vital, and built around ethos, is ensuring that there is a belief in the experience of parents/carers. Families are the key stakeholder in being able to tell you how their child is doing, what their mood is like when they get home and if there are any worries. Sometimes children may not feel safe expressing this in the school environment but may tell their siblings or parents through words or actions.

Make sure to build in plenty of opportunities for positive and responsive communication between school and families. Some ways in which to develop this include:

* Effective communication with parents/carers. This could be in the form of a home/school record book or pictures of what the child is doing at school/home.

* Recognise that children may prefer home than school, perhaps because of previous experiences of schooling, more manageable sensory demands or feelings of safety fostered by family.

* Sometimes the regular and natural 'touch-points' of mainstream school are missed within the context of specialist provision as children may come from further away. Build in opportunities for teachers to be able to speak directly to parents, often this may happen at the school gate but as a SENCO think about how this could be developed despite the use of external transport providers.
Teachers
Along with friends and family, teachers were also cited by children and young people completing the survey as supporting a return to school. Teachers can be fundamental in building a culture in which children feel safe, valued and nurtured. There were comments made around having open communication with their teachers about their thoughts and feelings, with one child saying 'being able to talk to the teachers' helped their return to school whilst another simply said 'my amazing teacher'. There was also the acknowledgement of reciprocity, if teachers are finding things hard then it can have a knock-on effect on a child's emotional wellbeing with one commenting 'Teachers being stressed make students stressed'. Some offered ventery practical ideas which are detailed below:

* The use of technology to bring the 'strange space' of the school to the child in their home. For example, making a video that a child and their family can look at which helps familiarise themselves with the schooling space.

* Providing structured experiences to share and model empathy, acknowledging how difficult it may be in attending school. This is especially important as it may have been previously that children's experiences have been dismissed as unimportant or insignificant to other processes relating to school and their Special Educational Need.

* The use of scripting to acknowledge the above, for example, 'this seems to be making you feel sad, is there anything I can do to make things feel any easier'?. Make sure that you allow the child/young person to correct you and the identification of the emotion they are feeling

( eg "No, I am angry....")

Ultimately, the suggestions the children offer themselves to support their mental health when returning to school are just that, helpful additions based on approaches and development of relationships through communication and fostering of opportunities. What we need to ensure is that children feel like they belong to a wider community irrespective of their individual circumstances.

The British Education Research Association (BERA, 2018) ethical guidelines were used as the principle framework for ethical guidance. All participants recruited were informed of the aim of the research and recruited via request from their school, local authority or parent.

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Supporting SEN pupils mental health post-Covid * SEN Magazine

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The UK's leading magazine for special educational needs.

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What's New for SEND Careers?

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SEARCH project has a "life changing impact" for people with learning disabilities, says Minister for Disabled People
Lauren Nicolle
https://www.learningdisabilitytoday.co.uk/search-project-life-changing-impact-for-people-with-learning-disabilities

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Royal Association for the Deaf Employment: How to apply for a job Looking for employment? Here are our top tips on how to get started with job applications and writing a good CV. If you need further advice, or careers support, please contact our Employment team: employment@royaldeaf.org.uk BSL (British Sign Language) Royal Association for Deaf people https://royaldeaf.org.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpsSlP9zB1c

DSi asked people with Down syndrome from around the world what employment means to them. This video is a collection of their views and feelings about employment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHlTCXOEq3Q

Mencap Help and Support for people with a learning disability looking for a job

https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment-services

https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment/finding-job

Employ Me Birmingham – a leaflet on the Mencap service supporting people aged 18-24

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Post 16 and Preparation for Adulthood | Local Offer Birmingham

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Royal Association for the Deaf Employment: How to apply for a job Looking for employment? Here are our top tips on how to get started with job applications and writing a good CV.

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Local Wellbeing Services – Where can I get help?

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Local Wellbeing Services - Where can I get help?

In Birmingham, services are working together to improve the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. This section of our Local Offer details the wellbeing and mental health services that are available locally.

Link to a range of Local and National Mental Health and Wellbeing resources
Kooth
Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous service to support young people's emotional and mental health. It provides online support through helpful articles, discussion boards and chat with Kooth team members.

You can find out more about Kooth by visiting their website:
https://www.kooth.com/
Pause
If you are under 25 and registered with a GP in Birmingham, you can receive support from Pause. We also provide support for parents and carers who are concerned about their child or young person's wellbeing.
Pause hubs | Forward Thinking Birmingham Forward Thinking Birmingham

Forward Thinking Birmingham provide mental health services for people up to the age of 25 in Birmingham. They offer support, care and treatment through one organisation, making it easier to access the right support at the right time.

You can find out more about the range of services offered by Forward Thinking Birmingham by visiting their website.
Home | Forward Thinking Birmingham
If you think you or someone you know could benefit from support for mental health concerns, you can contact Forward Thinking Birmingham through their 'Access Centre'. You can find more details here:
Make a referral | Forward Thinking Birmingham www.bsmhft.nhs.uk/service-user-and-carer/how-to-get-urgent-mental-health-help/ Urgent Help | Forward Thinking Birmingham
Emotional Wellbeing Support in School
Educational Psychology Service
Birmingham's Educational Psychology Service (EPS) provide professional psychological services in a wide range of educational and community settings.

Educational Psychologists work together with children and young people, their families and their teachers to improve wellbeing. They do this by supporting individual children and young people, as well as by training and sharing their expertise with other professionals.

Educational Psychologists have in depth knowledge of child development and can support with a wide range of needs.

You can find out more about the EPS by taking a look at their website:
https://birminghameducationsupportservices.co.uk/Services/4524 S.T.I.C.K Screening, Training, Intervention, Consultation and Knowledge (STICK) | Forward Thinking Birmingham
Wellbeing Youth Forum
The Wellbeing Youth Forum are a group of secondary school students who meet at least twelve times a year to help shape Birmingham's wellbeing offer.

The group work closely with senior leaders within Birmingham City Council and within the community. They ensure pupil voices are rooted in service delivery locally, regionally and nationally. They also help shape the policies and practices which are affecting young people's lives.

If you'd like to find out more about the work of the Wellbeing Youth Forum, you can email wellbeingyouthforum@birmingham.gov.uk

Resources

Local Area Transformation - Children and Young People's Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Local Transformation Plan 2021/22.

#You've Been Missed
Guidance for schools and primary care professionals has been developed to support children and young people to remain in school. A range of resources, videos and webinars has also been created for children, young people, parents/ carers and professionals to support the mental wellbeing of children and young people in school in Birmingham.
https://bwc.nhs.uk/youve-been-missed/
Situational Mutism Information Pack
This Situational Mutism (SM) Information Pack co-produced following feedback from Birmingham and Solihull Parent Carers that there was little information about how to get support for children, young people and young adults with Situational Mutism.

This pack includes:

Information about Situational Mutism and how it presents

Feedback from young people on their experience of SM

Advice and guidance for professionals and parent/carers

Signposting to resources for young people, professionals and parent carers

Situational Mutism Information Pack Mental Health & Well-Being Resources - Birmingham Education Partnership (bep.education)
The Waiting Room
Online directory of health and wellbeing services in Birmingham and Solihull

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Local Wellbeing Services - Where can I get help? | Local Offer Birmingham

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In Birmingham, services are working together to improve the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. This section of our Local Offer details the wellbeing and mental health services that are available locally. Link to a range of Local and National Mental Health and Wellbeing resources Kooth Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous service to support young people's emotional and mental health.

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Are you an Employer? do you know what support is out there for your SEND Employees?

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Support for Employment | Local Offer Birmingham

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Birmingham Careers Service will provide career information, advice and guidance to help young people and their families consider their choices and options, plus support them to look for jobs, training, and apprenticeships, or continue in education. A fully qualified (QCF Level 6) Personal / Careers Adviser will work to support them.

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SEND Support and Information | Local Offer Birmingham

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Dance Music Arts and Drama | Local Offer Birmingham

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Things to do

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We have a number of Bring it on Brum! providers that offer holiday clubs for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some organisations offer exclusive provision; just for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some offer inclusive provision where children with and without special education needs and/or disabilities take part together.
Please contact the holiday club provider before booking or turning up; it's important to discuss the needs of your child in advance of the holiday club starting.
fit4schools Midlands Ltd T/A Premier Education
Caters for: Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: Michael Brennan, Mbrennan@premier-education.com
Venue: Harborne Academy, Harborne Road, Birmingham B15 3JL Edgbaston
Venue: The Rosary Catholic Primary School Bridge Road, Birmingham B8 3SF Hodge Hill
Venue: Forestdale Primary School Wareham Road Frankley Birmingham West Midlands B45 0JS Northfield
Venue: Rednall Hill Junior School Irwin Avenue Birmingham West Midlands B45 8QY Northfield

Strike9T CIC
Caters for: Physical disabilities. Mild learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression.
Contact: info@strike9-training.com
Venue: St Edmund Campion Secondary School, Sutton Rd, Birmingham B23 5XA Erdington
Venue: Yenton Playing Fields (St Edmund Campion School Fields), Goodison Gardens, Birmingham B24 0DJ Erdington
Venue: Montgomery Primary Academy, White Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B11 1EH Hall Green
Venue: Conway Primary School Conway Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B11 1NS Hall Green

Youth Development Programs
Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio. Contact: Youthdp89@gmail.com
Venue: Stockland Green Secondary School Slade Rd, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7JH Erdington

Mishi Nurseries Ltd T/A Little Folks Day Nursery & Out of School Clubs @ Stirchley
Caters for: Physical disabilities. Difficulties seeing or blind/Difficulties hearing or deaf. Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Severe or profound learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Personal care support i.e. help with going to the toilet and nappy changing. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: Jyoti Jaspal, mishinurseriesltd@hotmail.co.uk
Venue: Little Folks Day Nursery & Out of School Clubs, 108-110 Gravelly Hill, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7PF
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Alum Rock Saltley Learning Centre, 80 Anthony Road, Alum Rock, Birmingham B8 3AA Hodge Hill
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Winson Green, Summerfield Children's Centre, 42 Cape Street, Winson Green, Birmingham B18 4LE Ladywood
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Kingstanding, Westward Close, Kingstanding B44 8LR Perry Barr
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Stirchley, Reameadow Childrens Centre, 5 Riverbrook Drive, Stirchley
Birmingham B30 2SH Selly Oak

Bright Young Minds
Caters for: Mild learning disability. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: info@brightyoungminds.org.uk, www.smilekidsclub.co.uk
Venue: Shiloh Pentecostal Fellowship, 36 Station Road, Witton Aston, Birmingham B6 6RA Ladywood
Venue: Smile Kids Club, 442 Chester Road North, Sutton Coldfield B73 6RG
Venue: Perry Beeches Baptist Church, Beeches Rd, Great Barr, Birmingham, B42 2HF Perry Barr

For the Love of Scrubs Birmingham CIC
Caters for: Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: Chanel@FTLOSBirmingham.co.uk, www.FTLOSBirmingham.co.uk/Super-stars-club/.
Venue: Allen's Cross Community Association, 24 Tinkers Farm Rd, Birmingham B31 1RH Northfield
Venue: Welsh House Farm Community School 81 Welsh House Farm Rd, Birmingham B32 2NG Selly Oak

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We have a number of Bring it on Brum! providers that offer holiday clubs for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some organisations offer exclusive provision; just for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some offer inclusive provision where children with and without special education needs and/or disabilities take part together.

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The Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023

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The Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023

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Have your say!

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Dear Birmingham Parents and Carers,
See the link below to the Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023
Bir minghamSendSurvey2023
This survey seeks parents and carers views about their experiences of SEND Services for their child/children. It follows on from a similar survey that was carried out last year and now aims to measure any improvements made.

This Survey has been co-produced with the Birmingham Parent and Carer Forum (BPCF)

We would love to hear your current views on SEND services provided by Birmingham City Council (Education), Birmingham Children's Trust (Social Care) and Health (NHS) in Birmingham, alongside the Birmingham Parent Carer Forum.
All parent and carer survey responses will be automatically entered into a prize draw with a chance to win one of four £25 shopping vouchers. The survey will officially close on Friday 26th May at 11.59pm and the names will be drawn at random on Wednesday 31st May 2023.

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The Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023

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Dear Birmingham Parents and Carers, See the link below to the Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023 Bir minghamSendSurvey2023 This survey seeks parents and carers views about their experiences of SEND Services for their child/children. It follows on from a similar survey that was carried out last year and now aims to measure any improvements made.

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Events

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This training has been built on and developed with Pastoral and Safeguarding colleagues and Beyond the Horizon Charity. It will focus on understanding bereavement and loss in the widest sense, what you as a school can do to support those who have experienced loss and how you can ensure your school can respond appropriately to bereavements that impact the whole school.

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Information for young people

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Steps for users to reporting an accessibility problem on a public sector website.

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Skip to main content

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You have a right to use (or 'access') online public sector information and services. This means that public sector websites and mobile apps should be easy to use, including if you're using:

assistive technology like a screen reader or speech recognition software

browser customisations like increasing magnification or changing colours

Organisations that are legally required to improve their website and app accessibility include:

local councils

central government bodies

NHS and most higher education institutions

Some non-government organisations, for example nurseries, are exempt.

Accessibility problems you might have

The website or app might have accessibility problems if you cannot:

navigate pages with your mouse or keyboard

click on small links or buttons

read PDF documents with assistive technology

read text if you cannot change the size or colour

understand the text if it's not in plain English

understand audio or video if there's no transcript or captions

understand images if there's no alternative or descriptive text

How to report an issue

Public sector organisations should publish an accessibility statement on their website or app. The statement should tell you how:

accessible the website or app is

the organisation plans to solve any issues

to request an alternative format like large print or audio recording

to report a problem so it can be fixed

If you report a problem to the organisation, they should tell you what action they will take and when. Organisations are allowed some time to fix a problem if it's difficult or costly.

Further help and advice

You can contact Equality Advisory Support Service if you:

cannot find an accessibility statement or report the issue on the organisation's website

are not satisfied with the organisation's response

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Reporting an accessibility problem on a public sector website

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Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

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Be prepared when you start.
Do you know your employment rights?

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Find out about protection for disabled people from discrimination at work, in education or dealing with the police

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This doesn't have to be an uncomfortable question.

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What are special needs? | Birmingham City Council

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What is SENDDIASS?

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I little help in the right direction

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Being a parent to a disabled child or child with special educational needs can become a stressful experience when you can't find the information, advice or support you need.

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Are you feeling the pinch of rising living cost and needs additional support, but not sure where to turn? your one click away...

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Cost of living support | Birmingham City Council

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Cost of living support, debt advice, financial advice, foodbanks, employment advice, jobs

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What you need to know from Birmingham City Council.

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Questions for employers around Workplace adjustments.

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Questions for employers around Workplace adjustments.

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Are you an employer or potential employee? are you up to date with the Equality Act?

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Guidance on an employer's responsibilities to provide disabled staff with additional support and workplace adjustments.

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Birmingham Adult Education Services.

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As part of our Black History Month celebrations we were delighted to welcome Asha Barnes, a local musician, to run an African Drumming lesson at our Aston centre.
Asha has been working as a session musician for over ten years and has toured with some big names in music including UB40. He brought an extensive collection of these brilliant instruments with him, all of which were played by participants in the session.
Read more: African drumming in Aston

Thank you to Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, for visiting BAES to find out more about our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.

The visit was a great opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on our inspirational learners and to showcase how our courses help asylum seekers and refugees to settle in Birmingham and find employment.
Read more: Mayor of West Midlands visits Brasshouse Centre

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Welcome - Birmingham Adult Education Service

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Birmingham Adult Education Service is a provider of part-time courses and learning opportunities for adults.

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Get involved and build a great Social network. SEND Socials Birmingham provide social opportunities, activities and events for families of children with additional needs.

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Your Internet Explorer 11 browser is not supported by this site. Please upgrade to a recent browser for the best experience.

Autism Service Directory

Main information

Type of service: Family support and information services, Local groups, Social groups

SEND Socials Birmingham provide social opportunities, activities and events for families of children with additional needs to participate in. We offer activities on evenings, weekends and during the school holidays for all the family. This allows relationships to be built between siblings who understand, parents and carers as well as the young people with needs. We offer parental support through our parent carer support groups and training opportunities. We offer a space for families to seek advice from others with lived experience and also signpost other services available in the local area that may benefit or provide choice for families. Accept members or pupils/students from Birmingham based but open to Birmingham and surrounding areas.

Eligibility

Age: For people of any age

Aimed at: Parent/carer of a child, Parent/carer of a young person

Registrations & Approaches

Specialisms: Exclusively autism specific

Inclusion in the Directory does not imply endorsement of a service by the National Autistic Society. Please read our full disclaimer for details.

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Your Internet Explorer 11 browser is not supported by this site. Please upgrade to a recent browser for the best experience. Autism Service Directory Type of service: Family support and information services, Local groups, Social groups SEND Socials Birmingham provide social opportunities, activities and events for families of children with additional needs to participate in.

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Welcome to Birmingham’s SEND Local Offer Website

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Welcome to Birmingham’s SEND Local Offer Website

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Local Offer Birmingham | SEND Advice and Information

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Welcome to Birmingham’s SEND Local Offer Website

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Welcome to Birmingham’s SEND Local Offer Website

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Local Offer Birmingham | SEND Advice and Information

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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How To Make Your Business More Accessible

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How To Make Your Business More Accessible

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When you break down the term ‘accessibility’, you get the most straightforward definition in the word – the ‘ability’ to ‘access’.

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you get the most straightforward definition in the word - the 'ability' to 'access'.

It doesn't specifically refer to only disabled people - although most of the time it is assumed so. Accessible design is about creating a world that everyone can easily access, whether this is a public swimming pool or 50th-floor restaurant.

With just under 14 million disabled people in the UK, you could be loosing a lot of potential business or even the chance to hire talented candidates if your business building isn't accessible. It's time to start celebrating disability and ensure your business is doing its part in creating an equal and inclusive world.

The physical changes you can make to your building

Making your business accessible can sound like a big and daunting task, but it really doesn't have to be. There are several changes, big and small, you can make to get on your way to creating an accessible building.

First, look at your building: are there appropriate measures in place that mean those with a disability or low mobility can easily access all areas of your building? If not, what and where are they?

We have put together some of the most common issues faced by disabled users when accessing a building and how they can be fixed!
* Aisles and doors
There can be dozens of obstacles inside of a building that can restrict some people from getting around, including small corridors and doorways. For a wheelchair to be able to fit easily, space should be at least 32 inches wide. Most aisles will be 32 inches or more, but just make sure they are free of any obstructions. If your doorways aren't wide enough, then getting them widened is an important, yet easy and cost-friendly task, which can often be carried out in a couple of hours.

Another obstacle can be the doors themselves - those with low mobility can find it challenging to open heavy doors and may be reluctant to ask for assistance. Automatic or sliding doors are the perfect solution for users to have their own independence, especially those using wheelchairs.
* Tables and Service Counters
Without careful consideration, many restrictive factors like the height and size of tables can be disregarded and can prevent disabled people from using your facilities. Tables can often be either too high, too low or not wide enough to fit a wheelchair user comfortably. As a general rule, tables should be no more than 34 inches wide and no less than 28 inches in height. There needs to be at least 27 inches of knee clearance between the floor and underside of the table. If your furniture is fixed, then consider making sure you have a few tables that can be accessed or move furniture around into a better layout to ensure there is a clear path, this is also important for those with visual impairments.

The same goes for service counters; many are too high for wheelchair users. When designing your service counter, it's vital that at least one section is no more than 36 inches tall and at least 36 inches long so it can be accessed by everyone.
* Stairs and inclines
It can be daunting for someone with low mobility to be faced with steps or a steep slope, commonly found at the entrance of a building.

Providing access doesn't need to be expensive, it can be as simple as installing a ramp or purchasing a temporary, non-fixed ramp. Alternatively, a platform lift is a great option to allow independent access to a building - there are several different models available, meaning you can find the perfect option for your building. All lifts can be installed internally as well as externally, which is a useful solution to accompany stairs leading to higher or lower floors.

