The Key Career Challenges for Young People with SEND – and what is being done to mitigate them

Jenny Connick Founder Talentino March 2021

Who is Talentino?

• Independent, award winning social enterprise• Lead provider working with over 300 Special schools across

the country• Build capacity and capability in Special schools through

Careers at EVERY Level specialist careers programme• Provoke thought and action• Free annual conference CPD certified by the CDI• Strategic partner for SEND for the Careers and Enterprise

Company and the CDI • Delivery partner London • Our purpose – Re-imagine early career development for

young people with SEND so they are ready for employers and employers are ready for them

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Today

• The Key Career Challenges for Young People with SEND – and what is being done to mitigate them

• This workshop identifies the challenges and clarifies what could be done to mitigate the challenges and examples of what is being done.

• This workshop is suitable for individuals with a range of levels of pre-existing knowledge and experience around career development for young people with SEND who want to improve their careers practice.

• Attending this workshop will enable you to understand:– Who young people with SEND are

– The career challenges they face

– What positive career outcomes look like

– A model of career development - #sameandifferent – for the two Career SEND groups as well as how to deliver against the Gatsby Benchmarks.

– Free resources to help you will be signposted throughout the workshops

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National Careers Landscape for Young People with SEND

Careers Landscape for Young People with SEND

– SEND is an abbreviation for Special Educational Needs / Disabilities, sometimes written as SEN or SEN(D) as not everyone with SEN has a disability

– Young people with SEND face huge barriers to achieving optimum career outcomes

– Young people with SEND / disabilities or who are vulnerable are less likely to achieve positive outcomes

– 1.3 million– Many millions more disadvantaged– 15% students in mainstream have SEND– @280,000 have EHC plans – Your role in their early career development is critical to enabling

young people with SEND to achieve their career aspirations

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Who are young people with SEND?

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Young people with SEND will attend different types of schools

Special , specialist, mainstream, SEMH, PRU,AP, FE College, Specialist College, residential, Virtual schools, Young Offenders, Hospital schools, home educated, not in school

More than one group of young people within the same school

Depends on the Local Authority’s approach to inclusion

Young people will often have multiple additional needs and could experience one or more SEND challenge

Medical needs, mental health issues, disability, social/emotional needs, speech/language communication, complex behaviors, maybe they are looked after children, young carers, in food poverty, live in households with abuse

Formal ‘definition’ is within the SEND Code of Practice 2015

Why is it important we know who young people with SEND are?

– Improves the alignment of careers activities / careers guidance

– Highlights the career possibilities and a discussion around them

– Focuses on positive career outcomes (not on what someone cannot do or potential negatives)

– Generates the right support for all stakeholders involved in the delivery of positive career outcomes

– Raises the possibility of achieving improved career outcomes

– Include vulnerable / disadvantaged young people

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SEND Code of Practice 2015• A child or young person has SEN[D] 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 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

• There are four groupings:•Communication and interaction - Speech, language and communication

needs, Autistic Spectrum Disorder

•Cognition and learning - Specific learning difficulty, moderate

or severe learning difficulty or profound and multiple learning difficulty

(PMLD)*

•Social, emotional, and mental health difficulties (SEMH) /behaviour sensory

•Physical needs, including visual impairment, hearing impairment, multi-

sensory impairment, physical disability

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Career SEND GroupsBring the four groups cited in the SEND Code of Practice together for the purposes of carer planning and development and split into two:

– Career SEND Group One• Young people who typically will not take GCSEs/Level 2 qualifications• Positive career outcomes include supported internships, inclusive

apprenticeships, supported employment, volunteering, provision via the Local Offer, T Levels, Traineeships, supported Enterprise/self employment, FE College

• Key issue – career opportunities availability– Career SEND Group Two

• Young people who typically will take GCSEs/Level 2 qualifications• Positive career outcomes include University, College, Apprenticeships,

Employment, T Levels, Traineeships, Enterprise, Self Employment• Those with EHC Plans could also access supported career opportunities as

for Career SEND Group One• Key Issue – overcoming multiple barriers to career success

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Key Career Challenges for young people with SEND

• Low levels of knowledge about who young people with SEND are. • Families and Carers needing more support• Personalised support for students with the most complex needs• Lack of appropriate careers resources. • Much activity is hyper-local so lacks visibility and may not shared

extensively• Employers wanting to engage with young people with SEND but many are

still anxious• Availability of supported Employment provision and Job Coaches• Number of employer-driven training and employment opportunities for

School Leavers from Special Schools• College provision varying from place to place• Shortage of qualified careers advisers with the right skills and knowledge

around SEND. •

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Statutory career planning processes and EHC plans

Introduction to EHC Plans

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 with SEND

who need more support than is available through special educational needs support

EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs

A request is made to a Local Authority to carry out an assessment if a parent / Carer / school / other professional thinks a child needs an EHC plan

A young person can request an assessment themselves if they’re aged 16 to 25.

