Preparation for Adulthood

Ideally, every Education, Health and Care Plan review should cover the 4 areas of Preparation for Adulthood but every review from year 9 onwards must discuss the areas below:

Employment and training: 

What are the young person’s future aspirations and what steps to they need to take to achieve this, for example:

• Qualifications at school or college, including: GCSEs. A Levels, vocational qualifications and foundation learning.
• Apprenticeships
• Supported Internships

Schools and colleges are responsible for providing careers advice to all young people, including young people with special educational needs. All schools should offer pupil opportunities to visit colleges and engage in work related activity at a level that is appropriate to them. Discussions should focus on what the young person aspires to do, what support is available and what is realistic. It is important to get the balance right, we want our young people to aim high, but expect professionals to provide honest advice to the young people and their family too.     

Independent living: 

All young people should be able to live as independently as possible and have as much control over their lives as they can. Schools and colleges play a key role in working with young people and their parents/carers to support them with gaining the skills they need, such as cooking, washing, cleaning, managing money, travelling independently, personal hygiene, communication skills and making decisions.          

Some of our local schools and colleges have a fantastic Preparation for Adulthood offer. For example, Redcar and Cleveland Council have worked with partners in social care, education and health to develop a transitions checklist to ensure that young people have the support they need as they transition to adult services. 

Friends, relationships and community inclusion: 

It is important to discuss a young person’s friendships and support networks at EHCP reviews so that the young person, their family and professionals can identify if any support is needed in this area. However, it is also essential to recognise individual differences as what is right for one person can cause another person significant anxiety. It is important that young people have the tools they need to find fulfilment from the relationships and activities that they choose to engage in.
 

Being as healthy as possible:

It is essential that young people have the services in place that they need to remain healthy and this includes ensuring that they transition to the adult services that they need. This also includes schools and colleges working with young people and parents/carers to ensure that young people understand what they need to do to remain healthy.  

Many of our schools deliver Preparation for Adulthood activities as part of the day-to-day curriculum. However, as a local authority we continue to work with all of our schools and colleges to highlight the importance of these activities and showcase how easy it can be to achieve. For example: supporting young children to explore role play of various jobs, encouraging children to complete tasks independently including dressing after PE or tying their shoelaces and ensuring that children with special educational needs are included in all areas of the curriculum. 

FAQs

My child is in year 11 what happens next?

Your school should organise an EHCP review in the autumn term. At this review the young person’s post-16 preferences will be discussed. 

The LA will process the review and issue a draft as usual. 

If the young person has expressed interest in a particular college or colleges the local authority will share the updated  draft EHCP with the college(s) and consult to see if they can meet the young person’s needs. 

If there is only preference given and the college agrees they can meet the young person’s needs that college will be named in section I of the final EHCP.

If more than one college agree they can meet the young person’s needs the local authority will update section I based on the type of setting, for example mainstream.

If colleges say they cannot meet the young person’s needs the local authority will liaise with schools, colleges, parents/carers and other professionals to identify the most appropriate next steps.

The local authority must update section I of every Year 11 student’s EHCP by 31st March. If a setting has not been identified by that time the local authority will name on type and continue to liaise with all parties.

If the local authority named a setting on type in section I this will be updated around October once we know where the young person is attending.

If a young person attends a different post-16 setting to the one originally named in section I this will also be updated.     

What does the LA do to support young people with special educational needs with preparation for adulthood?

The local authority liaise with schools and colleges regarding key transitions.

The local authority hold regular meetings with colleges to discuss students’ progress and any concerns.

The local authority promotes Preparation for Adulthood to educational professionals,

What happens after college?

That depends on the individual. We support a wide range of students; some progress to work, university or an apprenticeship. Others might volunteer or attend adult day-care settings.

For those looking to progress to work or an apprenticeship, supported internships can be a good route.

Do students with special educational needs have to do Maths and English at post-16 or post-19 education?

Yes, the government says all students have to work towards achieving at least level 1 in Maths and English alongside other vocational or academic qualifications.