Non-physical changes you can make to your building

One of the most common issues made is that people make adequate changes to their building and then neglect other areas of their business. Accessibility doesn't just stop at the physical aspects of your building; you need to look at your entire business.
* Your Website
Without realising, your website's design may not be suitable for everyone to use - which can cause some people to avoid it altogether. If you're a business, this can mean you are losing a group of people which could otherwise be loyal customers. To make your website accessible for everyone, it often requires minimal, easy changes, including:

1. Adding alt tags on all the images on your website

2. Ensuring text is not contained in images

3. Choosing colours carefully - black text on a white background is best, although having options for people to adjust different colours can be suitable for a larger group of people

4. Making sure anything clickable is big enough and not too close to another clickable element

5. Using clear headers and ensuring content is laid out in an easy to understand way

6. Using a font size that is at least 16px

* Advertising
Depending on how advertising is carried out, it can be the success or the downfall of a business. Disabled people have a spending power of over £200bn per year, so it is imperative you are advertising your products to everyone.

Some things you can do to make your ads more inclusive:

1. Add an audio description to ads to describe what is being shown. This ensures that those with visual impairments can understand what your ad is about

2. Similarly, adding text to adverts ensures that those with auditory impairments can understand your advert

3. The best accessible designs are clear, simple and clutter-free - avoid putting text on images as it could be hard to read

4. Use simple English. It is recommended you should aim for 8 on the Flesch-Kincaid Scale - you can check the reading age of your content in Microsoft Word

5. Try to avoid using 'handwritten' or serif fonts as they can be difficult to read

* Customer Service
Having an excellent customer service team or procedures in place is vital to ensure that everyone can access help and important information when they need to. One of the main things is to teach your staff how to communicate with customers who have various types of disabilities effectively, an example of inclusive communication is: an employee reading a schedule for someone with a visual impairments.

Some customers may require more help and assistant from staff, so making sure they are on hand and ready to help can ensure customers feel comfortable and at ease while visiting your business. Having a policy on your website highlighting how you provide products and services to disabled people can be important to ensure everyone can benefit from your business equally.

Create a list of everything you do to provide customer service and then identify and remove any potential barriers that may be faced by disabled people.

Feeling inspired but not sure where to start? Why not check out our audit page?.

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How To Make Your Business More Accessible - Celebrating Disability

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It doesn't specifically refer to only disabled people - although most of the time it is assumed so. Accessible design is about creating a world that everyone can easily access, whether this is a public swimming pool or 50th-floor restaurant.

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The next Be Empowered Workshops (BEWs) take place in January and February 2023

These workshops are for parent/carers of children and young people of any age, with any additional need, with or without a diagnosis. They are an attempt to support parent/carers through times of change and at whatever stage of the journey participants may find themselves.

This set of workshops is being held at: Northfield Community Partnership, St Nicholas Place, 81 The Green, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B38 8RU in the daytime from 10am – 1pm on Wednesday’s starting on Wednesday 11 January 2023 through to Wednesday 15 February 2023.

The deadline for receiving bookings is Wednesday 14 December 2022

Any queries and booking forms can be emailed to: BeEmpowered@birmingham.gov.uk

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A number of Bring it on Brum providers that offer holiday clubs for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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We have a number of Bring it on Brum! providers that offer holiday clubs for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some organisations offer exclusive provision; just for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some offer inclusive provision where children with and without special education needs and/or disabilities take part together.
Please contact the holiday club provider before booking or turning up; it's important to discuss the needs of your child in advance of the holiday club starting.
fit4schools Midlands Ltd T/A Premier Education
Caters for: Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: Michael Brennan, Mbrennan@premier-education.com
Venue: Harborne Academy, Harborne Road, Birmingham B15 3JL Edgbaston
Venue: The Rosary Catholic Primary School Bridge Road, Birmingham B8 3SF Hodge Hill
Venue: Forestdale Primary School Wareham Road Frankley Birmingham West Midlands B45 0JS Northfield
Venue: Rednall Hill Junior School Irwin Avenue Birmingham West Midlands B45 8QY Northfield

Strike9T CIC
Caters for: Physical disabilities. Mild learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression.
Contact: info@strike9-training.com
Venue: St Edmund Campion Secondary School, Sutton Rd, Birmingham B23 5XA Erdington
Venue: Yenton Playing Fields (St Edmund Campion School Fields), Goodison Gardens, Birmingham B24 0DJ Erdington
Venue: Montgomery Primary Academy, White Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B11 1EH Hall Green
Venue: Conway Primary School Conway Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B11 1NS Hall Green

Youth Development Programs
Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio. Contact: Youthdp89@gmail.com
Venue: Stockland Green Secondary School Slade Rd, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7JH Erdington

Mishi Nurseries Ltd T/A Little Folks Day Nursery & Out of School Clubs @ Stirchley
Caters for: Physical disabilities. Difficulties seeing or blind/Difficulties hearing or deaf. Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Severe or profound learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Personal care support i.e. help with going to the toilet and nappy changing. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: Jyoti Jaspal, mishinurseriesltd@hotmail.co.uk
Venue: Little Folks Day Nursery & Out of School Clubs, 108-110 Gravelly Hill, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7PF
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Alum Rock Saltley Learning Centre, 80 Anthony Road, Alum Rock, Birmingham B8 3AA Hodge Hill
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Winson Green, Summerfield Children's Centre, 42 Cape Street, Winson Green, Birmingham B18 4LE Ladywood
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Kingstanding, Westward Close, Kingstanding B44 8LR Perry Barr
Venue: Little Folks HAF @ Stirchley, Reameadow Childrens Centre, 5 Riverbrook Drive, Stirchley
Birmingham B30 2SH Selly Oak

Bright Young Minds
Caters for: Mild learning disability. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia. Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: info@brightyoungminds.org.uk, www.smilekidsclub.co.uk
Venue: Shiloh Pentecostal Fellowship, 36 Station Road, Witton Aston, Birmingham B6 6RA Ladywood
Venue: Smile Kids Club, 442 Chester Road North, Sutton Coldfield B73 6RG
Venue: Perry Beeches Baptist Church, Beeches Rd, Great Barr, Birmingham, B42 2HF Perry Barr

For the Love of Scrubs Birmingham CIC
Caters for: Mild learning disability. Moderate learning disability. Developmental disability i.e. autism or autism spectrum disorder. Behavioural condition i.e. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Mental ill-health or mental health problem i.e. anxiety, depression. Support on a 1:1 basis or high staff to young person ratio.
Contact: Chanel@FTLOSBirmingham.co.uk, www.FTLOSBirmingham.co.uk/Super-stars-club/.
Venue: Allen's Cross Community Association, 24 Tinkers Farm Rd, Birmingham B31 1RH Northfield
Venue: Welsh House Farm Community School 81 Welsh House Farm Rd, Birmingham B32 2NG Selly Oak

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We have a number of Bring it on Brum! providers that offer holiday clubs for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some organisations offer exclusive provision; just for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some offer inclusive provision where children with and without special education needs and/or disabilities take part together.

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Find Help in Brum

Are you concerned about the, rise in cost of living? Find some helpful contact details for advice and support.

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Are you concerned about the, rise in cost of living? Find some helpful contact details for advice and support. Birmingham City Council and partners are working to support and offer guidance to our residents during the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. We want to support as many of our residents as possible across key areas which are outlined in this Help in Brum Cost of Living leaflet.

Route2Wellbeing Birmingham
Route2wellbeing Birmingham - the definitive guide to local voluntary and community health and care services in Birmingham. Route2wellbeing makes it easy to find local services and activities that promote good health and wellbeing. You will find support for food, befriending, mental health, financial advice and much more. Visit the Route2Wellbeing website for more information.
Helping you to live well in Birmingham
An online information and advice guide, community directory and marketplace for citizens of Birmingham https://birmingham.connecttosupport.org/.

For information and support available to help people in short-term crisis with food and essential items visit the Birmingham City Council website.
Food
If you are struggling with food insecurity there is help available. The Trussell Trust support a nationwide network of food banks and provide emergency food and support to local people. You can also find a directory of Birmingham foodbanks at: www.findfoodbanksbrum.org.uk.
Online Parenting Course
From Birmingham with Love have pre-paid for every parent in Birmingham to access a parenting course. Just enter the access code "COMMUNITY" at the top of the page to claim. There are courses for parents, carers and grandparents of children from bump to 19 years. Learn about how your child develops, and get tips to manage their behaviour.
Mental Health Support
In these difficult times we have to look after our mental health. For young people aged 11-25 there are forums, guides and counselling available at Kooth. If your child 0-25 years needs support, get in touch with Pause by calling 0207 841 4470 or email. Adults can get support from MIND by calling 0121 262 3555. Or for urgent help call Forward Thinking Birmingham on 0300 300 0099.
Financial Help
If you've lost your job, or are struggling for food or rent there are services that can help. Local welfare provision can make a big difference if you are in a crisis and need food, fuel or basic white goods. Discretionary Housing Payments may be able to help with rent. And there are food banks across Birmingham that are here to help.
Domestic Abuse
For women and children affected by domestic abuse please see guidance or confidentially contact Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid. For Men, please contact Respect.
Problems with drugs or alcohol
A new, discrete app called Staying Free is available on Android or Apple. Use the code "birmingham11" for pre-paid access. To speak to someone call Change Grow Live.
Bereavement Support
It's a terrible time to lose a loved one - you can get help by calling 0121 687 8010 or from Cruse.
Early Help for Families
If anyone in your family needs more help, from public services or community groups, then please contact our voluntary sector local leads. We have ten areas which can connect you to support across the city.

Safeguarding
If you are worried about a child, please call Birmingham's Children's Advice and Support
Service on 0121 303 1888. In an emergency, including child abuse, contact the Police on 999. You can also chat to the Police.

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Are you concerned about the, rise in cost of living? Find some helpful contact details for advice and support. Birmingham City Council and partners are working to support and offer guidance to our residents during the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.

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Support to Work: employment support programme

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Support to Work: employment support programme

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Support to Work is a free online and telephone support programme for disabled people in England and Wales, who are looking for paid work.

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Play

Support to Work video transcript

Lucy: My name is Lucy, I have a condition called Elhers-Danlos Syndrome which means my joints are very loose an unstable and prone to dislocation.

At the beginning of my entrance into the world of work I was considered to be non-disabled because my condition back then was invisible. It wasn't difficult for me to get jobs but as my condition started to deteriorate, I was asked by an employer why I had applied for the job and why I didn't just stay on benefits instead.

I heard about Support to Work just after it was rolled out, I saw an advert on Facebook and I thought "oh, what's this?". At the time I was not in the best place with looking for work, I had been unemployed for sometime and I thought "you know what? What the hell have I got to lose?"

Mwila: So, during the initial conversations we create and action plan, which are actions we aim to achieve every week. So each week we have a catch up to see what has been done based on the previous actions set. But the action plan can be 12 actions long, it could be 24 actions long or it could be just one action that the customer would like to achieve over the course of the twelve weeks.

Lucy: My CV wasn't attracting the attention of employers in a good way, so we tidied up my CV, we ended up writing a cover letter together, which ended up being really nice and we'd speak the kind of jobs I'd applied for, what response I'd had, What follow up I'd done. And it was very much a nice balance between, me knowing he wasn't going to find me a job, but also, I wasn't relying too heavily on him.

Mwila: I think my favourite part of the role is the feeling you get from making a difference to people's lives. Getting that feedback when people tell you you've made a difference to their lives by helping them find employment, when they had given up hope.

Narrator: Support to Work involves, digital, online support, a 12-week action plan and can be found in England and Wales.

Find out how we can support you to get into, stay in and progress in work.

Support to Work is a free online and telephone support programme for disabled people in England and Wales, who are looking for paid work. This is not a face-to-face service, so may not be right for everyone.

If you already have a Support to Work account you can sign in.

Find out how to use the service.

Eligibility

Support to Work is open to disabled people who:

are 16 years or over

are looking for a paid job

have internet, email and telephone

live in England or Wales.

Sign up

Signing up for Support to Work is a 3-step process:

1. check this service is right for you

2. create a Scope account

3. register for Support to Work.

Employment advice

You will get help from one of our specialist employment advisers online and over the phone.

Our friendly advisers will listen to your challenges and give specific advice for your situation. With in-depth knowledge and experience they can support you with many aspects of looking for paid work, including:

identifying your strengths and transferable skills

developing confidence and job skills like time management

reviewing your CV to meet your employment goals

how and where to look for jobs

mock interviews

how to talk to your employer about your impairment and reasonable adjustments

But, your adviser:

Contact us at supporttowork@scope.org.uk or call 0300 222 5742 if you want to discuss whether it's right for you.

12-weeks of support

Your employment adviser will work with you to create a personal and flexible 12-week programme. They will set you tasks to complete such as:

reading work and careers advice

writing a CV or cover letter from a template

preparing for interviews

Your adviser will be on hand to help you throughout the 12 weeks. At the end of the 12 weeks your time with the adviser will end, but you'll still have access to all resources in your personal online portal.

Once you start on the service. You will have access to vacancies through our online job board from partner organisations, recruiters, and employers who are committed to employing more disabled people.

In work support

Once you find work our support does not end. Our specialist in work support adviser will work with you for up to 26 weeks. They will support you with any issues that may arise in work, including:

support with asking for reasonable adjustments

Access to Work applications

Access eLearning with Learn at Scope

Learn at Scope is a convenient and simple eLearning platform that will help you get into work.

Designed to make your job search and career progression easier. Giving you access to tools and developing your skills to get the job you want or boost your career.

Ask your adviser how you can access Learn at Scope.

Making adjustments

We can make adjustments if you need them, such as, video calls with British Sign Language interpreters.

Opening times

Monday to Friday: 9am to 7pm.

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Support to Work | Disability charity Scope UK

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Manage Cookies Accept all When you visit our website. We may store cookies in your browser to collect and retrieve information. This may include your preferences, behaviour and device information. They do not identify you but can give you a more personalised experience. Some cookies are necessary for our website to work and are always active.

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Your one stop shop for SEND resources

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We want every young person to access modern, 21 st century careers education, no matter what their background or circumstance. We work with special schools across England, as well as with Careers Leaders who design and deliver careers education programmes tailored to the needs of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools and colleges.

Our work to make careers education as high impact as possible for young people with SEND includes specialist resources, training, events, a dedicated community of practice, a network of business volunteers who are experienced at working with young people with SEND, as well as dedicated SEND Enterprise Coordinators we can partner your school or college with to improve your careers education programme.

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We want every young person to access modern, 21 st century careers education, no matter what their background or circumstance. We work with special schools across England, as well as with Careers Leaders who design and deliver careers education programmes tailored to the needs of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools and colleges.

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Are you a Disability Confident Employer?

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Are you a Disability Confident Employer?

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This guidance explains how to become a Disability Confident Employer at level 2 of the Disability Confident scheme. More information about the scheme can be found on our website at www.gov.uk/disability-confident.

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Are you a Disability Confident Employer?

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Are you a Disability Confident Employer?

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This guidance explains how to become a Disability Confident Employer at level 2 of the Disability Confident scheme. More information about the scheme can be found on our website at www.gov.uk/disability-confident.

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Its always good to know what opportunities are out there for your young person with SEND.

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Information for young people on how SENDIASS works and how they can get help.

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Birmingham City Council have the support you need for your and your young person.

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In Birmingham we have a range of specialist inclusion teams who support you and your child or young person aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND).

Our services work together across the north, south, east and west of the city.

You can find information about these support services in the links below

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Specialist SEND Support Services | Local Offer Birmingham

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In Birmingham we have a range of specialist inclusion teams who support you and your child or young person aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). Our services work together across the north, south, east and west of the city.

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1.      Pause Hub - Anything relating to emotional wellbeing.

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Our Pause hubs are our drop-in centres where you can call in to find out more about mental health and take part in courses and events. Our main hub is in Digbeth, close to the city centre and we also have smaller hubs at the local Universities.

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Exploring all avenues with your SEND Young People.

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Black Country Vocational Profile support document (3) (002)

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Final Vocational Profile print version (1)

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This vocational profiling tool has been designed by colleagues in our Black Country Careers Hub. Schools could use this profile over a number of years to gather information that is specifically related to work and supporting a young person with SEND to find a job or purposeful destination in the future. Please provide us with your feedback on the tool. Contact Eudene.griffith@bep.education

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What is a Supported Internship for Post-16s

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What is a Supported Internship for Post-16s

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Next steps from school, to college, to employment.

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This guidance sets out what education providers need to know in order to set up a supported internship programme. It provides practical guidance on developing and delivering supported internships, including information on:

The guidance draws on the 2020 Cooper Gibson research on supported internships as well as the experiences of providers and local authorities who have been running successful supported internships programmes to support young people with education, health and care plans into employment.

Introduction

The National Disability Strategy sets out the actions the government will take to improve the everyday lives of all disabled people. We want all children and young people, no matter what their special educational needs or disability ( SEND), to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

With the right preparation, the overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustainable paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption and provide the career advice and support that help young people to develop the skills and experience that they need to succeed in their careers. However, evidence in post-16 education and labour market activities, pathways and outcomes shows that pupils with SEND are less likely to be in sustained employment 15 years after key stage 4 than their peers.

Supported internships are a great opportunity to improve the life chances of young people with SEND by supporting them into sustained, paid employment. Achieving paid employment not only brings young people financial independence, but it can be key to:

There are also benefits for the economy, employers, families, the local community and wider society.

What's involved

Supported internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with SEND, who have an education, health and care ( EHC) plan. The core aim of a supported internship study programme is a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach.

Supported interns are enrolled and supported by a learning provider, for example, a school or college, but spend most of their learning time - typically around 70% - in a workplace.

The internships provide the opportunity for young people to achieve sustained, paid employment by equipping them with the skills they need for work, through learning in the workplace.

Supported interns are in full-time education and their supported internship work placements are part of their course. There is no legal requirement or expectation that the supported intern will be paid. Supported internships are exempt from the National Minimum Wage regulation.

Supported internships last for a minimum of 6 months, and up to a year.

The supported internship should contribute to the long-term career goals of the young person and match their capabilities. Alongside their time with the employer, supported interns complete a personalised study programme delivered by the school or college, which includes the chance to study for relevant qualifications, if appropriate, and English and maths at an appropriate level.

Every young person is supported in the work placement by a trained job coach, put in place by their education provider. The job coach provides in-work support that tapers off, if appropriate, as the supported intern becomes familiar with their role. Job coaches also work with employers, increasing their confidence in employing individuals with additional needs and helping them to create and support a diverse workforce.

Aims of a supported internship

The aim of supported internships is to support young people with EHC plans to gain paid employment by:

The measure of success of a supported internship is a transition to sustained and paid employment.

Difference between a supported internship and a traineeship or apprenticeship

Supported internships and traineeships are work-based study programmes that aim to support young people into employment. Apprenticeships are paid jobs that include off-the-job training.

Supported internships are specifically for young people with an EHC plan, and as such, they are expected to require a different level of support compared to a trainee or apprentice. They will have a job coach to support them in their workplace learning.

Supported interns are expected to need a longer programme than a trainee. Traineeships usually last between 6 weeks and 6 months with the aim of progressing people to an apprenticeship or employment as quickly as possible. Supported internships last for at least 6 months, and up to a year.

There are no entry or completion requirements for supported internships, and each learning provider will work with their supported interns to develop a personalised programme that meets their needs and provides progression and stretch.

