Post-college opportunities for young people with complex needs

The experience of leaving FE for many people with complex needs is of ‘falling off a cliff-edge’. There is little point in government investing public money in the further education of young people with SEND only to deny them the opportunity to put into practice the skills they have developed. There is too little post-FE support for getting and keeping jobs or to help them participate in their communities and enjoy fulfilling social lives. There is a lack of suitable accommodation and too few opportunities to engage in adult learning. As a result, young people with complex needs are at risk of losing the skills and behaviours developed in FE, and government gets a poor return on its investment in their education.

Natspec is calling for:

Ensuring better transition arrangements for FE leavers

• Require local authorities to:
  • signpost FE leavers to services that can provide ongoing support and to work with appropriate partners to develop these where they are currently insufficient
  • coordinate multi-agency post-college planning at least a term ahead of the education leaving date of a young person with ongoing support needs and before any EHC Plan can be ceased.
• Ensure funding arrangements support the increased involvement of social services and reduced educational input during a young person’s last term in FE.
• Cease an EHC plan and a requirement for LAs to give notice in writing of their intention to cease a plan which includes a justification for the decision and information on how it can be challenged.

Increase support into employment

• Provide access to a trained specialist careers adviser for all young people with SEND.
• Reform the benefits system to address disincentives to work for young people with SEND and improve messaging to families.
• Increase the number of disability employment advisers trained in supported employment principles and practices.
• Provide a dedicated funding stream for post-college support for young people transitioning into employment and their employers.

Improve supported living arrangements

• Invest in a range of suitable accommodation options for young people with SEND that support them to live as independently as possible, with other young people and in the area of their choice.

Increase lifelong learning opportunities

• Require a fixed minimum proportion of the adult education budget in every local area to be spent on provision for people with learning disabilities.

Other policy priorities:

Fair access for learners with more complex needs to further education (FE)

Find out more about our specific policy asks, including better provision planning, fair treatment, and better careers information, advice and guidance.

High quality further education for young people with complex needs

Find out more about our specific policy asks, including sufficient expertise, better buildings, support for partnership working, and clarity and certainty in funding arrangements.

A robust system of accountability that ensures the rights of learners with more complex needs to education and training are upheld

Find out more about our specific policy asks, including greater accountability for local authorities and better regulation of providers.