The local authority will tell you within 16 weeks whether an EHC plan is going to be made for your child

* note the new COVID legislation means Local Authorities can ‘do what they can’ according to Article 39 so support will vary

Only 20% of young people with SEND have an EHC Plan meaning that some opportunities will not be available to nearly 80% of young people with SEND

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EHC Plans and Individual Support Plans

• Around 20% of young people in special schools and mainstream schools have an EHC Plan – Education and Health care plan

• Young People with SEND but without an EHC Plan will have an Individual Support Plan (ISP) at school to support their learning and this must be regularly monitored to ensure the support is right for them

• There are over 1 million young people with Individual Support Plans

• EHC Plans – identify ‘SMART’ outcomes around education, health, care and employment

• Around 276,000 young people aged 0-25 have an EHC Plan of the 1.3 million with SEND

• In mainstream schools, 138,630 young people have an EHC plan

• In special schools, 136,630 young people have an EHC plan

https://www.ndti.org.uk/https://www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/kb5/surrey/localoffer/advice.page?

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EHC Plans and early career development – examples of support

• Cost of travel

• Cost of adjustments

• Support at school

• Support at home

• Specialist equipment

• Therapy

• Personal care

• EHC Plans can generate additional Career opportunities

• Supported employment support and Job Coaching

• Access to Supported Internships • Access to Inclusive / supported

Apprenticeships• Access to Work funding including 2

weeks supported work experience, interview costs, travel costs, Job Coaching, adjustments

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Statutory processes and tools

• The annual review is the statutory process of looking at the needs and provision specified in an EHC Plan and deciding whether these need to change.

• The first review of the EHC plan must be held within 12 months of the EHC plan being finalised. Subsequent reviews must be held within 12 months of the previous review.

• The Transition Review Meeting in Year 9 marks the start of planning for the young person’s transition to adulthood. This means thinking about what they will want to do when they leave school at age 16+, including:

• Their next steps in education, training and employment as all young people must remain in education, employment or training until age 18.

• Becoming more independent, including where they will want to live.

• Being part of their community (friendships, sport and leisure).

• Qualifications and skills they will need to achieve their goals.

• Health pathway, including a review of factors relating to their health.

• Review meetings will continue to be held as the young person moves through their school and college years.

• EHC plan reviews must be person-centered, which means the young person's aspirations for the future will be key considerations for every decision made.

• The young person should be helped by their SENCO or teacher to prepare for how they would like to share their hopes and goals for the future at their review meeting.

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Transitions’ Report – reminder key findings

The report makes five recommendations:

1 | Start young and maintain support across the life course/until the young person is established in the labour market

4 | Involve families in the transition

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Provide encounters and experience with employers, working people and workplaces

Ensure access to support and relevant developmental activities (this can include career guidance, teacher support, agency support, specific skills training)

Ensure that career and employability learning and support continues in the workplace5 |

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Career Pathways from school and beyond

Career SEND Group One

• School, special school, sixth form College, specialist school/College

• Age of transition – 16,18,19,25

• Pathways in education

– Academic (formal)

– Vocational ( semi-formal)

– Nurture

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Career SEND Group One – with EHC Plan Career Destinations

– Options at 16• Stay at current school until18/19• T level if available• Traineeship at College• Supported Internship (EHC)• Inclusive Apprenticeship (EHC) • Attend another sixth form/ sixth form College / FE College• Specialist College• Pre Supported Internship programme at school or elsewhere

– Options at 18/19• Most of the above• Supported Employment with Job Coach• Supported Volunteering• Extended work placement• Supported Enterprise / self employment• Move to Adult Social Care services• Offer from Local Offer

– Options between 18/19 and 25• Most of the above• Employer driven training/employment opportunities• FE College• Specialist College• Supported Volunteering• Provision through the Local Offer

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Supported Internships

• Structured study programme based primarily at an employer• Available for young people aged 16-24 with a statement of SEN, or an• Education, Health and Care plan • Route to achieving sustainable paid employment• Equips them with the skills they need for work, through learning in the

workplace. • Unpaid, last for a minimum of six months but can be longer.• Wherever possible, they support the young person to move into paid

employment at the end of the programme either with the employer offering the internship or another employer

• Alongside their time at the employer, young people complete a personalised study programme which includes the chance to study for relevant qualifications, and English and maths if appropriate.

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Supported/ Inclusive Apprenticeship

• A combination of work, study and support by mixing on-the-job training with classroom learning

• Employed to do a real job while studying for an Entry Level 3 Functional Skills for young people with an EHC Plan, or other formal needs assessment

• Offered on a case by case basis.