Benefits of offering supported internships

Offering supported internships to young people with EHC plans, can help learning providers to:

offer a positive progression route to employment from their existing provision in order to support young people with SEND into paid, sustainable work

evidence that their provision is personalised and outcome-focused, in line with Ofsted expectations

demonstrate their responsiveness to the full range of learners in the local community

address the issue of 'learner churn' or 'revolving door syndrome', where learners complete one programme and re-enrol on another programme at the same level, rather than achieving positive progression

show their commitment to equality and diversity

The Children and Families Act 2014 required local authorities to work in co-production with children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers to develop a Local Offer of the services they expect to be available. This means that local authorities must find out what children, young people and parents want from the Local Offer. The Local Offer sets out the range of services available and supported internships are expected to be a key part of this.

Planning and designing supported internships

Key principles

Education providers are free to design their supported internship programme to fit their local circumstances and to meet the needs of their learners. However, we have set out the following principles, which should be followed.

Principle 1

A significant majority of the supported intern's time is spent at the employer's premises in a work placement. Whilst at the employer, the young person will be expected to comply with real job conditions, such as timekeeping, shift patterns and dress code.

Principle 2

Supported interns follow a personalised study curriculum alongside their time at the employer, including relevant aspects of English and maths.

This will be a bespoke package that is delivered by the provider and should support their progression to paid employment. It should give the supported intern the opportunity to reflect on their learning journey.

Principle 3

Job coaches are central to the study programme and provide support to both the young person and employer. They should be trained in line with the national occupational standards for supported employment.

Principle 4

The primary goal of the programme for the young person is paid employment. Work placements must work for both the young person and the employer.

For the young person, the job must fit with their vocational profile, contribute to their long-term career goal and be flexible enough to address barriers where necessary.

For the employer, they should meet a real business need. The employer should be committed to supporting the young person towards paid employment.

Laying the foundations for a successful supported internship

Successful completion of a supported internship should lead to paid employment, and therefore the ceasing of the EHC plan. It is therefore important that the supported internship follows on from high-quality education provision with a focus on preparation for employment, including tailored advice and guidance, and prior experience of the world of work.

The statutory careers guidance sets out that all young people in secondary school get a programme of careers advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience. This includes those with special educational needs and disabilities. We recognise the importance of work placements in supporting all young people to prepare for employment.

The SEND code of practice explicitly states that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood and that this preparation should start early. This includes preparing for employment, but also for:

independent living, including choice and control over:

housing options

good health in adult life

participating in society, including:

having friends and supportive relationships

contributing to the local community

For this to happen, there needs to be an explicit focus on preparation for adulthood within the EHC plan from year 9 annual reviews onwards.

Key planning considerations and delivery models

This section focuses on the key issues providers will need to think through when shaping the supported internship programme.

Length of programme

A supported internship normally lasts for at least 6 months, and up to a year. Providers will not be penalised if supported interns complete a supported internship earlier than originally planned to take up paid employment.

The first supported internship principle requires interns to spend a substantial majority of their learning time in the workplace.

Number of placements and employer involvement

The number of work placements and the number of employers involved can vary for each supported internship. Providers can operate a variety of models to fit their local circumstances, as long as they meet the 4 principles. Ideally, the work placement will be with an offsite employer.

Providers should agree the start and end dates of the placements with the employer, as well as whether the young person will be available during the holidays.

A supported intern can rotate between work placements. This could mean a provider works with a single, large employer who can offer internships to several young people by rotating them between different placements. Or supported interns can move from a placement with one employer to a placement at a different employer. Supported interns can also stay in a single placement, with one employer, which may be developed and extended over the period of the supported internship.

A key consideration for providers should be matching the needs of the intern to a suitable employer and placement. Whatever your model, it is about securing work placements of substantial duration and that are appropriate for the needs of the supported interns, who spend the majority of their time with the employer.

A personalised study curriculum

The second supported internship principle requires providers to offer supported interns a personalised study curriculum outside their workplace, which should start from the beginning of the study programme. This learning is most valuable and best engages interns when it:

Learning will typically include employability skills and, as per the 16 to 19 condition of funding, must include study towards English and maths qualifications at the appropriate level for the individual. Some students with EHC plans are exempt from the condition of funding. This must be assessed and agreed by the provider. These students should still have appropriate and relevant literacy and numeracy in their study programme.

Off-the-job employability learning may also include specific areas of vocational learning that have been identified by employers as increasing the supported intern's employability in a specific sector. This may include small qualifications in areas such as food hygiene, health and safety, lifting and handling, or pesticide handling. It can also focus on improving independence and teamwork skills.

Providers should also utilise this time to complete any actions that would enable supported interns to take up employment on completion, such as setting up a bank account or applying for a passport. Off-the-job employability learning can be delivered at the employer, a community venue or at the learning provider.

Learning outside the workplace can also enable supported interns to come together and build up a group identity and this peer support helps to prevent them from feeling isolated in their separate workplaces. This can also be a good opportunity for interns to reflect on their learning journey as they progress in their internship.

Effective ways of ensuring that the personalised study curriculum complements workplace learning include:

Supported employment agencies

Some learning providers may also choose to engage external agencies, such as supported employment agencies, to support the delivery of their programme. Supported employment agencies can provide both employer engagement and liaison and job coaching services.

Learning providers who have entered into a partnership with a supported employment agency do so for a number of reasons including:

Supported employment agencies may also be able to offer support to interns after their internship.

Staffing and job coaching

Staffing

Providers need to ensure that all staff share a can-do attitude and a strong belief in the young people's ability and right to work. This enables the team to engage with and inspire supported interns and their families to aspire to paid work and demonstrate to employers the value of these young people in their paid workforce.

The supported internship team should have a designated member of the senior leadership team with responsibility for the programme, to ensure that they are properly resourced, trained and supported.

Providers will need to ensure that all core functions are met by their supported internship team to provide effective support for young people during their internships.

These functions include, but are not limited to:

coordination, for example:

employer engagement and liaison

liaison with parents, carers or agencies

administrative roles such as:

record keeping

learner tracking

supporting Access to Work applications and related processes

job coaching including:

mentoring

in-work support

job matching

progress reviews

out-of-work employability learning from a tutor or learning support assistant

The job coach

The core role of the job coach is to provide tailored support to both the supported intern and employers so that the young person can make a positive progression to paid employment. It is a distinct role within the team that requires specialised training. Job coaches should be trained in supported employment and systematic instruction, a structured approach to teaching decision-making and new skills to people with intellectual disabilities

The job coach will support the intern to learn from, develop in and maintain their supported internship work placement.

The job coach will support the employer to offer meaningful work placements that match the skills and needs of interns, adapting roles and tasks where possible and appropriate. They will also help employers to develop their confidence in employing people with a disability.

Access to Work funding is available for job coach support, to support interns directly in their work placements. Where job coaches are also involved in the pre-placement activity and off-the-job learning, this activity should be funded using study programme funds (or high needs funding, if appropriate).

Pre-work placement activity

The pre-work placement activity is best delivered by job coaches, given their training. This work falls under the following categories:

vocational profiling and assessment

sourcing potential employers and identifying possible internship placements

creating productive links between the intern and employer through job analysis, job matches, negotiating and 'carving' job roles

practical support such as sourcing and gathering relevant documentation for work, understanding the dress code and workplace culture

helping interns to sort out travel arrangements (for example, planning routes or getting bus passes) and accompanying them on visits to the workplace prior to starting a job

Workplace support

The support a job coach provides for a supported intern in the workplace includes:

learning the job role in readiness for training the supported intern, and attending workplace inductions

training the supported intern to master tasks by breaking them down and applying systematic instruction techniques

checking supported interns' understanding of tasks and re-phrasing or repeating employer instructions when necessary

producing visual or written aids (for example, a step-by-step task list) and ensuring any assistive technology is provided

encouraging supported intern self-assessment and reflection as part of target-setting, monitoring and reviewing progress

modelling workplace behaviours

mentoring and confidence-building, including supporting interns to try out new ways to do things if they are not successful at first

negotiating an increase in responsibilities or new activities

trouble-shooting or advocating for supported interns when things go wrong

identifying skills development needs and either addressing them or referring to other staff

if the need for support tapers off, regular workplace visits and observation of supported interns

Support for employers

A job coach can support an employer by:

explaining a supported intern's strengths, support needs and successful communication strategies

providing information about a particular condition or impairment and advising on reasonable adjustments

suggesting appropriate ways to explain tasks, developing supporting accessible resources of use to the wider workforce

introducing the supported intern to their colleagues and offering colleagues advice on how to best support and include the intern

being a first point of call if issues or problems arise and negotiating solutions

identifying additional or more challenging tasks or roles that a supported intern could take on

ensuring supported interns are on task and meeting workplace standards and expectations (for example, time-keeping and attendance)

Supporting positive progression

During the course of the supported internship, the job coach plays an important role in helping the supported intern to secure paid employment or meaningful progression by:

negotiating opportunities for paid employment with the employer providing internship

where that is not possible, supporting interns with job searches and signposting to other work opportunities

supporting job applications, including CV development and revisions

helping interns prepare for and accompanying them to job interviews

signposting interns to other services (for example, Access to Work or local supported employment services) and if necessary, liaising with these agencies

Recruiting and engaging supported interns

Eligibility

To be eligible for a supported internship, a young person must be aged between 16 and 24 and have an education health and care plan.

Suitability

Supported interns should have already experienced the world of work through their careers provision in secondary and post-16 education. They should have a strong motivation to work and want to spend the majority of their time in the workplace. Parents and carers sharing their aspirations for employment is also an important factor.

During the course of the programme, providers can work on:

The section on working with parents and carers provides more details.

Young people should also be reassured that full support will be available to them to help them succeed on the programme.

Recruitment and engagement practices

Providers need to work closely with the following key partners:

local SEND employment forums (also known as supported internship forums)

other learning providers such as neighbouring 16+ providers and feeder schools

parent and carer groups

progression partners such as:

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) advisors

adult services

the Disability Employment Advisor at Jobcentre Plus

Local authorities should ensure that the supported internship programme is clearly described as an option within their Local Offer, so young people are aware of this pathway to employment.

Early discussion of supported internships as a pathway allows for preparation and learning of essential skills that increase the likelihood of a successful internship, such as independent travel. When speaking to prospective supported interns and discussing the course with parents and carers, providers will need to:

determine the young person's commitment to achieving employment

make it clear that they will be required to comply with workplace conditions, for example:

attendance

time-keeping

appropriate workplace behaviours

dress code

Providing support to interns

The high level of individualised support provided to supported interns is a key distinguishing feature of the supported internship programme. The amount and nature of the support provided will differ from one supported intern to the next, depending on their needs. However, as a general principle, the support provided should enable the supported intern to be as independent as possible.

The level of support required may change if:

Most supported interns will need intensive support at the start of their supported internship, decreasing over time as the supported intern becomes more confident in the workplace.

For many supported interns, direct job coach support may have been withdrawn altogether in the latter stages of their supported internship and they will be successfully supported by their line manager and colleagues. In these cases, providers can consider supporting interns into paid employment earlier, rather than keeping them on the programme.

For other supported interns, formal support may always be needed and it will be a case of reducing that to the minimal level required by the young person in order to do their job effectively.

The job coach will normally be the key provider of support to interns, although learning support staff, personal care staff and professionals with specific expertise (such as an interpreter, counsellor or speech and language therapist) may also be providing complementary forms of support. Supported interns may also need support in the form of specialist equipment, including assistive technology that may reduce their need for support from job coaches or other people.

Examples of some of the different kinds of support provided by job coaches are available.

Reviewing progress and support needs

Providers should operate a formal review process to check whether the:

Progress checks should happen at regular intervals and involve all the key partners:

It can also be helpful to invite parents and carers to participate in a review, with the supported intern's permission.

Findings from a progress check can help providers and interns to:

recognise and celebrate progress and achievement

identify skills that they need to work on

identify barriers to progress and work out together how to address them

reshape the support package (to include different support strategies or to reduce or increase support)

negotiate new responsibilities at work for the supported intern

identify if further health and social care support is needed to support their placement

help parents and carers understand how they can support their young person

Working with parents and carers

As the supported interns will be approaching adulthood or already be young adults, providers should seek their permission to involve their parents and carers.

It is important that parent or carer involvement is not perceived by the young people as undermining their independence or diminishing their role in the decision-making process, as set out in the SEND code of practice.

If you are concerned that the young person lacks the capacity to make all or some decisions for themselves, you should speak to the local authority's SEND team in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

At the start of the programme

Parents and carers can be involved, with the supported intern's agreement, from the start of their programme.

Inviting them to participate at the engagement and recruitment stage can help ensure they understand that the primary aim of the programme is to find paid employment.

Providers can hold open evenings, invite parents and carers in for sessions at the provider or even arrange home visits. This gives providers the chance to refer parents and carers to other agencies or sources of information for benefits eligibility advice if this is a concern for them.

Parents and carers can also be invited to discussions in the induction and initial assessment stage, where they can set out their hopes and ambitions for their young person.

During the programme

Throughout the programme, parents and carers can be kept informed, with the young person's permission, of the young person's progress. This could be through a formal review process or more informal communication.

Towards a positive progression

Parents and carers can sometimes offer support in job search and application and interview preparation.

Where a young person has not been able to gain paid employment following an internship or where they need continued in-work support, they, and their parents and carers if appropriate, should be informed about agencies that can provide further support. Providers can broker meetings where appropriate.

Working with employers

Successful internship programmes are dependent on the learning provider working in partnership with one or more employers across a number of key stages:

Engagement and recruitment of employers

Effective employer engagement is a key success factor in establishing a supported internship programme. Promoting the business case of supported internships to employers is critical to securing their engagement.

Resources are available that set out the evidence base relating to the benefits of employing disabled people that can help conversations with employers as part of the engagement process, for example, DWP's guidance on employing disabled people and people with health conditions.

Other successful strategies for targeting employers include:

working with employers who already have a relationship with the college and extending that to include supported internships

engagement via local supported employment forums

identifying employers who have experience of working with people with SEND, or who are Disability Confident employers

working in partnership with other learning providers and liaising within their own organisation to share the load and to prevent the same employers from being approached repeatedly

approaching employer groups (for example, through presenting at an existing meeting) and using provider membership on existing groups

setting up business breakfasts

creating and distributing marketing material to promote supported internships

once the supported internship programme is established, drawing on success stories - this can include inviting employers to meet interns who are now employed and employers who have benefitted from taking part

It is also helpful to be prepared to address an employer's potential concerns, some of which may be based on misunderstandings about employing people with disabilities. Sharing all insights gained through good vocational profiling of the young person with the employer is helpful here.

Employer engagement is often a 2-tier process, where the learning provider begins by securing the interest and willingness to be involved from a wide range of employers before negotiating specific internships for particular young people.

Job matching

Key to the success of an individual internship is the business of getting the right young person into the right work placement with the right employer.

Job matching enables providers to ensure that the individual supported intern is placed in a job role that matches their abilities, interests and ambitions in a working environment that suits their needs. Successful job matching relies on the effective vocational profiling of the young person as well as thorough job analysis of the potential role. This process is usually undertaken by the job coach.

Vocational profiling

Vocational profiling is a young-person centred approach to gathering information specifically related to work. It is a way of understanding what a young person's experience, skills, abilities, interests, aspirations and needs are to support them to find a job. It is an active process that involves:

Vocational profiling will identify areas for development as well as the support a young person may need in the workplace. It also identifies any financial factors that need consideration, such as travel costs or workplace adjustments.

Preparing for Adulthood has guidance on creating a vocational profile.

Job analysis

Job analysis will include:

an investigation of the job description

understanding the tasks involved

understanding the workplace context such as:

the extent to which a role is customer-facing

what interactions with colleagues are required

the physical environment

the workplace culture

Providers will need to use their findings from the job analysis and vocational profiling to determine the fit between a specific job role and an individual. This may involve an element of job carving, whereby the learning provider works with the employer to shape a role for a particular individual which is suited to their strengths with consideration of reasonable adjustments that may be needed. This process will result in greater productivity, ability to offer more flexibility to other staff or to free them up from tasks they are ill-suited to.

Providers should assure themselves that work placements:

Induction and settling in

The job coach should agree an induction and settling in period to the workplace, where both the supported intern and employer are offered extensive support. It is often appropriate to begin the induction period before a supported intern formally starts their work placement.

Induction activities can include:

The job coach will have to ensure that all induction and training is accessible for the supported intern. They may support the intern through a training programme led by the employer or undertake the training themselves and devise an approach to deliver it to the supported intern.

During this induction period, the job coach will also play an important role in negotiating between the employer and supported intern if any 'teething problems' occur.

While any reasonable adjustments will have been determined at the job matching stage, the job coach may need to provide the employer with support in implementing these in the first few weeks of a placement. This also provides the opportunity for the job coach to support the intern's colleagues and manager to understand the needs and abilities of the supported intern.

Job coaches should remind employers of any other expectations - such as a monthly contribution to a progress review and employer-specific health and safety briefings - during the first few weeks, and ensure processes are in place from the start.

During the supported internship

Employers will be supported by the learning provider throughout the supported internship.

Employers should be involved in reflecting on a supported intern's progress, both informally through conversations with a job coach and by more formal contributions to a review process.

Supporting the development of the supported intern is a shared responsibility between staff from the learning provider, including the job coach, and the employer and relies on effective communication.

Job coaches may need to negotiate with employers where they feel that a supported intern needs new challenges and could be offered greater responsibilities. Equally, it may be necessary for a job coach to agree on a reduced or different role for a supported intern where appropriate. Employers are encouraged to flag learning opportunities that would enable the supported intern to extend their range of responsibilities.

Securing employment for the intern

The primary goal of a supported internship is to secure paid employment for the supported intern. This may be with the host employer if a suitable vacancy is available. However, if this is not possible, host employers can still play an important part in helping a supported intern to achieve employment elsewhere.

Positive actions an employer can take include:

Achieving positive progression

Achieving sustainable paid employment for the supported intern is the primary goal of a supported internship.

While soft skills and independence development are welcome gains, where paid employment with the host employer is not achieved, the provider should support the young person to an alternative destination, and ideally paid employment.

Providers should build in time throughout a supported internship to ensure a positive transition occurs.

Planning for progression: recruitment

Providers should plan early for a positive outcome by:

recruiting suitable interns who understand that the goal is paid, sustained employment

selecting employers and placements that have the real possibility of leading to paid employment, as far as possible

tackling low aspirations early, including those of parents and carers

using vocational profiling and job analysis techniques to identify jobs that draw on the strengths of a supported intern

appointing staff, including job coaches who are trained in supported employment, who believe in the programme and its values, including the right and ability of disabled people to work

drawing on the employers' experience to understand the key skills and knowledge a supported intern will need to secure paid employment in their sector

Planning for progression: during the internship

Providers should build in time throughout a supported internship to ensure a positive transition occurs by:

Planning for progression: moving into employment

Providers should work with the supported intern to ensure that a transition plan is in place so that each young person has a positive progression route planned.

This will include:

facilitating a conversation with the host employer to establish if there is a suitable vacancy and how to apply for that

developing the skills supported interns need to apply for jobs, including:

job searching

building CVs

filling in application forms

interview skills

practising these skills

Funding

Supported internships are funded as a 16 to 19 study programme, and as such the main source of funding is from the Education and Skills Funding Agency ( ESFA).

Supported interns can also apply for Access to Work funding to cover the costs of practical support in the workplace.

High needs funding arrangements may also apply where the support costs of establishing and running the supported internship in line with this guidance exceed £6000 (avoiding double funding with Access to Work). Local authorities have the prime responsibility for planning and commissioning funding for high needs students. Further information on the funding system for 16 to 25 high needs students is available.

It is essential that learning providers currently delivering supported internships, and those considering doing so, discuss their plans at the earliest opportunity with commissioning local authorities. This will enable authorities to:

agree and plan their budgets for young people with high needs

consider changes in demand for and supply of new and emerging provision

Local authorities can record supported internship participation on their SEN2 data return.

Education and Skills Funding Agency funding

A supported internship is a full-time study programme, with a substantial work placement as the core aim.

To attract ESFA funding, the provider needs to timetable at least 540 planned learning hours.

The English and maths condition of funding applies to students on supported internships. Providers should ensure study towards an English and maths qualification at the appropriate level is included, such as:

If a student is exempt from the English and maths condition of funding, they should still pursue appropriate literacy and numeracy.

Providers should indicate on the individualised learning record ( ILR) that the young person is on a supported internship programme.

Access to Work

Access to Work is a discretionary grant scheme delivered by DWP which can assist in paying for practical support to enable disabled people or those with health conditions to overcome workplace barriers.

Access to Work can pay for things such as:

specialist equipment

adaptations to equipment and workplace

a support worker or job coach

communication support

additional travel costs of getting to work if someone is unable to use public transport or drive themselves

disability awareness training for employers about the employee's specific condition

For supported interns, this means Access to Work can fund:

Access to Work awards are tailored to the needs of the individual, which means awards will vary depending on the supported interns' circumstances.

How to apply

Supported interns (or their learning provider on their behalf) can get an application form for supported internships by calling the Access to Work helpline number on 0800 121 7479.

It is important all applications are signed, allowing permission for the supported internship team to arrange for a support plan to be sent to the learning provider to complete and return.

Where the supported intern has a DWP appointee, the appointee will need to sign the application form.

Completed paper applications must be signed by the supported intern or their DWP appointee and sent to:

16 to 19 Bursary fund

The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is to support 16 to 19-year-olds who are the most financially disadvantaged and those who most need help with the costs of staying in education. Students aged over 19 can apply for the discretionary bursary if they have an EHC plan.

Providers can use the bursary as a source of funding to help meet costs for travel, meals and equipment for young people participating in supported internships.

Free meals for disadvantaged young people

To be eligible for a free meal, young people must have enrolled in further education provision funded via ESFA.

Exactly what an institution provides for the free meal is a decision for the individual institution. The expectation is that a meal, voucher or credit will be provided to eligible students. Where this is not practical, institutions will be able to offer cash in certain exceptional circumstances.

Funding for free meals is allocated directly to institutions. More information is in the free meals guidance.

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This guidance sets out what education providers need to know in order to set up a supported internship programme. It provides practical guidance on developing and delivering supported internships, including information on: The guidance draws on the 2020 Cooper Gibson research on supported internships as well as the experiences of providers and local authorities who have been running successful supported internships programmes to support young people with education, health and care plans into employment.

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As an employer, you can help make the world a more autism-friendly place.

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As an employer, you can help make the world a more autism-friendly place. We know that many of you are leading the way and making great progress in adapting your practice and making small adjustments that make a big difference to autistic employees.
In this guide we explain the benefits of employing an autistic person, offer tips for recruitment and interviewing, and provide advice for managing an autistic employee.

"Autistic people have some very valuable skills which can be applied in the workplace. They might have very good attention to detail, or be really good at sticking to routines and timetables. Therefore, they are likely to be very punctual and reliable. Everyone has different skills but there will always be something." An autistic job seeker

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity.

Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people need different levels of support. With the right sort of support, all can be helped to live a more fulfilling life of their own choosing.

You can read more about autism.

Recruiting an autistic employee

As an employer, you may not realise that autistic people can be highly skilled and qualified, and may be extremely employable.

Why employ an autistic person?

Many autistic people have a variety of sometimes exceptional skills, that enable them to thrive in roles ranging from sales assistant to computer programmer, and journalist to statistician, to name just a few.

However, autistic people are often disadvantaged when it comes to getting and keeping a job because of other people's lack of understanding and support.

Autistic employees may need some, often simple, support within the workplace. As well as their individual strengths and talents, autistic candidates often demonstrate above-average skills in some or all of the following areas:

high levels of concentration

reliability, conscientiousness and persistence

accuracy, close attention to detail and the ability to identify errors

technical ability, such as in IT

detailed factual knowledge and an excellent memory

This means an autistic person may well be better at a particular job than someone who is not autistic. By gaining an understanding of autism, you can open up new possibilities for your organisation.

Employing an autistic person demonstrates your organisations commitment to equality and diversity and shows a positive attitude to disabled people. Having a diverse workforce brings benefits to staff and business alike, and managers and colleagues often describe working with an autistic colleague as an enriching experience that encourages them to think more carefully about how they communicate, organise and prioritise their work.

"Mark joined Max Fordham's in March 2002 as a drawing filer, quickly grasping the complex procedure. He applies care and attention to detail, constantly using his initiative to improve efficiency. He regularly attends progress meetings, where his input is invaluable and he supervises temporary cover within his group." M. Jones, Partner/Head of Administration, Max Fordham LLP

The recruitment process

Recruitment procedures often inadvertently create barriers for autistic people. There are many minor adjustments your organisations can make to your processes that will help autistic candidates to apply for jobs, and enable them to demonstrate their skills as potential employees. Many of these adjustments may also benefit other candidates and enhance overall efficiency in recruitment.

By taking these simple steps, your organisation will be meeting the Equality Act (2010) and Northern Ireland Disability Discrimination Act requirement for employers to make 'reasonable adjustments' for people with disabilities.

Job descriptions

Job descriptions often include skills that are not essential for the job to be carried out effectively. Qualities such as 'excellent communication skills' or 'good team player' are often included as default skills, even if they are not necessary - and many autistic people will not apply for jobs demanding these attributes. This can mean that suitable applicants may assume themselves to be ineligible for a job even where they have strong skills that are directly relevant to the tasks involved.

Application forms

It is not always obvious what information the applicant needs to provide on an application form. It is important to provide clear guidance on this, and to make sure that the form includes a space for applicants to highlight any support or adjustments they may need at an interview. If you are asking an applicant to write about their skills or suitability for a role, it can be helpful to include a word count limit.

Job adverts

Job adverts are not always concise and written in plain English. They should list essential skills, and avoid jargon or unnecessary information. The advert should be clearly presented, avoiding complex design. Try to be really objective about what abilities and experiences are genuinely essential for the job to be done well, and leave out any that are not.

Interviews

Interviews - particularly 'traditional' conversational type interviews - rely heavily on social and communication skills, so autistic candidates may well struggle to 'sell themselves' in an interview, even if they have all the right skills. In particular, they may face challenges with:

understanding body language and maintaining appropriate eye contact

knowing how to start, maintain and end conversations or answers to questions

judging how much information to give - especially if questions are open

thinking in abstract ways, or considering 'what if?' scenarios

varying their tone of voice and finding the appropriate level of formality.

Interview adjustments

Making reasonable adjustments during an interview is essential to allowing autistic candidates to portray their skills and competencies fully, so that you can make an informed choice about who to recruit.

If you want to interview the candidate, it is important to realise that asking each applicant exactly the same question does not always equate to equality of opportunity. You could adapt the interview for autistic candidates by:

providing interview questions in advance - up to two days before the interview

providing clear and concise written and visual information about the interview, including;

directions to, or maps of, the location of the interview and photographs of the entrance of the building (such as google street view)

the procedure for arriving at the interview location (e.g. sign in at front desk where you will be collected by Jane (name of the person) you shortly before your interview)

the names of the people who will be on the interview panel (with photographs) and information about what their role will be during the interview (e.g., note taking, or asking technical questions)

a clear timetable of events during the allocated interview time, for example, the first 30 minutes will focus on questions about your CV and experience relating to the role, and the second 30 minutes will be an aptitude test or technical trial

providing a quiet and calm space for the candidate to wait, prior to their interview, away from other visitors or general staff

avoiding general questions (e.g. 'Tell me about yourself')

asking specific questions based on the candidate's real/past experiences, e.g. 'In your last job, did you do any filing or data input?'; 'What processes/procedures did you use to do this effectively?'

avoiding hypothetical or abstract questions, e.g. 'How do you think you'll cope with working if there are lots of interruptions?' A better question would be 'Think back to your last job. Can you tell us how you coped with your work when people interrupted you?'

telling the candidate if they are talking too much as they may find it hard to judge how much information you need e.g. 'Thank you, you've told us enough about that now, and I'd like to ask you another question'.

prompting the candidate in order to extract all the relevant information and gather sufficient information

being aware that the candidate may interpret language literally e.g. asking, 'How did you find your last job?' may result in an answer of 'I looked on the map'

being aware that eye contact may be fleeting or prolonged, depending on the individual

providing adequate breaks during long interviews and prompt the interviewee to take a break when needed

allowing and prompting the candidate to refer, during the interview, to any written notes that they have made

Alternatives to the traditional interview

If adapting your interview skills to the needs of an autistic person sounds daunting, or if you feel that an interview might not be the best way to gauge the person's suitability for the post, there are other options:

Inviting a supporter to accompany the person

Many autistic people perform much better in interviews if they have a supporter with them. This person can act as a go-between to ease communication between the interviewer and the candidate, rewording any unclear questions for the candidate and helping them understand exactly what the interviewer wants.

The supporter will not answer on behalf of the person, but may help to rephrase unsuitably worded questions (although ideally the employer should do this in preparation for the interview). The supporter can help them to communicate with the interviewees, in order to clarify their relevant knowledge and skills. This does not only benefit the candidate: it can also help employers understand what the candidate has to offer.

Work trials

Some employers find that a work trial, or a period of work experience, is a better way of assessing skills than a formal interview. This approach may also help if you think that an autistic person is likely to do well in a job but you have concerns about how well they will cope in the workplace. If you would like to take this approach, our Employment Training Service can offer support and advice.

Thomas' story

Thomas applied for a position as a filing clerk at Camden Council. He was shortlisted and invited for an interview, which included a short filing test. During the interview, Thomas did not come across well. He tended to take questions very literally and gave 'yes' or 'no' answers to questions rather than elaborating on his experience. However, his prospective employers were extremely impressed when Thomas scored almost 100 per cent in the filing test - significantly higher than other candidates.

Following discussions with our employment service, which was supporting Thomas in his job search, Camden Council agreed to offer Thomas a work trial as an alternative method of assessing his ability to do the job. Thomas completed this with great success and was offered a four-week contract, working ten hours a week.

At the end of this time, his managers were delighted with his accuracy and reliability, and his contract was extended. Three years later, Thomas was still working for Camden as a filing clerk, enjoying and performing consistently well in his job.

Managing an autistic employee

Working with an autistic person can be an enriching experience for managers and colleagues alike, however support is important to make it successful.

Your organisation can avoid and overcome challenges in order to ensure enjoyable and effective working relationships via:

formal activities - from job coaches to state-funded initiatives to help with extra costs such as adaptations in the workplace

our Employment Training Service  can provide information about state-funded initiatives and the training and consultancy we provide

Autism at Work programme may be of interest if you are thinking about recruiting autistic people for a new role

informal activities -such as making sure communication is clear, that the  environment takes account of sensory needs, and the necessary support is at hand.

Understanding your autistic employee

"I have difficulty picking up social cues and difficulty in knowing what to do when I get things wrong." Autistic person

If an autistic person seems aloof or uninterested in talking to colleagues, or often says the 'wrong' thing, remember (and, where appropriate, remind colleagues) that this is probably unintentional and is likely to be due to communication challenges.

If an autistic person tries too hard to fit in and irritates colleagues by seeming to interrupt a conversation, be patient, and explain the boundaries if necessary. Other staff may also need reminding that their attitudes may have a strong impact on the job performance of their autistic colleague.

If an autistic person becomes anxious for any reason, try to find out what is causing the problem. One-to-one sessions are probably the best situation for doing this. You may need to think laterally. For example, the stress may not be caused by a difficulty in the job but by a colleague not being explicit in their instructions, by things not working efficiently (such as a computer crashing), or by difficulties in getting to their work. Trying to think around the immediate issue may help, as well as supportively asking the employee specific (though not invasive) questions to try to get to the root of the problem.

There may be occasions where problems do arise for an autistic person, particularly in social interactions, where communication can break down. If you become aware of any of these problems, try to deal with them swiftly and tactfully, and make colleagues aware of the potential for misunderstanding.

Your autistic staff member may also have some challenges in adapting their existing skills and knowledge to new tasks or environments. This can make the work environment hard and may cause misunderstandings among other staff, particularly as autism is an invisible condition. They may misconstrue the person's behaviour as rude, insensitive or unfriendly. However, the good news is that there are plenty of simple ways to make sure that the person has the support they need and to ensure good positive working relationships.

"I have an excellent memory for facts and figures for example, car number plates and timetables. I never have to write down telephone numbers. I have an excellent memory for jokes anecdotes and even whole movie scripts." Autistic person

Top tips

Clarify expectations of the job

You may need to be more explicit about your expectations for an autistic member of staff. As well as the job description, you need to explain the etiquette and unwritten rules of the workplace. Make it clear that any adaptations for them in the workplace are there to help them keep doing their job well, not because they are not good enough.

Provide training and monitoring

Clear and structured training is invaluable. This can be provided informally on the job, by a manager, colleagues or a mentor, or may take the form of more formal training. Various organisations and schemes offer job coaches, and funding for this form of training may be available from the Department of Work and Pensions. Our Employment Training Service can provide more information.

Make sure instructions are concise and specific

Try to give your employee clear instructions right from the start about exactly how to carry out each task, from start to finish, as this will lay the foundations for good working practices. Don't assume the person will infer your meaning from informal instructions - for example, rather than saying 'Give everybody a copy of this', say 'Make three photocopies of this, and give one each to Sam, Mary and Ahmed'. You may also choose to provide written instructions. It can be helpful to ask the person to repeat back instructions so you are sure they have understood.

Ensure the work environment is well-structured

Some autistic people need a fairly structured work environment. You can help by working with them to prioritise activities, organising tasks into a timetable for daily, weekly and monthly activities, and breaking larger tasks into small steps. Some people will appreciate precise information about start and finish times, and help getting into a routine with breaks and lunches.

Regularly review performance

As with any employee, line managers should have regular one-to-one meetings with the person to discuss and review performance and give overall comments and suggestions. For an autistic staff member, brief, frequent reviews may be better than longer sessions at less frequent intervals.

Provide sensitive but direct feedback

Autistic people often find it difficult to pick up on social cues, so make sure your feedback is honest, constructive and consistent. If they complete a task incorrectly, don't allude to, or imply, any problems - instead, explain tactfully but clearly why it is wrong, check that they have understood, and set out exactly what they should do instead. Be aware that some autistic people may have low self-esteem or experience of being bullied, so ensure that any criticism is sensitive, and give positive feedback wherever appropriate.

Provide reassurance in stressful situations

Autistic people can be quite meticulous, and can become anxious if their performance is not perfect. This means they may become stressed in a situation such as an IT failure. You can help by giving concrete solutions to these situations - for example, by explaining "If the photocopier breaks, use the one on the third floor." Similarly, reassure them that if they occasionally arrive late due to transport problems or other unpreventable factors, this is not a problem. Your employee may benefit from having a mentor or buddy in the workplace - an empathetic colleague who they can go to if they are feeling stressed, anxious or confused.

Support your staff member to prepare for changes

Give information about changes to the workplace or tasks well in advance.

Ask about sensory distractions

Autistic employees sometimes benefit from things like screens around their desk, noise-cancelling headphones, or their desk being in the corner.

Help other staff to be more aware

If your autistic employee consents to their condition being disclosed, then providing colleagues with information and guidance on autism can benefit everyone. Sometimes the employee may find it helpful to write a document for other staff explaining what their colleagues can do to support them. You could consider staff training, or our online modules.

David and Jacqui's story

"David already worked in my team as a Customer Sales Assistant when I became his line manager in 2002. I had no previous experience of working with people with autism, so I did some reading around the subject and David's  NAS support worker popped in and introduced herself early on, which was really helpful.

"David is very good with customers and has excellent interpersonal skills. In the time I've worked with him we haven't really had any particular challenges to overcome, mainly because Prospects has shown us how to prevent any difficulties from arising in the first place. But it's good to know that they are always there to provide back up if we need it. I feel I'm very fortunate to have someone like David in my team.

"Managing him has taught me that everyone is different, with their own individual strengths. Everyone in the team values David as a member of our working family." Jacqui Copas, Customer Reception Supervisor at First Great Western Railways

Our Autism at Work Programme

Our Autism at Work programme in association with the Bloomfield Trust aims to bridge the gap between skills shortages in industry and talented autistic candidates.

Through this programme, we support employers across a wide range of industries to create accessible job opportunities and to support candidates to access those opportunities. These opportunities could be in the form of:

paid internships

apprenticeships

paid roles (standard roles within the business)

We also support candidates to prepare for, and succeed in their employment.

Why should my organisation join?

We have a proven track record of working with employers as well as:

national reach

2000+ employees trained from a variety of sectors in 2018

working with prestigious organisations such as Virgin Loyalty, BT, Lloyds Banking Group, HMRC and Forever Beta

116 volunteer-run branches, 80 social care services and our schools (reach people in every county)

We campaign to improve public understanding, develop professional practices, and shaping government policies benefits a huge amount of autistic people and their families.

To find out about how your organisation can benefit from our programme and help bridge the gap between skills shortages and talented autistic candidates, please contact us.

Our hospitality work experience programme

HelmsBriscoe (HBcares) is our hospitality employment programme offering autistic people the opportunity to gain work experience opportunities within the hotel hospitality industry.

The programme comprises of:

an eight-week work experience placement for autistic adults (comprising of two days or 16 hours per week)

free autism awareness training for your staff from our team

free in-work support from one of our Job Coaches for your organisation and the work experience candidate

If your organisation would be interested in our programme, please contact us.

Further links and resources

Training

Sign-up for our half-day Recruiting Autistic Employees training course that aims to provide managers and HR professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently recruit and support autistic employees into the workplace.

Complete our online training modules, developed by autistic people and autism specialists, and have been created to enhance your autism knowledge and fit into your busy schedule.

Find out more about our Employment training and consultancy services that include:

Useful articles

Useful books

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As an employer, you can help make the world a more autism-friendly place. We know that many of you are leading the way and making great progress in adapting your practice and making small adjustments that make a big difference to autistic employees.

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We are all in this together!

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The SEND Local Offer aims for all children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) across Birmingham to get the help they need early, and as easily as possible.

The offer advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). Click here to go to the Local Offer Birmingham Website.

Survey - Tell us what you think about SEND services in Birmingham

Tell us what you think about SEND services in Birmingham to be in with a chance of winning £100 of shopping vouchers.
The SEND Local Area Partnership in Birmingham [Birmingham City Council, (Education) Birmingham Children's Trust (Social Care) Health (NHS) and the Birmingham Parent Carer Forum (BPCF)] is working hard to improve SEND services so that we provide the best possible help and support for children with additional needs in the City.

As part of this project we are working with parents and carers to determine what their priorities are for improvement, seeking the broadest possible understanding of a wide range of views, so that we can improve SEND services.

To help with this work, we are asking parents and carers to fill in a short, anonymous survey (about 5 minutes long) about their experiences with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services for their child or children in 2022. We hope that as many people as possible will take part so that we can get a clear picture of what is going well, and what not so well in the service and use that information to bring about change.

Those people who wish to submit contact details will be in with a chance of winning a family day out at a Birmingham family attraction.

Click here for the link to the SEND Survey - which is for parents and carers of children and young adults with Special Educational Needs.

If you have any questions about the survey or need support completing it, please email - SENDImpComm@birmingham.gov.uk

Did you find what you were looking for on this webpage? Please rate your experience out of 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 the highest)

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The SEND Local Offer aims for all children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) across Birmingham to get the help they need early, and as easily as possible. The offer advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Calling all SEND Parents and Carers. Why not join the Birmingham Parent
Carer Forum

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We are a voluntary group of Birmingham Parent Carers whose purpose is to become the bridge between services and families and a collective voice representing all members and all disabilities.
​
We aim to build strong and sustainable links between our Local authority, Joint Clinical Commissioning Group and The Children's Trust.

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We are a voluntary group of Birmingham Parent Carers whose purpose is to become the bridge between services and families and a collective voice representing all members and all disabilities. ​We aim to build strong and sustainable links between our Local authority, Joint Clinical Commissioning Group and The Children's Trust.

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Co-Production Agreement for SEND services in Birmingham

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Co-Production Agreement for SEND services in Birmingham

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Find out more about Co-Production
or SEND services in Birmingham

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Welcome to Birmingham's Local Offer Website

Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

Our aim is for all children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) across Birmingham to get the help they need early, and as easily as possible.

Below you will find more information on the wide range of services that are available to support all areas of your child or young person's life. This includes support with education, physical and mental health, social care, leisure activities and moving towards independence and adulthood.

Areas for advice and help

Do you have a question?

Check out our FAQs page that will show you all the general questions parents, carers and young people ask.

Check out our to find out definitions of key words used on this website.

Please help us to the continually improve this Local Offer website by giving us your feedback. Please click on the link to complete our feedback form.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). Our aim is for all children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) across Birmingham to get the help they need early, and as easily as possible.

# data[].attributes.headline
Co-Production Agreement for SEND services in Birmingham

# data[].attributes.subject
Co-Production Agreement for SEND services in Birmingham

# data[].attributes.body
Find out more about Co-Production
or SEND services in Birmingham

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to Birmingham's Local Offer Website

Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

Our aim is for all children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) across Birmingham to get the help they need early, and as easily as possible.

Below you will find more information on the wide range of services that are available to support all areas of your child or young person's life. This includes support with education, physical and mental health, social care, leisure activities and moving towards independence and adulthood.

Areas for advice and help

Do you have a question?

Check out our FAQs page that will show you all the general questions parents, carers and young people ask.

Check out our to find out definitions of key words used on this website.

Please help us to the continually improve this Local Offer website by giving us your feedback. Please click on the link to complete our feedback form.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). Our aim is for all children and young people with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) across Birmingham to get the help they need early, and as easily as possible.

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Careers advice for young disabled people
Career Pathways is an independent careers advice service for people aged 15 to 25 who live in England and Wales. Our careers advisers will work with you to set you on the path to succeed.
Complete the online application form at
scope.org.uk/career-pathways
For more information email
careerpathways@scope.org.uk

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Career Pathways | Disability charity Scope UK

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Career Pathways: Independent careers information and advice for young disabled people.

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Believe it, Achieve it!

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Ready, Willing and Able creates partnerships that benefit both the employee and the business. We believe that the success of the individual on our programme will lead to the success of the wider organisation.

The value of inclusivity

Many businesses fully recognise that employing people with different abilities through truly inclusive employment practices is 'doing the right thing'.

However, too often they are deterred from 'doing the right thing' through a false perception that the cost is too great.

We want businesses to recognise the huge commercial value that tapping into a wider pool of talent will bring. We believe that the cost of NOT embracing an inclusive workplace is too great a risk to take in the tough economic backdrop we currently face.

CSR reputation

The reputational benefits for an organisation that is actually seen to 'walk the walk' rather than just 'talk the talk' from a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective are huge.

In a marketplace driven more and more by the younger generations, consumers in all sectors are basing spending decisions around ethics and how an organisation conducts its business. Consumers want to feel good about where they are purchasing their products and services from.

True inclusivity in the workforce is a key indicator of the social conscience of a business and a visible and living reflection of its CSR reputation.

Commercial value

Reputational value is an enormous benefit of inclusive work practices, but there is a very definitive commercial benefit of employing individuals with different abilities.

The 'Purple Pound' is the spending power of disabled people and their families. The potential of the Purple Pound is enormous. It is thought that 1 in 5 people in the UK have some form of disability - over 12 million people! The value of this 'Purple Pound' is thought to be around £250 billion.

In spite of the huge incentive the 'Purple Pound' offers, relatively few organisations have a strategy to target the disability market, so much of this spending power remains untapped.

Through employing a workforce more reflective of its potential customer base, an organisation will organically increase the accessibility of its products and services to a wider market. Customers want to spend their money with organisations that reflect themselves and their values. A disability inclusive workforce appeals to the hearts and minds of consumers of the Purple Pound.

Efficiency and productivity benefits

Alongside the reputational and obvious commercial benefits of tapping into a larger market, employing people with disabilities will reap substantial gains in productivity and efficiency.

Successful organisations are those that think smarter and innovatively. A truly inclusive workforce will lead to greater diversity of thought and far greater innovation by recognising the different perspectives that people of different backgrounds and lived experiences will have.

Numerous research has shown that organisations with inclusive workforces have better staff morale. Welcoming and supportive workplaces make people feel better, leading to clear benefits in productivity, reduced absence and reduced turnover.

Research for Mencap (2017) has shown more specifically that employing people with learning disabilities leads to better staff reliability, improved morale, increased customer loyalty, reduced levels of absence and better staff morale.

No two individuals are the same, but people with disabilities have a variety of exceptional skills that enable them to excel in many workplaces. The lived experience of many people with disabilities will naturally mean they have real life evidence of resilience, which should be attractive to any business.

Ready, Willing and Able will help your business take advantage of all these benefits that so many are organisations are missing by not being truly inclusive.

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Ready, Willing and Able creates partnerships that benefit both the employee and the business. We believe that the success of the individual on our programme will lead to the success of the wider organisation. Many businesses fully recognise that employing people with different abilities through truly inclusive employment practices is 'doing the right thing'.

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Lets be open to new ideas.

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Author: Julie Pointer, NDTi's programme lead for Children and Young People and the Preparing for Adulthood programme.

Recently I spent the day at the Westminster Insight Conference and was struck by the number of times people referred to inclusion, in particular, the challenges that inclusion brings. But I have to ask - is it really that challenging?

The conference, entitled 'The Future of SEND - aspirations, outcomes and best practice', gave me an opportunity to speak about our learning of what does and doesn't work to support young people with SEND into positive adult lives. There was a lot packed into one day and inclusion featured heavily throughout a range of topics including: challenges; provision; support; planning; outcome and attainment; strategies; partnership working; supporting SENCO's careers; quality of EHCP's and collaborative working.

The key theme seemed to be that people have a different view of what inclusion means. Having had a chance to reflect on this point, I'm not sure why we're still in that place.
The United Nations Committee diagram below explains very clearly the differences between segregation, integration and inclusion. So why are we still confused?

There has been a lot of focus recently on the number of children and young people (particularly with SEND) being excluded from school, with evidence that shows that almost half of these young people have identified SEND, and possibly a significant number more who haven't yet been identified.

But the focus is in the wrong place. Surely the focus of solving the exclusions challenge needs to be on how we include children and young people in the first place?

At a time when we are seeing reviews around alternative provision plus a SEND review by the Education Select Committee it matters now more than ever to consider what we need to do to provide an inclusive education system for all children and young people.

At the recent Association of Directors of Children's Services Conference the Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds, spoke of the steady movement away from mainstream school and into specialist, alternative and home provision. He also highlighted the increased rates of exclusion, including schools finding ways to remove pupils without going through the formal exclusion route.

The Secretary of State concluded his speech with the following statement:
"I want to be clear right now: this is not okay. SEND pupils are not someone else's problem. Every school is a school for pupils with SEND; and every teacher is a teacher of SEND pupils."
So, what might some of the solutions be?

I have just read A Summary of the Evidence of Inclusive Education submitted by Dr Thomas Hehir - Professor of Practice in Learning Differences (I love that definition) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

In the report Hehir and others look at what needs to happen to foster and support inclusive education. Hehir et al developed a set of actions. To summarise, they suggest the following essentials:

Establish an expectation for inclusion in public policy - national policy that is endorsed by national leaders that affirms the right of students with disabilities to be included along-side their non-disabled peers.

Establish a public campaign to promote inclusive education - one that changes public opinion about the importance of inclusive education, so that long standing myths about disabled students holding back their non-disabled peers are busted to ensure that there is a whole school welcoming approach to all its community.

Build accurate data systems - to collect accurate data on how much students with disabilities are able to access general education including how much time is spent in the classroom. This data will help to understand those schools struggling with inclusion and target the right support.

Provide a strong training and ongoing professional development programme that supports those working in education so they have the confidence to challenge negative attitudes within their settings but so that they also have the confidence and skills to ensure they utilise the right techniques to enable students with disabilities to learn and achieve. Ensure that educators understand diversity and the strengths and weaknesses of all their students.

Create universal best practice around inclusion and schools that can model and support others to move them forward.

Develop the post 16 offer to ensure positive pathways to employment for all young people.

Provide support and training to parents who are seeking inclusive schools for their children and young people.

With all of the information available, we should have complete consensus of what Inclusion is and how it can be achieved. So, is the problem really one of differences in culture and values?

As part of our work we have visited schools that fundamentally believe that they are a community school for all children. They have strong leaders who have great values and realise that inclusion has a positive impact on everyone. In contrast to this we have also been to schools who do not believe that any of their students with SEND will ever manage to hold down a job and expect them to be dependent on service land for the rest of their lives. This feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me.

We desperately need a cross government inclusion policy that supports children with SEND to be included from the earliest years and in every situation. Until our society deems every child and young person to have the same rights, aspirations, opportunities and worth, many young people will be prevented from growing into rounded and happy adults that live inclusively in our communities.

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Recently I spent the day at the Westminster Insight Conference and was struck by the number of times people referred to inclusion, in particular, the challenges that inclusion brings. But I have to ask - is it really that challenging?

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Have your say...

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Formal consultation: a new approach to area SEND inspections

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Please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.

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Have your say...

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Formal consultation: a new approach to area SEND inspections

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Please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.

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A new approach to area SEND inspections 

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A new approach to area SEND inspections 

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Applies to England

Summary

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission seek your views on proposed changes to the way they jointly inspect area SEND arrangements from 2023.

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

This consultation seeks your views on proposed changes to the way Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) jointly inspect local area partnerships to assess how they work together to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ( SEND).

We are seeking the widest possible range of views from those who have an interest in, or expertise relating to, disability, special educational needs ( SEN) and/or alternative provision. We particularly want to hear from children and young people who have SEND, and their parents and carers. We are also keen to hear from local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, professionals and practitioners involved in the commissioning and delivery of services to children and young people with SEND.

Supporting documents

Alongside the consultation document, we are also publishing:

an easy-read version of the consultation

the draft equalities impact statement

the draft inspection framework and handbook

Children and young people's consultation

We are keen to hear from children and young people who have SEND and have set up a dedicated young person's consultation page. This is where young people can access information that is relevant to them and give their views.

Respond to the consultation

You can submit your response to the consultation by:

completing our online survey
Respond to the consultation online

completing the easy read version of the survey which you can download from this page.

If you have any difficulties using the survey tool, or accessing the easy read version of the consultation, please email area.send@ofsted.gov.uk with the details.

Other engagement activity

Throughout the duration of the consultation period we are planning to host webinars and online focus groups for parents, carers and those working in the sector.
watch the webinar

Documents

PDF, 3.55 MB, 39 pages

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PDF, 1.47 MB, 46 pages

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MS Word Document, 645 KB

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Request an accessible format.

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Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Work experience for young people with SEND

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Work experience for young people with SEND

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Be in the know!
Get all the latest SEND employment information from Careermag.

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6.	Hiring Disabled Employees: 5 Reasons You Should

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6.	Hiring Disabled Employees: 5 Reasons You Should

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5 main reasons that show how hiring disabled employees can benefit business.

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In this blog: We explore 5 main reasons that show how hiring disabled employees can benefit business and look at case studies from companies in America who are making it a success.

We all agree that everyone has an equal right to employment.

For years, employers have maintained low expectations when it comes to hiring disabled employees. As a result, the workforce of disabled people is greatly underutilised. According to one statistic, there are currently 1.2 million disabled people in the UK who are available for and want to work.

Thankfully, due to spreading awareness about false perceptions regarding hiring disabled employees, this mindset is now changing readily.

Today, companies are highly interested in recruiting disabled people. This change in perception is not only favourable for disabled individuals but it is also beneficial for the employers. A was carried out by Accenture in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities. The study revealed that there are multiple benefits of recruiting disabled people. In fact, companies that are keen on hiring disabled employees tend to outperform others, with profit margin around 30% higher, net income 200% higher, and 28% higher revenues. These companies are also 4 times more likely to enjoy higher shareholder returns.

The statistics say it all. There is no doubt that disability inclusion is a way to take your business to the next level. If you are still wondering how disabled people can prove to be a valuable asset for your business, here are some reasons why you may want to start a recruitment drive for disabled people in your company. After reading these, check out Recruiting Disabled People in the Workplace.

1. High Work Quality after Hiring Disabled People

A study carried out by the Institute of Corporate Productivity shows that 3 out of 4 employers ranked disabled employees to be just as good as-or even better than-others in terms of work quality, attendance and motivation. Most leading companies understand the importance and advantages of hiring disabled employees.

Like most employees, a job means a great deal for a disabled person. This is mainly because of the fact that there are relativelylimited employment opportunities. So, if you recruit disabled people, they are more likely to be highly motivated to prove valuable to the company. This translates into equal or better work performance as compared to other employees.

2. Improved Corporate Culture

Carlos Slim, a gigantic business magnate and one of the richest men in the world hires disabled people. He shared in an interview with The Wall Street Journal:
"I know disabled employees are very dedicated workers and they are good for the morale of all of the company."
Most employers second this opinion, especially those who already have disabled people employed in their companies. This is mainly because by providing employment opportunities to disabled people, you are adding highly motivated professionals to your team. This promotes a sense of inclusiveness in the workplace which improves the overall quality of the culture. In other words, welcoming disabled employees to your workforce is another way of improving job morale. The employees develop a more empathetic behaviour towards each other and even towards your customer. This reflects positively on their performance and as a result the company's productivity increases.

3. Lower Employee Turnover

Disabled employees are more likely to stick around a company for a long time. This means that the funds you spend on the recruiting process and training are less likely to go to waste. This is partly due to the fact that disabled people face certain difficulties when it comes to job searching. Apart from that, disabled employees are more likely than other candidates to seek job stability.

4. A Wider Talent Pool

According to the Labour Force Survey '05, around one in every five people of working age (6.9 million, or 19%) in Great Britain is disabled. This means inviting disabled people to join your workforce will only give you access to a wider talent pool. It is better for your business, in the long run, to recruit highly talented and motivated disabled employees instead of hiring people who are relatively less talented and potentially less motivated. It is important to recognise that companies today are at war for talent and qualified workers. In today's tight economies, every business wants the best employees and it doesn't make sense to leave out a perfectly relevant and deserving group of people. Listen to what disabled people say about the workplace on the podcast.

According to an employment counsellor at the Monmouth County Office of Workforce Development:
"One of the trends to look for in 2019 to 2024 from all employers is training staff they already have, and thinking outside their normal box. That include 5. Prioritise Awareness s recruiting and hiring disabled people...groups that normally have some type of stigma. In this very tight economy, employers have to be competitive."
Limited employment opportunities for disabled people who are otherwise fit for the job is a dilemma. It is affecting our society in multiple ways. The way to provide equal job opportunities to all deserving candidates is to create awareness. You can play your part by prioritising awareness and creating vacancies in your company for disabled people. Simultaneously, you can set real-life examples for other businesses by reaping multiple benefits that come with welcoming disabled employees to your workforce.
An Exemplary Case of Hiring Disabled Employees
Therefore, as a way of creating awareness, many companies in America celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This not only improves their public image but is also a way to send a powerful message to other businesses in all sectors.

Did you know that Microsoft created an exemplary recruitment program for disabled people? The recruitment drive was specially directed towards autistic people. The best part is that the program was not only focused on recruiting disabled people but special attention was also paid on training. Microsoft took coaching initiatives to make sure their disabled employees couldperform to their full potential.

This goes on to show that providing job opportunities to disabled people will only work positively for your business. Moreover, you will be able to play your part in building a community that isn't biased and allows everyone to participate in society. All of us deserve to be valued and it's time we celebrate our differences!

Disability Inclusion Bites is a weekly email series offering guidance and expert knowledge on creating that disability inclusion culture within your workplace. To start receiving emails, sign up here

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Hiring Disabled Employees: 5 Reasons You Should - Celebrating Disability

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In this blog: We explore 5 main reasons that show how hiring disabled employees can benefit business and look at case studies from companies in America who are making it a success. For years, employers have maintained low expectations when it comes to hiring disabled employees.

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4.	Post 16 and Preparation for Adulthood

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4.	Post 16 and Preparation for Adulthood

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What is the preparation for adulthood programme ?

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What is the Preparation for Adulthood Programme ?

Birmingham City Council is in the process of piloting the Preparation for Adulthood programme, providing an early intervention approach to identifying appropriate support services for young people from the age of 14. This programme extends up to age 30, ensuring that support is consistently accessible from early teenage years all the way to adulthood.

The Preparation for Adulthood programme offers a network of services, working across the whole system to provide young people with easy access to the support they need during their transition into adult life. We are a new service that works collaboratively across the whole of Birmingham and Matrix managed between Adult Social Care and Birmingham Children’s Trust. The Team will offer a multiplicity of support services in accordance with 4 key outcomes:

Employment

Housing/Independent living

Health

Community, Friendship and Relationships

We believe these are the key areas where vulnerable young people will require the most support.

Read our latest newsletter here.

The criteria for the Integrated Transitions Team is:

We support young people aged 14-30 who:

Have Additional Needs

Have statutory health and social care assessments

Have received a young carers assessment in the last 12 months

Are in care or who have left the care system

Are attending Special Schools or Special Colleges

Are a household member, aged between 16-25, who lives with a young person receiving PFA support

More details can be found in our leaflet

The criteria for the B.R.I.D.G.E Team is:
(Building resilience, independence, direction, guidance and empowerment)

We support young people aged 14-30 who:

Have endured trauma and / or have mental health difficulties either diagnosed or undiagnosed

Have a vulnerability that could pose a risk or cause harm to themselves or others

Are at risk of offending

Are at risk of being exploited

Are currently a part of the criminal justice system (CJS) as an adult or young person either in custody or in the community

Are leaving the CJS or a statutory service who require support

Are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness

More details can be found in our leaflet

Diagnosis

We recognise that some young people do not meet the thresholds for a statutory service because they do not have a diagnosis, they are waiting on an assessment or they may feel the diagnosis is incorrect.

We shall accept young people without a diagnosis based on this description:

A Child/Young Person demonstrating thoughts, behaviours, distress and/or impacting on functioning that may be consistent with a diagnosis.  Without treatment or intervention, the child/young person would require a more intensive level of care.

Newsletter

Read the latest PFA newsletter here

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What is the Preparation for Adulthood Programme | Local Offer Birmingham

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Birmingham City Council is in the process of piloting the Preparation for Adulthood programme, providing an early intervention approach to identifying appropriate support services for young people from the age of 14. This programme extends up to age 30, ensuring that support is consistently accessible from early teenage years all the way to adulthood.

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Next Steps for Post 16

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Royal Association for the Deaf Employment: How to apply for a job Looking for employment? Here are our top tips on how to get started with job applications and writing a good CV. If you need further advice, or careers support, please contact our Employment team: employment@royaldeaf.org.uk BSL (British Sign Language) Royal Association for Deaf people https://royaldeaf.org.uk/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpsSlP9zB1c

DSi asked people with Down syndrome from around the world what employment means to them. This video is a collection of their views and feelings about employment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHlTCXOEq3Q

Mencap Help and Support for people with a learning disability looking for a job

https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment-services

https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment/finding-job

Employ Me Birmingham – a leaflet on the Mencap service supporting people aged 18-24

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Post 16 and Preparation for Adulthood | Local Offer Birmingham

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Royal Association for the Deaf Employment: How to apply for a job Looking for employment? Here are our top tips on how to get started with job applications and writing a good CV.

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The majority of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can have their needs met within a mainstream school or setting. In Birmingham we want to help schools and settings to demonstrate the support they provide and, where needed, to access the additional resources they need as quickly and easily as possible.

SEND Support Provision Plans (SSPP) are a document developed for use within Birmingham. They are particularly useful for demonstrating the provision in place for children and young people where the needs are complex and require multi-agency involvement, but where the provision does not require an EHCP in order to support delivery within a mainstream setting. The SSPPs are designed for you to be able to build up a picture of need and provision over time as well as to support effective information sharing across the schools or setting.

SEND Support Provision Plans are also used by the Local Authority as the mechanism by which mainstream settings can apply for additional 'top up' funding for pupils who DO NOT have an EHCP. The funding allocated is based upon the number of Support Units deemed necessary to support the school or setting in implementing the provision written in the plan.

As with all applications for enhanced support it will be necessary to show that you have followed a graduated approach, have been co-created with relevant Local Authority SEN Support Services and have the support of your outside agencies in making the funding application. All cases will be considered at the relevant decision-making group, usually linked to the child or young person's main area of need.

Parental permission is required for information sharing and applications submitted without this are not able to be considered.

Requests for additional 'top up' funding can be submitted at any point in the year but should have been discussed at the school or settings multi-agency planning meeting prior to submission. Most requests will be considered within two working weeks of submission.

There are no changes to the processes for pupils who have EHCPs. Funding for these pupils will be reviewed as part of the normal assessment and annual review processes.

Requests for funding via an SSPP should be emailed to SSPP@birmingham.gov.uk
Please used the "Guidance" documents below to support the completing of the SSPP SEND Support Provision Plan - updated February 2022 SEND Support Provision Plan Guidance - updated February 2022 SEND-Support-Provision-Plan-Appendix_1 SEND-Support-Provision-Plan-Appendix_2 SEND Support Provision Plan - Appendix Three - SEND Support Paper Work

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The majority of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can have their needs met within a mainstream school or setting. In Birmingham we want to help schools and settings to demonstrate the support they provide and, where needed, to access the additional resources they need as quickly and easily as possible.

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Have you say... speak up and be heard.

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Participation Events in Birmingham For Young People with Additional Needs Aged 13-29 Are you aged 13 to 29?
Have your say on SEND services and support

Do you have any type of Additional Need or Disability?

What are your experiences of support for this in Birmingham?

What support has worked well for you?

What support hasn't worked well for you?

What else could have helped?

If interested (to just listen, talk or get involved), please join us!

This for Young People with Additional Needs aged 13 to 29 with a Birmingham home address.
Link to larger poster If you are aged under 18 please your parent or carer must complete the form for you.
Food and drink will be provided, parents and carers are welcome to stay

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Youth Participation Event Page | Local Offer Birmingham

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Participation Events in Birmingham For Young People with Additional Needs Aged 13-29 Have your say on SEND services and support Are you aged 13 to 29? Do you have any type of Additional Need or Disability? What are your experiences of support for this in Birmingham? What support has worked well for you?

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Breathe is a collaboration of mental health experts from the NHS, academia and local government seeking to provide innovative digital solutions and strategies for the well-being of young people. Breathes mission is to develop a new digital infrastructure for mental health, one that unleashes mental health services, schools and community partners to perform as more than the sum of their parts.

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The National Careers Service can help you make career decisions throughout your life. From deciding your education route, planning a career change at any age or getting the job that is right for you.

Contents

Making career choices

Support for parents, carers and guardians to help young people making education and career choices.

Find out about green careers and how you can help to tackle climate change in your job.

Advice and support to help you choose your next step if you're leaving school or have recently left.

Help and advice to find and stay in work if you're disabled or have a health condition.

Advice on taking time out of education before continuing your studies.

Find useful advice and resources if you've been made redundant or become unemployed.

Consider and all the post-graduate study options available to you.

Learn resilience and how to deal with difficult experiences.

Look into job roles in the British Army, Royal Air Force or Royal Navy.

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Get advice to help you make career decisions. From planning your education route, a career change or getting a job that's right for you.

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Having a job isn’t just about earning an income - it can help to build confidence, develop skills and widen friendships.

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Having a job isn’t just about earning an income - it can help to build confidence, develop skills and widen friendships.

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Giving people with a learning disability the opportunity to experience the benefits of paid employment.

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Giving people with a learning disability the opportunity to experience the benefits of paid employment.

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What we want

We all want to get a job. Aside from the money - which gives us more independence and choices - it's also a sign of social inclusion and being seen as a full member of society.

We know that most people with a learning disability can and want to work, as long as they are given the right support. That's why we support the Government's aim to halve the disability employment gap and think they now needs to put together a plan to remove the barriers facing people with a learning disability in getting employment.

For this plan to work, it must:

1. improve the employment support for people with a learning disability, no matter where they live, and ensuring that the support is tailored to the person's needs

2. provide support to employers to take on more people with a learning disability

3. promote positive employer attitudes towards people with a learning disability in employment, making sure they value their work

4. make the health and wellbeing of disabled people central to the plan

5. make sure that the education system equips pupils with SEN with the skills to gain employment

6. create more jobs and training opportunities for people with a learning disability, including more work experience openings and apprenticeships with availability of on-the-job support

We're working on a range of these issues, providing employment support services and working to ensure that people with a learning disability get a better deal going forward.

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We all want to get a job. Aside from the money - which gives us more independence and choices - it's also a sign of social inclusion and being seen as a full member of society. We know that most people with a learning disability can and want to work, as long as they are given the right support.

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The industries prioritising disability accommodation in the workplace.

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The industries prioritising disability accommodation in the workplace.

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Have confidence that employers will support your SEND young people.

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Disability employment statistics UK: Accommodation in the workplace 2021

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Approaches to disability in the workplace have come a long way in recent years as more employers now understand the value of creating equal and diverse working environments. With studies finding that diverse workplaces outperform others, it’s not surprising that more businesses are making inclusion…

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Employment Rates for People with Disabilities

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Employment Rates for People with Disabilities

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Let's move forward.
What are you doing as an employer to support Young People with SEND into employment?

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The employment rate for people with a learning disability has fallen to 4.8%

The statistics for adults with a learning disability and autism known to adult social care, have remained consistently low across the country but latest drop to under 5% (latest figures published October 2022) require greater analysis. We believe that there have been multiple factors that have impacted on this:
COVID 19
While some Supported Employment services were given the opportunity to become more creative and support employers to fill the roles needed during this time, other providers, especially local authority, were pulled into supporting other front-line services. There is continued research into the impact of COVID 19, around the wider social determinants of health inequalities and these further impacted the disabled people looking to enter and retain employment.

Investment into Supported Employment.

There has been significant investment into Supported Internships, but we have not seen the same level of investment into Adult Supported Employment services. We are thrilled to be working with our DWP colleagues to further embed the Supported Employment model into local areas, through the Local Supported Employment trailblazer. However, this funding was only available to 24 local authorities, at the same time services are losing European Social Funding, local authorities are under huge pressure, and we have seen services reducing, or having to diversify in a way that moves them from Supporting this core group of people.
Access to work.
We appreciate that Access to Work teams are working hard to try and resolve the back log of cases in the system, but we know that many services and local authorities do not feel confident in the Access to Work process, to support any development of their local services and ensuring people have the right support to not only enter but flourish in the labour market.

The definition for Indicator 1E was changed in 2015-16 and now only includes those adults with learning disabilities included in the Short and Long Term (SALT) Data Return as receiving long-term support because of their learning disability.

2020-21: 5.1% ( Male 5.7%, Female4.4%)

2019-20: 5.6% (Male: 6.2%, Female: 4.8%)

2018-19: 5.9% (Male: 6.4%, Female: 5.2%)

2017-18: 6.0% (Male: 6.6%, Female: 5.2%)

2016-17: 5.7% (Male: 6.2%, Female: 5.0%)

2015-16: 5.8% (Male: 6.2%, Female: 5.2%)

2014-15: 6.0% (Male: 6.4%, Female: 5.3%)

2013-14: 6.8% (Male: 7.5%, Female: 5.8%)

2012-13: 7.0% (Male: 7.8%, Female: 6.0%)

2011-12: 7.1% (Male: 7.9%, Female: 6.1%)

2010-11: 6.6%.

The employment rate for adults in contact with secondary metal health services has fallen to 6%

This compares to previous years' figures:

2020-21: 9% ( Male: 7%, Female: 11%)

2019-20: 9% (Male: 8%, Female: 11%)

2018-19: 8% (Male: 7%, Female: 10%)

2017-18: 7% (Male: 6%, Female: 9%)

2016-17: 7% (Male: 6%, Female: 9%))

2015-16: 6.7% (Male: 5.5%, Female: 8.0%)

2014-15: 6.8% (Male: 5.6%, Female: 8.3%)

2013-14: 7.0% (Male: 5.8%, Female: 8.5%)

2012-13: 7.7% (Male: 6.5% Female: 8.9%)

2011-12: 8.9% (Male: 7.8% Female: 10.0%)

2010-11: 9.5%

The full set of reports is available on the NHS Digital website.

2010-11 was the last year of the NIS indicators and the Social Care and Mental Health indicators were replaced by the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework for 2011-12 onwards.

NI146 and NI150 appear in the new framework as Indicators 1E and 1F, although there are some changes to the definitions.

Labour Force Survey

The labour force survey gives estimated employment rates for various disability categories but these are based on fairly small sample sizes. The latest figures are for the 6 months ending June 2020:

Depression, bad nerves or anxiety: Employment rate 54.3%

Mental illness or other nervous disoreder: Employment rate 33%

Severe or specific learning difficulties: Employment rate 26.5%

Autism: Employment rate 21.7%

For further information, see https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/datasets/disabilityandemployment

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Employment Rates for People with Disabilities 2021-22

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The employment rate for people with a learning disability has fallen to 4.8%The statistics for adults with a learning disability and autism known to adult social care, have remained consistently low across the country but latest drop to under 5% (latest figures published October 2022) require greater analysis.

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It's good to know!

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of adults with a known to their A local authority is also called a council A council is also called a local authority. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care 5.1% local authority Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it. (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. . They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection. in England are inpaid work (NHS Digital, 2021).

The proportion of adults with a learning disability in paid varies by region.

London (7%) and the South East (6.9%) have the highest proportion of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in paid employment, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber (6.3%; NHS Digital 2020).

In England, a higher proportion of men with a learning disability known to their local authority (6.2%) are in paid employment than women with a learning disability known to their local authority (4.8%; NHS Digital 2020).

of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in Scotland were in employment in 2019 (SCLD 2019).

The Welsh government does not publish data on how many people with a learning disability in Wales are in paid work. However, the Labour Force (LFS) provides data on the economic activity of people in Wales aged 16-64 who have a disability according to the Act 2010 definition of disability.

The LFS found that 47.8% of adults with a disability in Wales were employed in 2020, compared to 80.2% of people who were not disabled (StatsWales, 2020).

The Northern Irish government does not publish data on how many people with a learning disability in Northern Ireland are in paid work. However, the LFS provides data on the economic activity of people in Northern Ireland aged 16-64 who describe themselves as having a long-term disability (NISRA, 2021).

The LFS found that 38.9% of people with a disability in Northern Ireland were employed in 2020, compared to 78.4% of people who were not disabled (NISRA, 2021).

Mencap ran a survey with 1625 adults (aged 18+) with a learning disability in the UK. Responses were collected between January and July 2019 using a paper-based questionnaire and an online questionnaire.

Office for National Statistics (2019). Disability and employment, UK: 2019

Office for National Statistics (2021). Employment in the UK: January 2021

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Read latest research and statistics on people with a learning disability finding paid employment

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Opportunities for young people with additional needs

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Opportunities for young people with additional needs

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It's time for you to shine!

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What are my options?

If you have a disability you still have the same choices as everyone else, but there is additional support available. Do look at the Choices at 16+ page for more information.

The Local Offer

To see what support and provision is available, and search for services for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, have a look at the Suffolk Local Offer website.

Post 16 options

The guide below provide information, advice and guidance on the provision available for 16+ young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

So if you have been receiving SEN support at school or have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, the guide explains about the types of support available, learning routes and qualification levels, and funding options.

Suffolk SEND 16+ Transitions Guide - this guide is written for local young people and their parents/carers about how to prepare for, and the support available for making a transition. This could be a transition in education and training, health services, into adult social care services or being supported in the community.

Would you like to get involved in changing services for young people with a disability?

There are groups of young people with a disability coming together to talk about their experiences of using services.

This is called the SEND Young Person's Network - SEND means special educational needs and disabilities.

When they meet up and get to know each other, they also talk about what could be changed and made better.

So if this sounds interesting and you would like the chance to give your feedback, take a look at our SEND Young Person's Network page and find how to get involved.

Sources of information and support

National Careers Service - information on website, but young people can also contact via text, phone and email

Access Unlimited - information for children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers about short breaks and respite services

Mencap Employment Services - Service offering young people with SEND 16-24 support, work opportunities and training before and during employment or placement.

Suffolk Parent Carer Network - aim to be a voice to inform service providers of the needs of disabled children, young people and their families.

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Opportunities for young people with additional needs

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If you have a disability you still have the same choices as everyone else, but there is additional support available. Do look at the Choices at 16+ page for more information. To see what support and provision is available, and search for services for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, have a look at the Suffolk Local Offer website.

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Safeguarding children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

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Safeguarding children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

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Keep up to date with SEND Safeguarding.

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Legislation and guidance

The statutory requirements for safeguarding all children are set out in legislation and guidance for the education sector.
> Read more about the key safeguarding legislation and guidance for schools
Each UK nation also has legislation and guidance on supporting children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Although different terms are used in different nations, the principles of safeguarding and protecting children and young people with additional needs or disabilities are broadly the same.

> Take our safeguarding children with SEND training

For information for schools on supporting children and young people with SEND during the COVID-19 pandemic , read our which provides safeguarding guidance and information for schools. Coronavirus (COVID-19) briefing

England

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are covered by Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Under this legislation, a child or young person aged 0-25 has special educational needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

Mainstream schools in England should follow the Special educational needs and disability code of practice (PDF) (Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health, 2015). This guidance sets out how schools should meet their duties to children and young people with SEND.

This guidance states that schools must designate a qualified teacher to be the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who is responsible for the coordination of provision for students with SEND. The SENCO should also provide guidance to colleagues, liaise with parents and carers and act as a key point of contact for external agencies, including health and social care.

SENCOs and nominated child protection leads should work together when there are safeguarding concerns about a child with SEND (DfE, 2019a).

The SENCO may also be required to act as the lead practitioner for multi-agency early help assessments. This might involve leading the assessment, co-ordinating support services and advocating for the child and family (DfE, 2018).

Some children and young people with SEND in England will have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) which details the education, health and social care support that will be provided to the child. Safeguarding concerns may be addressed through the EHC plan.

Northern Ireland

The key legislation for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Northern Ireland is the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. This legislation defines a child with special educational needs as someone aged under 19 who is a registered pupil at a school and has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made.

The Code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs (PDF) provides guidance for schools in Northern Ireland on making provision for children with SEND (Department of Education Northern Ireland, 1998).

This Code states that all mainstream schools should have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). Their responsibilities include:

managing the operation of the schools special educational needs (SEN) policy

offering advice to colleagues

liaising with parents and carers

maintaining a register of children with SEN

organising and contributing to the relevant training of other staff

liaising with external agencies.

The nominated child protection lead and the SENCO should work together when there are concerns about a child with SEND (Department of Education Northern Ireland, 2019). In larger schools, it may be appropriate to have a SEN co-ordinating team.

The SENCO, along with other teachers, should also ensure that children have an individual education plan (IEP). This should set out the nature of the child's learning difficulties and the provision to be put in place to support them.

Scotland

In Scotland, the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 makes provision for children and young people who have additional support needs (ASN). A child or young person has ASN if they are of school age or younger and require additional support to benefit from school education. This includes children and young people who:

have learning disabilities or difficulties

have a disability or health need

are looked after

are young carers

have English as a second language

are on the child protection register.

This list is not exhaustive and the Act provides support for any child or young person who needs additional support.

Schools in Scotland must follow the statutory guidance Supporting children's learning (PDF) (Scottish Government, 2017).

Children and young people with ASN may have an individualised educational programme (IEP) which describes their additional support needs, how they will be met and what learning outcomes are expected.

Some children and young people who need significant additional support from school as well as other agencies will have a co-ordinated support plan (CSP). This should contain information about the additional support needed, who will provide the support and the educational objectives for the child.

If a child has a CSP, the local authority will appoint a co-ordinator who is responsible for ensuring that the correct additional support is being provided.

Wales

The Welsh Government passed the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act in 2018. Under this Act, a child has additional learning needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for additional learning provision.

The additional learning needs (ALN) system will be phased in over three years, starting in September 2021. The Welsh Government has published a guide to the transformation programme, which details how the new system will be implemented and outlines a timeline for implementation (Welsh Government, 2020). The Additional learning needs code sets out how schools in Wales should meet children and young people's additional learning needs (Welsh Government, 2021).

Until the ALN system is implemented, schools should follow the Special educational needs (SEN) code of practice for Wales, which provides guidance on how to identify, assess and make provision for children with SEN (Welsh Government, 2013).

The ALN system creates a number of new statutory roles which should be implemented before the rest of the system is put in place. These roles include the additional learning needs co-ordinator (ALNCo), the designated education clinical lead officer (DECLO) and the early years additional learning needs officer (ALNO).

From January 2021, all maintained mainstream schools and further education institutions in Wales must designate at least one ALNCo, who must be a teacher or have been a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) immediately prior to becoming an ALNCo. The ALNCo is responsible for:

identifying a child's additional needs and co-ordinating additional learning provision

keeping records of decisions about ALN

promoting inclusion and access to the curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities for children with ALN

monitoring the effectiveness of additional learning provision

advising teachers about appropriate teaching methods

supervising and training learning support workers

contributing to training for teachers

(Welsh Government, 2021).

The ALNCo is also responsible for ensuring all children and young people with ALN have an individual development plan (IDP) or individual education plan (IEP) which sets out the additional learning provision and support they will receive (Welsh Government 2021; 2013).

Resources

Find out what the laws and guidance around safeguarding in educational institutions are in each of the UK nations.

> Safeguarding legislation for schools and colleges:

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of a nominated child protection lead and use our example role description to help you write your own that reflects the needs of children and young people your organisation works with.
> The role of the nominated child protection lead

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Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) | NSPCC Learning

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The statutory requirements for safeguarding all children are set out in legislation and guidance for the education sector. > Read more about the key safeguarding legislation and guidance for schools Each UK nation also has legislation and guidance on supporting children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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Pathways to Employment for Young People with SEND

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Pathways to Employment for Young People with SEND

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How employers can support SEND young people into employment.

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The SEND Code of Practice states that all children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, and "every school is required to identify and address the SEN of the pupils that they support".

The code lays out a clear set of obligations that schools, academies and local authorities must adhere to in order to help maximise the potential of children and young people with SEND, as explored on the IG Schools blog.

It is also important for educational establishments to focus on post-16 and post-18 pathways, as a key part of preparing for adulthood. This includes supporting young people to enroll for further education and training, or entering the world of work - typically areas where young people with SEND lag behind.

According to the Department for Education (DfE), in 2018 18.4% of pupils identified with special educational needs in year 11 entered higher education by age 19, compared to 48% of pupils who were not identified with special educational needs. Furthermore, during the 2018/19 financial year, just 5.9% of adults with learning disabilities aged 18-64 who were receiving support from social services were in paid employment, compared to 6% in the previous year.

Supporting young people with SEND into work

Despite these alarming figures, the DfE states that "the overwhelming majority of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are capable of sustainable paid employment, with the right preparation and support". Therefore, what can school leaders do to ensure that young people with SEND are better prepared for life after compulsory education draws to a close?

As part of the DfE project, "Employment is Everyone's Business", the National Development Team for inclusion (NDTi) and the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE) published a "planning guide for schools, colleges and careers advisers on how to work with young people from year 9 onwards to understand the world of work and to think about their skills, interests and work aspirations ".

The key considerations outlined in the guide include:

Raising aspirations: Consider introducing conversations with young people with SEND about careers. Partake in activities that can boost a belief that paid work is possible, including hosting annual events that provide young people and their families with information, advice and guidance, whilst also highlighting positive case studies. In addition, the guide recommends displaying images of people with SEND in employment around the building, using video testimonials, and engaging with local supported employment agencies.

Vocational profiles: Create vocational profiles to "understand an individual's experience, skills, abilities, interests, aspirations and needs in relation to employment". This will help to determine suitable job matches or work experience placements. "It provides a picture of the ideal conditions needed in a workplace for the student to be successful," the guide states. This profile can be fed into the young person's Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

Work experience: Any work experience programme should be based on "in-depth knowledge of the student", "have clear educational and vocational goals" and "involve on the job learning". It is important to ensure that support and feedback is provided.

Additional considerations include the following: working with social care to maximise opportunities for holiday and weekend jobs; creating more work opportunities through traineeships, supported internships and apprenticeships; ensuring that employment support is of high quality; and guaranteeing that follow-on support is in place for young people after they leave education to maintain or gain paid work.

Using technology to help young people with SEND find employment

Assistive technology also has an important role to play. In November 2020, Vicky Ford, Children and Families Minister, announced new research aimed at helping to bridge the gap between education and employment for young people with SEND.

The study brings together a body of research on assistive technology for the first time, helping schools and colleges better understand how to harness the benefits of existing tools and approaches to raise the outcomes of pupils with SEND.

In a keynote speech to the All Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG) on Assistive Technology, the minister said:
"Assistive Technology can be life-changing and for many it is vital to communication, learning and overall independence."In recent months, the importance of Assistive Technology has been demonstrated like never before. The essential collaboration provided by groups such as this APPG is vital to ensure that we make policy which is informed by as much research and evidence as possible."Our review will give schools and colleges a helping hand by providing greater transparency in what tools and interventions can improve outcomes of SEND students and bridge the gap from education into employment. It will also support the technology sector in embedding accessibility features - such as text to voice tools - as part of their service development, and policymakers to better embed inclusion into their policies and services. This will lead to real, meaningful differences in the quality of education for children and young people.
"This is key, because we need to be clear: accessibility should never be an add on, it should be the norm."

Success stories of helping young people with SEND into the workplace

It is positive to read various case studies where schools have put in place initiatives designed to better prepare young people with SEND to enter the working world.

One example comes from Jenny Bayliss, Deputy Headteacher at Pendle Community High School and College, a special school for 11 to 19-year-olds in Nelson, Lancashire. The school worked closely with Digital Inc, an employability programme that helps teenagers aged 16 to 18 with SEND to get digital jobs, to set up a digital agency in the classroom.

"Young people were 'employed' by the agency and received live creative briefs which involved them creating a business plan, writing scripts, making films and designing an app. They then pitched their concept to a panel of business experts. Facilitating the thought process of students with SEND is key to making this real-life experience work. We need to draw out students' ideas, enquiring in the right way, avoiding leading questions and being sensitive to the fact that some young people might be susceptible to suggestion," explained Jenny.

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Pathways to Employment for Young People with SEND

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The code lays out a clear set of obligations that schools, academies and local authorities must adhere to in order to help maximise the potential of children and young people with SEND, as explored on the IG Schools blog. It is also important for educational establishments to focus on post-16 and post-18 pathways, as a key part of preparing for adulthood.

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The SEND Code of Practice: What, Why and How?

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The SEND Code of Practice: What, Why and How?

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What do we know?

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Here we outline everything you need to know about the SEND Code of Practice, including what it means for you, your school, and the children and young people with SEND in your care.

What is the SEND Code of Practice?

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice has been created to provide guidance to those organisations working with, and providing support to, children and young people (from 0 to 25 years) with special educational needs and disabilities.

It outlines the legal requirements and statutory guidelines for schools, academies and local authorities, as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, the Equality Act 2010, and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. However, the SEND Review - expected to be published in Summer 2021 - will likely provide updates aimed at further improving available service.

The latest iteration of the code was published in January 2015, consisting of 292 pages. In this blog, the IG Schools team, summarises the key elements for mainstream schools
Defining Special Educational Needs
Within the code (pages 15 and 16), SEN is defined as the following:
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or

has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions

The code later highlights four broad areas to provide an overview of the range of needs that schools should be planning for:

Communication and interaction : This incorporates those students with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) who have difficulty understanding and communicating with others. This may include children and young people with ASD, including Asperger Syndrome and Autism.

Cognition and learning : This focuses on those children and young people who learn at a slower pace than their peers, as well as those with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), including dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

: Those children who may have become withdrawn or isolated, as well as those displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing Social, emotional and mental health difficulties behaviour. The code states these behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained.

Sensory and/or physical needs : This encompasses children with a disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided - including those with visual or hearing impairments, multi-sensory impairments, and/or physical disabilities.

Summarising what the SEND Code of Practice means for schools

The code states that all children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, and "every school is required to identify and address the SEN of the pupils that they support". To achieve this, schools are obligated to:

ensure that children and young people with SEN engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN

designate a teacher to be responsible for co-ordinating SEN provision - the SEN co-ordinator, or SENCO

inform parents when they are making special educational provision for a child

prepare an SEN information report and their arrangements for the admission of disabled children, the steps being taken to prevent disabled children from being treated less favourably than others, the facilities provided to enable access to the school for disabled children, and their accessibility plan that illustrates how they plan to improve access progressively over time

SEN children should also be identified on a SEN Register with provision mapping in place

training must be delivered to help staff identify and support children with SEND to ensure early identification

What is an Educational Health Care (ECH) Plan?

The most recent iteration of the SEND Code of Practice has seen the introduction of Education Health Care (EHC) Plans, which have replaced the 'statements of SEN'.

Local authorities are required to provide an EHC Plan for any SEN child or young person who will be left at a disadvantage without additional support. The plan will map out any special educational provision to meet the needs of the pupil or student in question, securing the best possible outcomes for them. Each plan sets out both short and long-term outcomes that the local authorities and educational providers will work towards.

You can request an EHC Plan assessment from a local authority if you are: the child's parent; a person between 16-25; or a person acting on behalf of the education provider or school.

How can schools ensure they're meeting the SEND Code of Practice?

For school leadership teams, it is imperative to take the time to fully understand the implications of the current SEND Code of Practice, and to create a clear and concise framework for how you plan to fulfil each of the requirements. Due to the extensive information included in the code, as well as the corresponding obligations, it is vital that all staff (including SENCOs) should be provided with regular training and refresher programmes, as well as the opportunity to discuss best practice and latest developments with their peers.

For the past decade the National SEND Conference has provided a platform for delegates to explore a multitude of subjects - from deliberating future trends to delivering high quality teaching strategies for SEND pupils. The 2022 event, which will take place in person on the 15th June in Central London. The conference will be a key opportunity for peer-to-peer discussions around the key themes and takeaways from the core conference, offering an opportunity to further determine how to improve SEND provision in practical terms.

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The SEND Code of Practice: What, Why and How?

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The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice has been created to provide guidance to those organisations working with, and providing support to, children and young people (from 0 to 25 years) with special educational needs and disabilities.

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Difference between a supported internship and a traineeship or apprenticeship

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Difference between a supported internship and a traineeship or apprenticeship

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What's next? supporting young people to make their next steps towards employment.

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This guidance sets out what education providers need to know in order to set up a supported internship programme. It provides practical guidance on developing and delivering supported internships, including information on:

The guidance draws on the 2020 Cooper Gibson research on supported internships as well as the experiences of providers and local authorities who have been running successful supported internships programmes to support young people with education, health and care plans into employment.

Introduction

The National Disability Strategy sets out the actions the government will take to improve the everyday lives of all disabled people. We want all children and young people, no matter what their special educational needs or disability ( SEND), to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

With the right preparation, the overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustainable paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption and provide the career advice and support that help young people to develop the skills and experience that they need to succeed in their careers. However, evidence in post-16 education and labour market activities, pathways and outcomes shows that pupils with SEND are less likely to be in sustained employment 15 years after key stage 4 than their peers.

Supported internships are a great opportunity to improve the life chances of young people with SEND by supporting them into sustained, paid employment. Achieving paid employment not only brings young people financial independence, but it can be key to:

There are also benefits for the economy, employers, families, the local community and wider society.

What's involved

Supported internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with SEND, who have an education, health and care ( EHC) plan. The core aim of a supported internship study programme is a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach.

Supported interns are enrolled and supported by a learning provider, for example, a school or college, but spend most of their learning time - typically around 70% - in a workplace.

The internships provide the opportunity for young people to achieve sustained, paid employment by equipping them with the skills they need for work, through learning in the workplace.

Supported interns are in full-time education and their supported internship work placements are part of their course. There is no legal requirement or expectation that the supported intern will be paid. Supported internships are exempt from the National Minimum Wage regulation.

Supported internships last for a minimum of 6 months, and up to a year.

The supported internship should contribute to the long-term career goals of the young person and match their capabilities. Alongside their time with the employer, supported interns complete a personalised study programme delivered by the school or college, which includes the chance to study for relevant qualifications, if appropriate, and English and maths at an appropriate level.

Every young person is supported in the work placement by a trained job coach, put in place by their education provider. The job coach provides in-work support that tapers off, if appropriate, as the supported intern becomes familiar with their role. Job coaches also work with employers, increasing their confidence in employing individuals with additional needs and helping them to create and support a diverse workforce.

Aims of a supported internship

The aim of supported internships is to support young people with EHC plans to gain paid employment by:

The measure of success of a supported internship is a transition to sustained and paid employment.

Difference between a supported internship and a traineeship or apprenticeship

Supported internships and traineeships are work-based study programmes that aim to support young people into employment. Apprenticeships are paid jobs that include off-the-job training.

Supported internships are specifically for young people with an EHC plan, and as such, they are expected to require a different level of support compared to a trainee or apprentice. They will have a job coach to support them in their workplace learning.

Supported interns are expected to need a longer programme than a trainee. Traineeships usually last between 6 weeks and 6 months with the aim of progressing people to an apprenticeship or employment as quickly as possible. Supported internships last for at least 6 months, and up to a year.

There are no entry or completion requirements for supported internships, and each learning provider will work with their supported interns to develop a personalised programme that meets their needs and provides progression and stretch.

Benefits of offering supported internships

Offering supported internships to young people with EHC plans, can help learning providers to:

offer a positive progression route to employment from their existing provision in order to support young people with SEND into paid, sustainable work

evidence that their provision is personalised and outcome-focused, in line with Ofsted expectations

demonstrate their responsiveness to the full range of learners in the local community

address the issue of 'learner churn' or 'revolving door syndrome', where learners complete one programme and re-enrol on another programme at the same level, rather than achieving positive progression

show their commitment to equality and diversity

The Children and Families Act 2014 required local authorities to work in co-production with children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers to develop a Local Offer of the services they expect to be available. This means that local authorities must find out what children, young people and parents want from the Local Offer. The Local Offer sets out the range of services available and supported internships are expected to be a key part of this.

Planning and designing supported internships

Key principles

Education providers are free to design their supported internship programme to fit their local circumstances and to meet the needs of their learners. However, we have set out the following principles, which should be followed.

Principle 1

A significant majority of the supported intern's time is spent at the employer's premises in a work placement. Whilst at the employer, the young person will be expected to comply with real job conditions, such as timekeeping, shift patterns and dress code.

Principle 2

Supported interns follow a personalised study curriculum alongside their time at the employer, including relevant aspects of English and maths.

This will be a bespoke package that is delivered by the provider and should support their progression to paid employment. It should give the supported intern the opportunity to reflect on their learning journey.

Principle 3

Job coaches are central to the study programme and provide support to both the young person and employer. They should be trained in line with the national occupational standards for supported employment.

Principle 4

The primary goal of the programme for the young person is paid employment. Work placements must work for both the young person and the employer.

For the young person, the job must fit with their vocational profile, contribute to their long-term career goal and be flexible enough to address barriers where necessary.

For the employer, they should meet a real business need. The employer should be committed to supporting the young person towards paid employment.

Laying the foundations for a successful supported internship

Successful completion of a supported internship should lead to paid employment, and therefore the ceasing of the EHC plan. It is therefore important that the supported internship follows on from high-quality education provision with a focus on preparation for employment, including tailored advice and guidance, and prior experience of the world of work.

The statutory careers guidance sets out that all young people in secondary school get a programme of careers advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience. This includes those with special educational needs and disabilities. We recognise the importance of work placements in supporting all young people to prepare for employment.

The SEND code of practice explicitly states that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood and that this preparation should start early. This includes preparing for employment, but also for:

independent living, including choice and control over:

housing options

good health in adult life

participating in society, including:

having friends and supportive relationships

contributing to the local community

For this to happen, there needs to be an explicit focus on preparation for adulthood within the EHC plan from year 9 annual reviews onwards.

Key planning considerations and delivery models

This section focuses on the key issues providers will need to think through when shaping the supported internship programme.

Length of programme

A supported internship normally lasts for at least 6 months, and up to a year. Providers will not be penalised if supported interns complete a supported internship earlier than originally planned to take up paid employment.

The first supported internship principle requires interns to spend a substantial majority of their learning time in the workplace.

Number of placements and employer involvement

The number of work placements and the number of employers involved can vary for each supported internship. Providers can operate a variety of models to fit their local circumstances, as long as they meet the 4 principles. Ideally, the work placement will be with an offsite employer.

Providers should agree the start and end dates of the placements with the employer, as well as whether the young person will be available during the holidays.

A supported intern can rotate between work placements. This could mean a provider works with a single, large employer who can offer internships to several young people by rotating them between different placements. Or supported interns can move from a placement with one employer to a placement at a different employer. Supported interns can also stay in a single placement, with one employer, which may be developed and extended over the period of the supported internship.

A key consideration for providers should be matching the needs of the intern to a suitable employer and placement. Whatever your model, it is about securing work placements of substantial duration and that are appropriate for the needs of the supported interns, who spend the majority of their time with the employer.

A personalised study curriculum

The second supported internship principle requires providers to offer supported interns a personalised study curriculum outside their workplace, which should start from the beginning of the study programme. This learning is most valuable and best engages interns when it:

Learning will typically include employability skills and, as per the 16 to 19 condition of funding, must include study towards English and maths qualifications at the appropriate level for the individual. Some students with EHC plans are exempt from the condition of funding. This must be assessed and agreed by the provider. These students should still have appropriate and relevant literacy and numeracy in their study programme.

Off-the-job employability learning may also include specific areas of vocational learning that have been identified by employers as increasing the supported intern's employability in a specific sector. This may include small qualifications in areas such as food hygiene, health and safety, lifting and handling, or pesticide handling. It can also focus on improving independence and teamwork skills.

Providers should also utilise this time to complete any actions that would enable supported interns to take up employment on completion, such as setting up a bank account or applying for a passport. Off-the-job employability learning can be delivered at the employer, a community venue or at the learning provider.

Learning outside the workplace can also enable supported interns to come together and build up a group identity and this peer support helps to prevent them from feeling isolated in their separate workplaces. This can also be a good opportunity for interns to reflect on their learning journey as they progress in their internship.

Effective ways of ensuring that the personalised study curriculum complements workplace learning include:

Supported employment agencies

Some learning providers may also choose to engage external agencies, such as supported employment agencies, to support the delivery of their programme. Supported employment agencies can provide both employer engagement and liaison and job coaching services.

Learning providers who have entered into a partnership with a supported employment agency do so for a number of reasons including:

Supported employment agencies may also be able to offer support to interns after their internship.

Staffing and job coaching

Staffing

Providers need to ensure that all staff share a can-do attitude and a strong belief in the young people's ability and right to work. This enables the team to engage with and inspire supported interns and their families to aspire to paid work and demonstrate to employers the value of these young people in their paid workforce.

The supported internship team should have a designated member of the senior leadership team with responsibility for the programme, to ensure that they are properly resourced, trained and supported.

Providers will need to ensure that all core functions are met by their supported internship team to provide effective support for young people during their internships.

These functions include, but are not limited to:

coordination, for example:

employer engagement and liaison

liaison with parents, carers or agencies

administrative roles such as:

record keeping

learner tracking

supporting Access to Work applications and related processes

job coaching including:

mentoring

in-work support

job matching

progress reviews

out-of-work employability learning from a tutor or learning support assistant

The job coach

The core role of the job coach is to provide tailored support to both the supported intern and employers so that the young person can make a positive progression to paid employment. It is a distinct role within the team that requires specialised training. Job coaches should be trained in supported employment and systematic instruction, a structured approach to teaching decision-making and new skills to people with intellectual disabilities

The job coach will support the intern to learn from, develop in and maintain their supported internship work placement.

The job coach will support the employer to offer meaningful work placements that match the skills and needs of interns, adapting roles and tasks where possible and appropriate. They will also help employers to develop their confidence in employing people with a disability.

Access to Work funding is available for job coach support, to support interns directly in their work placements. Where job coaches are also involved in the pre-placement activity and off-the-job learning, this activity should be funded using study programme funds (or high needs funding, if appropriate).

Pre-work placement activity

The pre-work placement activity is best delivered by job coaches, given their training. This work falls under the following categories:

vocational profiling and assessment

sourcing potential employers and identifying possible internship placements

creating productive links between the intern and employer through job analysis, job matches, negotiating and 'carving' job roles

practical support such as sourcing and gathering relevant documentation for work, understanding the dress code and workplace culture

helping interns to sort out travel arrangements (for example, planning routes or getting bus passes) and accompanying them on visits to the workplace prior to starting a job

Workplace support

The support a job coach provides for a supported intern in the workplace includes:

learning the job role in readiness for training the supported intern, and attending workplace inductions

training the supported intern to master tasks by breaking them down and applying systematic instruction techniques

checking supported interns' understanding of tasks and re-phrasing or repeating employer instructions when necessary

producing visual or written aids (for example, a step-by-step task list) and ensuring any assistive technology is provided

encouraging supported intern self-assessment and reflection as part of target-setting, monitoring and reviewing progress

modelling workplace behaviours

mentoring and confidence-building, including supporting interns to try out new ways to do things if they are not successful at first

negotiating an increase in responsibilities or new activities

trouble-shooting or advocating for supported interns when things go wrong

identifying skills development needs and either addressing them or referring to other staff

if the need for support tapers off, regular workplace visits and observation of supported interns

Support for employers

A job coach can support an employer by:

explaining a supported intern's strengths, support needs and successful communication strategies

providing information about a particular condition or impairment and advising on reasonable adjustments

suggesting appropriate ways to explain tasks, developing supporting accessible resources of use to the wider workforce

introducing the supported intern to their colleagues and offering colleagues advice on how to best support and include the intern

being a first point of call if issues or problems arise and negotiating solutions

identifying additional or more challenging tasks or roles that a supported intern could take on

ensuring supported interns are on task and meeting workplace standards and expectations (for example, time-keeping and attendance)

Supporting positive progression

During the course of the supported internship, the job coach plays an important role in helping the supported intern to secure paid employment or meaningful progression by:

negotiating opportunities for paid employment with the employer providing internship

where that is not possible, supporting interns with job searches and signposting to other work opportunities

supporting job applications, including CV development and revisions

helping interns prepare for and accompanying them to job interviews

signposting interns to other services (for example, Access to Work or local supported employment services) and if necessary, liaising with these agencies

Recruiting and engaging supported interns

Eligibility

To be eligible for a supported internship, a young person must be aged between 16 and 24 and have an education health and care plan.

Suitability

Supported interns should have already experienced the world of work through their careers provision in secondary and post-16 education. They should have a strong motivation to work and want to spend the majority of their time in the workplace. Parents and carers sharing their aspirations for employment is also an important factor.

During the course of the programme, providers can work on:

The section on working with parents and carers provides more details.

Young people should also be reassured that full support will be available to them to help them succeed on the programme.

Recruitment and engagement practices

Providers need to work closely with the following key partners:

local SEND employment forums (also known as supported internship forums)

other learning providers such as neighbouring 16+ providers and feeder schools

parent and carer groups

progression partners such as:

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) advisors

adult services

the Disability Employment Advisor at Jobcentre Plus

Local authorities should ensure that the supported internship programme is clearly described as an option within their Local Offer, so young people are aware of this pathway to employment.

Early discussion of supported internships as a pathway allows for preparation and learning of essential skills that increase the likelihood of a successful internship, such as independent travel. When speaking to prospective supported interns and discussing the course with parents and carers, providers will need to:

determine the young person's commitment to achieving employment

make it clear that they will be required to comply with workplace conditions, for example:

attendance

time-keeping

appropriate workplace behaviours

dress code

Providing support to interns

The high level of individualised support provided to supported interns is a key distinguishing feature of the supported internship programme. The amount and nature of the support provided will differ from one supported intern to the next, depending on their needs. However, as a general principle, the support provided should enable the supported intern to be as independent as possible.

The level of support required may change if:

Most supported interns will need intensive support at the start of their supported internship, decreasing over time as the supported intern becomes more confident in the workplace.

For many supported interns, direct job coach support may have been withdrawn altogether in the latter stages of their supported internship and they will be successfully supported by their line manager and colleagues. In these cases, providers can consider supporting interns into paid employment earlier, rather than keeping them on the programme.

For other supported interns, formal support may always be needed and it will be a case of reducing that to the minimal level required by the young person in order to do their job effectively.

The job coach will normally be the key provider of support to interns, although learning support staff, personal care staff and professionals with specific expertise (such as an interpreter, counsellor or speech and language therapist) may also be providing complementary forms of support. Supported interns may also need support in the form of specialist equipment, including assistive technology that may reduce their need for support from job coaches or other people.

Examples of some of the different kinds of support provided by job coaches are available.

Reviewing progress and support needs

Providers should operate a formal review process to check whether the:

Progress checks should happen at regular intervals and involve all the key partners:

It can also be helpful to invite parents and carers to participate in a review, with the supported intern's permission.

Findings from a progress check can help providers and interns to:

recognise and celebrate progress and achievement

identify skills that they need to work on

identify barriers to progress and work out together how to address them

reshape the support package (to include different support strategies or to reduce or increase support)

negotiate new responsibilities at work for the supported intern

identify if further health and social care support is needed to support their placement

help parents and carers understand how they can support their young person

Working with parents and carers

As the supported interns will be approaching adulthood or already be young adults, providers should seek their permission to involve their parents and carers.

It is important that parent or carer involvement is not perceived by the young people as undermining their independence or diminishing their role in the decision-making process, as set out in the SEND code of practice.

If you are concerned that the young person lacks the capacity to make all or some decisions for themselves, you should speak to the local authority's SEND team in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

At the start of the programme

Parents and carers can be involved, with the supported intern's agreement, from the start of their programme.

Inviting them to participate at the engagement and recruitment stage can help ensure they understand that the primary aim of the programme is to find paid employment.

Providers can hold open evenings, invite parents and carers in for sessions at the provider or even arrange home visits. This gives providers the chance to refer parents and carers to other agencies or sources of information for benefits eligibility advice if this is a concern for them.

Parents and carers can also be invited to discussions in the induction and initial assessment stage, where they can set out their hopes and ambitions for their young person.

During the programme

Throughout the programme, parents and carers can be kept informed, with the young person's permission, of the young person's progress. This could be through a formal review process or more informal communication.

Towards a positive progression

Parents and carers can sometimes offer support in job search and application and interview preparation.

Where a young person has not been able to gain paid employment following an internship or where they need continued in-work support, they, and their parents and carers if appropriate, should be informed about agencies that can provide further support. Providers can broker meetings where appropriate.

Working with employers

Successful internship programmes are dependent on the learning provider working in partnership with one or more employers across a number of key stages:

Engagement and recruitment of employers

Effective employer engagement is a key success factor in establishing a supported internship programme. Promoting the business case of supported internships to employers is critical to securing their engagement.

Resources are available that set out the evidence base relating to the benefits of employing disabled people that can help conversations with employers as part of the engagement process, for example, DWP's guidance on employing disabled people and people with health conditions.

Other successful strategies for targeting employers include:

working with employers who already have a relationship with the college and extending that to include supported internships

engagement via local supported employment forums

identifying employers who have experience of working with people with SEND, or who are Disability Confident employers

working in partnership with other learning providers and liaising within their own organisation to share the load and to prevent the same employers from being approached repeatedly

approaching employer groups (for example, through presenting at an existing meeting) and using provider membership on existing groups

setting up business breakfasts

creating and distributing marketing material to promote supported internships

once the supported internship programme is established, drawing on success stories - this can include inviting employers to meet interns who are now employed and employers who have benefitted from taking part

It is also helpful to be prepared to address an employer's potential concerns, some of which may be based on misunderstandings about employing people with disabilities. Sharing all insights gained through good vocational profiling of the young person with the employer is helpful here.

Employer engagement is often a 2-tier process, where the learning provider begins by securing the interest and willingness to be involved from a wide range of employers before negotiating specific internships for particular young people.

Job matching

Key to the success of an individual internship is the business of getting the right young person into the right work placement with the right employer.

Job matching enables providers to ensure that the individual supported intern is placed in a job role that matches their abilities, interests and ambitions in a working environment that suits their needs. Successful job matching relies on the effective vocational profiling of the young person as well as thorough job analysis of the potential role. This process is usually undertaken by the job coach.

Vocational profiling

Vocational profiling is a young-person centred approach to gathering information specifically related to work. It is a way of understanding what a young person's experience, skills, abilities, interests, aspirations and needs are to support them to find a job. It is an active process that involves:

Vocational profiling will identify areas for development as well as the support a young person may need in the workplace. It also identifies any financial factors that need consideration, such as travel costs or workplace adjustments.

Preparing for Adulthood has guidance on creating a vocational profile.

Job analysis

Job analysis will include:

an investigation of the job description

understanding the tasks involved

understanding the workplace context such as:

the extent to which a role is customer-facing

what interactions with colleagues are required

the physical environment

the workplace culture

Providers will need to use their findings from the job analysis and vocational profiling to determine the fit between a specific job role and an individual. This may involve an element of job carving, whereby the learning provider works with the employer to shape a role for a particular individual which is suited to their strengths with consideration of reasonable adjustments that may be needed. This process will result in greater productivity, ability to offer more flexibility to other staff or to free them up from tasks they are ill-suited to.

Providers should assure themselves that work placements:

Induction and settling in

The job coach should agree an induction and settling in period to the workplace, where both the supported intern and employer are offered extensive support. It is often appropriate to begin the induction period before a supported intern formally starts their work placement.

Induction activities can include:

The job coach will have to ensure that all induction and training is accessible for the supported intern. They may support the intern through a training programme led by the employer or undertake the training themselves and devise an approach to deliver it to the supported intern.

During this induction period, the job coach will also play an important role in negotiating between the employer and supported intern if any 'teething problems' occur.

While any reasonable adjustments will have been determined at the job matching stage, the job coach may need to provide the employer with support in implementing these in the first few weeks of a placement. This also provides the opportunity for the job coach to support the intern's colleagues and manager to understand the needs and abilities of the supported intern.

Job coaches should remind employers of any other expectations - such as a monthly contribution to a progress review and employer-specific health and safety briefings - during the first few weeks, and ensure processes are in place from the start.

During the supported internship

Employers will be supported by the learning provider throughout the supported internship.

Employers should be involved in reflecting on a supported intern's progress, both informally through conversations with a job coach and by more formal contributions to a review process.

Supporting the development of the supported intern is a shared responsibility between staff from the learning provider, including the job coach, and the employer and relies on effective communication.

Job coaches may need to negotiate with employers where they feel that a supported intern needs new challenges and could be offered greater responsibilities. Equally, it may be necessary for a job coach to agree on a reduced or different role for a supported intern where appropriate. Employers are encouraged to flag learning opportunities that would enable the supported intern to extend their range of responsibilities.

Securing employment for the intern

The primary goal of a supported internship is to secure paid employment for the supported intern. This may be with the host employer if a suitable vacancy is available. However, if this is not possible, host employers can still play an important part in helping a supported intern to achieve employment elsewhere.

Positive actions an employer can take include:

Achieving positive progression

Achieving sustainable paid employment for the supported intern is the primary goal of a supported internship.

While soft skills and independence development are welcome gains, where paid employment with the host employer is not achieved, the provider should support the young person to an alternative destination, and ideally paid employment.

Providers should build in time throughout a supported internship to ensure a positive transition occurs.

Planning for progression: recruitment

Providers should plan early for a positive outcome by:

recruiting suitable interns who understand that the goal is paid, sustained employment

selecting employers and placements that have the real possibility of leading to paid employment, as far as possible

tackling low aspirations early, including those of parents and carers

using vocational profiling and job analysis techniques to identify jobs that draw on the strengths of a supported intern

appointing staff, including job coaches who are trained in supported employment, who believe in the programme and its values, including the right and ability of disabled people to work

drawing on the employers' experience to understand the key skills and knowledge a supported intern will need to secure paid employment in their sector

Planning for progression: during the internship

Providers should build in time throughout a supported internship to ensure a positive transition occurs by:

Planning for progression: moving into employment

Providers should work with the supported intern to ensure that a transition plan is in place so that each young person has a positive progression route planned.

This will include:

facilitating a conversation with the host employer to establish if there is a suitable vacancy and how to apply for that

developing the skills supported interns need to apply for jobs, including:

job searching

building CVs

filling in application forms

interview skills

practising these skills

Funding

Supported internships are funded as a 16 to 19 study programme, and as such the main source of funding is from the Education and Skills Funding Agency ( ESFA).

Supported interns can also apply for Access to Work funding to cover the costs of practical support in the workplace.

High needs funding arrangements may also apply where the support costs of establishing and running the supported internship in line with this guidance exceed £6000 (avoiding double funding with Access to Work). Local authorities have the prime responsibility for planning and commissioning funding for high needs students. Further information on the funding system for 16 to 25 high needs students is available.

It is essential that learning providers currently delivering supported internships, and those considering doing so, discuss their plans at the earliest opportunity with commissioning local authorities. This will enable authorities to:

agree and plan their budgets for young people with high needs

consider changes in demand for and supply of new and emerging provision

Local authorities can record supported internship participation on their SEN2 data return.

Education and Skills Funding Agency funding

A supported internship is a full-time study programme, with a substantial work placement as the core aim.

To attract ESFA funding, the provider needs to timetable at least 540 planned learning hours.

The English and maths condition of funding applies to students on supported internships. Providers should ensure study towards an English and maths qualification at the appropriate level is included, such as:

If a student is exempt from the English and maths condition of funding, they should still pursue appropriate literacy and numeracy.

Providers should indicate on the individualised learning record ( ILR) that the young person is on a supported internship programme.

Access to Work

Access to Work is a discretionary grant scheme delivered by DWP which can assist in paying for practical support to enable disabled people or those with health conditions to overcome workplace barriers.

Access to Work can pay for things such as:

specialist equipment

adaptations to equipment and workplace

a support worker or job coach

communication support

additional travel costs of getting to work if someone is unable to use public transport or drive themselves

disability awareness training for employers about the employee's specific condition

For supported interns, this means Access to Work can fund:

Access to Work awards are tailored to the needs of the individual, which means awards will vary depending on the supported interns' circumstances.

How to apply

Supported interns (or their learning provider on their behalf) can get an application form for supported internships by calling the Access to Work helpline number on 0800 121 7479.

It is important all applications are signed, allowing permission for the supported internship team to arrange for a support plan to be sent to the learning provider to complete and return.

Where the supported intern has a DWP appointee, the appointee will need to sign the application form.

Completed paper applications must be signed by the supported intern or their DWP appointee and sent to:

16 to 19 Bursary fund

The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is to support 16 to 19-year-olds who are the most financially disadvantaged and those who most need help with the costs of staying in education. Students aged over 19 can apply for the discretionary bursary if they have an EHC plan.

Providers can use the bursary as a source of funding to help meet costs for travel, meals and equipment for young people participating in supported internships.

Free meals for disadvantaged young people

To be eligible for a free meal, young people must have enrolled in further education provision funded via ESFA.

Exactly what an institution provides for the free meal is a decision for the individual institution. The expectation is that a meal, voucher or credit will be provided to eligible students. Where this is not practical, institutions will be able to offer cash in certain exceptional circumstances.

Funding for free meals is allocated directly to institutions. More information is in the free meals guidance.

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This guidance sets out what education providers need to know in order to set up a supported internship programme. It provides practical guidance on developing and delivering supported internships, including information on: The guidance draws on the 2020 Cooper Gibson research on supported internships as well as the experiences of providers and local authorities who have been running successful supported internships programmes to support young people with education, health and care plans into employment.

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Change that leads to better lives.
The Preparing for Adulthood programme (PfA) is funded by the Department for Education.

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The Preparing for Adulthood programme (PfA) is funded by the Department for Education as part of the delivery support for the SEN and disability reforms

Preparing for Adulthood is part of the Delivering Better Outcomes Together (DBOT) team which is a consortium of Mott Macdonald, NDTi and the Council for Disabled Children.

The Preparing for Adulthood programme is delivered by the National Development Team for inclusion and brings together a wide range of expertise and experience of working with young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, at a local and national level and across government, to support young people into adulthood with paid employment, good health, independent living and friends, relationships and community inclusion.

The Preparing for Adulthood team advocates partnership working with children, young people and their families at the centre, across Education, Health and Care in a way that supports young people and their families to be part of their communities and to lead fulfilled and fulfilling lives.

Members of the Preparing for Adulthood team previously worked on a number of programmes including key transition programmes such as the Transition Support Programme, Valuing People Now, Valuing Employment Now (Getting a Life project, Jobs First, Aspirations for Life and Project Search) and Learning for Living and Work.

During the course of the last 5 years, PfA have been working closely with regional SEND leads and the Department for Education and other partners. During this time we helped to identify the following key messages to support four pathways to ensure young people with special educational needs and disabilities have improved life chances.

Personalise your approach - develop a personalised approach to all aspects of support using person centred practices, personal budgets and building communities.

Develop a shared vision of improving life chances with young people, families and all key partners.

Improve post-16 options and support - develop post-16 options and support that lead to employment, independent living, good health, friends, relationships and community inclusion.

Raise aspirations - raise aspirations for a fulfilling adult life, by sharing clear information about what has already worked for others.

We are delighted to announce that the Department for Education are continuing to support the essential work provided by DBOT and that the Preparing for Adulthood team and have continued investment in the growth and provision of the programme.

We will continue to operate on a regional and national level this year but we will also be focussing on nine demonstration sites in order to identify exemplar practice in six key areas. We will then ensure that this best practice is shared on a regional and national basis to support further development across the regions.

The six key areas are:

Local Offers around PfA;

EHC Plans around PfA;

Progress on integration and strategic joint commissioning;

Strategic engagement of parent/carers and young people;

Employment and paid work for young people;

Progress on personal budgets and personalisation.

For further details about the work of the Preparing for Adulthood Team please contact Julie.Pointer@ndti.org.uk

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The Preparing for Adulthood programme (PfA) is funded by the Department for Education as part of the delivery support for the SEN and disability reforms Preparing for Adulthood is part of the Delivering Better Outcomes Together (DBOT) team which is a consortium of Mott Macdonald, NDTi and the Council for Disabled Children.

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Special Educational Needs: support in England Research.

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Special Educational Needs: support in England Research.

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Briefing By Robert Long and Shadi Danechi 1st March 2022

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This House of Commons Library briefing sets out the system of support for children and young people in England aged 0-25 with special educational needs (SEN).

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This House of Commons Library briefing sets out the system of support for children and young people in England aged 0-25 with special educational needs (SEN).

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What levels of support are available?

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A useful video to support with finding out more about the SEND Local offer.

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This interactive checklist will support you to think about the Careers provision you have within your SEND setting.

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SEND Careers Health Checklist | CEC Resource Directory

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The Black Country Careers Hub have developed a number of resources to support those working with young people with SEND in the different settings. Many of these resources are featured in the My Skills My Future programme

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A collection of toolkits to help more autistic young people access sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities

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Toolkits

Welcome to our Employ Autism resources hub.

We have designed a collection of toolkits to help more autistic young people access sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities.

The resources will help employers to develop their awareness and understanding of autism. They will support the hiring and retaining of talented autistic young people.

These resources are also relevant for autistic young people, their parents/carers, teachers, and other relevant professionals to support a young person to make informed choices about their future employment opportunities.

Sign up today to receive updates on work opportunities and resources for autistic people in your area.

The resource has been co-produced in partnership with Ambitious about Autism Youth Patrons as experts by experience and expert partners Creased Puddle, utilising best practice and up-to-date research, the Autism Education Trust, and the Department of Education.

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Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. We provide services, raise awareness and understanding, and campaign for change. Through TreeHouse School, The Rise School and Ambitious College we offer specialist education and support.

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A collection of toolkits to help more autistic young people access sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities

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Toolkits

Welcome to our Employ Autism resources hub.

We have designed a collection of toolkits to help more autistic young people access sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities.

The resources will help employers to develop their awareness and understanding of autism. They will support the hiring and retaining of talented autistic young people.

These resources are also relevant for autistic young people, their parents/carers, teachers, and other relevant professionals to support a young person to make informed choices about their future employment opportunities.

Sign up today to receive updates on work opportunities and resources for autistic people in your area.

The resource has been co-produced in partnership with Ambitious about Autism Youth Patrons as experts by experience and expert partners Creased Puddle, utilising best practice and up-to-date research, the Autism Education Trust, and the Department of Education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. We provide services, raise awareness and understanding, and campaign for change. Through TreeHouse School, The Rise School and Ambitious College we offer specialist education and support.

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The service is for blind or partially sighted students in years 10 to 13 attending mainstream schools and colleges in England.

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Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) is offering blind and partially sighted young people in England a chance to access free specialist Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) support, that you may have missed because of Covid-19.

Our Careers Advice COVID catch-up service is here to help you gain the knowledge, understanding, confidence and skills required to progress effectively into further learning and work.

There are limited spaces available, so please apply early to avoid disappointment!
Download the referral form
How does it work?

The service works by connecting you with a qualified careers adviser with specialist knowledge of vision impairment. A session will be arranged which will focus on helping you to make the right moves towards your future career. You will explore pathways into specific jobs and careers in all sectors. The session will help to identify academic and vocational routes, subjects and qualifications so you can make informed choices on the road from school to college, university or employment; getting to where you want to be.

The service offers one session per student. We will consider an additional session if required on a case-by-case basis. The session(s) can take place via Zoom or over the telephone.

Who will deliver the session?

The session will be delivered by Michaela Ardley a level 6 qualified careers adviser with specialist knowledge of vision impairment. She is qualified to give information, advice and guidance to young people to help them make the right career choices.

What happens after the session?

A full set of notes recapping the session including relevant actions, information and links to resources will be produced and sent to you.

Three months after the session we will drop you a line to find out how you are getting on with any actions identified in your session and to see how things are with careers support locally.

Who is the service for?

The service is for blind or partially sighted students in years 10 to 13 attending mainstream schools and colleges in England.

We particularly want to reach those who have received very little or no specialist, impartial careers support from their school or college in the past year.

Ok, I'm interested, how do I sign up?

Great! All you have to do is:

1. Click the link below to download the referral form (Microsoft Word document).

2. Enter your details in the form and save the changes.

3. Email your completed form to us via: StudentSupport@pocklington-trust.org.uk

Download the referral form
If you have any questions, please send us an email on: StudentSupport@pocklington-trust.org.uk

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Careers Advice COVID catch-up service | Thomas Pocklington Trust

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Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) is offering blind and partially sighted young people in England a chance to access free specialist Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) support, that you may have missed because of Covid-19. Our Careers Advice COVID catch-up service is here to help you gain the knowledge, understanding, confidence and skills required to progress effectively into further learning and work.

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