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Career SEND Group TwoCareer Destinations

– Options at 16• Stay at current school until18• T level if available• Traineeship at College• Supported Internship (EHC only)• Inclusive Apprenticeship (EHC only) • Attend another sixth form/ sixth form College / FE College• Specialist College• A Levels / BTECs

– Options at 18/19• Most of the above• Enterprise / self employment• Employment• FE College• Apprenticeship• University

– Options between 18/19 and 25• Support only available with EHC Plans

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Contribution of Employers to improving Outcomes

How can Employers make the difference

• Ensuring they feel confident and positive about engaging –awareness D and I training

• Starting the process with young people with SEND as early as possible

• Taking time to get to know the young person and their parents/carers/family

• Providing employer encounters and work experience and work placements

• Providing references from work experience • Offering part time jobs whilst still in Education• Followed by providing structured training / employment

opportunities • Encouraging other employers to follow their lead

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Case study – Video Brookfields Special School

• Large special schools

• 4 times Ofsted Outstanding

• Long term planning and continuous investment by the school

• Offer:– Business relationship Manager

– Extensive Employer network

– Long term career development programme

– Multiple employer encounters, work experience

– Own Supported Internship programme

– Students have part time jobs

– Employers recruit from the school

– Employer related career destinations +60%

Video https://brookfieldsschool.org/curriculum/what-we-teach/pathway-to-employment/

#sameandifferent

What is #sameandifferent

Compares what challenges/ aspects of careers are faced compared to a young person without SEND

Two versions, one for each Career SEND Group One and Two

Identifies the challenges / aspects in terms of:

— What is the same whoever you are

— What is the same but will need to be delivered differently

— Aspects which are different and will only pertain to that group

Employers like the model as it gives them more understanding ( and confidence).

Some special schools use it with families to help explain the career journey (build their confidence and raise aspirations and improve engagement)

www.talentinocareers.co.uk

www.talentinocareers.co.uk

www.talentinocareers.co.uk

#Sameandifferent Model

Comparing the two Career SEND Groups

Case study – Catcote Academy

Catcote Academy

• Hartlepool, area of high deprivation

• Long term planning and continuous investment by the school

• Offer:

– Education and employment related training to 25 and beyond

– Enterprise based curriculum throughout the school

– Extensive links with employers offering work experience

– Pre Supported Internships

– Supported Internships

– Training in real workplaces run by the school – Cafes, town centre shop, reprographics business

– Internal L6 qualified Careers Adviser

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5hqAgB3OPQ

Signposting Resources

Peri-Covid and the Recovery Curriculum and Gatsby Benchmarks – helping us to deliver our role differently

Individual/Practice level

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Gatsby Benchmark

Lever Relationship

Lever Community

Lever Transparency

Lever Meta Cognition

Lever Space

One Child-centred Careers strategy and activities delivered empathetically Check the Careers Strategy reaches out and doesn’t just deliver to

Provide a careers ‘bridge’ between what was being done and now

National organisations e.g. CEC, CDI, Gatsby reaching out to Special Schools to establish what they need

Organise careers learning in ways that reflect the levers

Revisit Careers Strategy to incorporate the Recovery levers and apply it to students and staff

Two Provide information about the new / enhanced offers

Speak to employers about what their world looks like now and what is possible

Government decisions around examsDemonstrate new pathways when ready

Bring home based skills into school

Provide space for young people to settle before giving information and are ready

Three Reach out and get past ‘behaviours’ with tolerance

Understand what all pupils and staff have faced

Ensure students are consulted, co-construct the careers strategy together

Provide time to find their voice and reconnect with career ambitions or at least activities

Four Use the Recovery Curriculum to inform

Engage students in co-creating content

Organise learning in different ways be prepared to be creative, collaborate, reflect home learning

Allow time and space

Five Provide Employers with the principles of your ‘Recovery’ philosophy

Engage employers and Providers back in, find out how it is for them

Six Provide Employers with the principles of your ‘Recovery’ philosophy

Engage employers and Providers back in, find out how it is for them

Establish what support is helpful for them

Seven Reach out to Providers ditto Engage Providers back in

Eight Reach out to Carers Advisers Engage Careers Advisers back in

Collaborative careers guidance sessions

Ensure young people are given time

Summary – Peri-Covid and Young People with SEND• Peri-Covid is now and in the future• All of us need to understand the key career challenges young

people with SEND and their parents/families face usually and unusually now

• All of us need to reach out to understand how all stakeholders have been affected including employers

• Positives emerging – blended and more creative offerings, parental/family engagement increasing, increased skills through focused SEND CPD of Careers Professionals

• Use the Recovery Curriculum Levers to nuance your Peri-Covid careers offering through the Gatsby Benchmarks and build on it

• We will get to Past-Covid at some point!

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Signpost SEND Careers resources• https://www.talentinocareers.co.uk/ Leading provider of careers programmes for Special Schools• https://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/downloads/employment/work-experience-guidance.htm - A

guide to work experience that we co-wrote with a brilliant supported employment provider• https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploaded/the_send_gatsby_benchmark_toolk

it_v2.pdf - You will find lots of case studies and top tips for schools and employers in this complete guide as well as lots of help on fulfilling the Gatsby Benchmarks

• https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploaded/national_grid_-_employer_engagement_toolkit.pdf - This is a fabulous guide to Supported Internships which employers can use as a step by step guide from an employer who has made a big difference to young people’s lives

• https://www.et-foundation.co.uk/supporting/support-practitioners/special-educational-needs-disabilities-send-resources/ -The Education and Training Foundation has created a large number of SEND resources, it might take some time to navigate because there are so many!

• https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/tmi/employment.aspx - This is a campaign to improve the number of people with Autism who want to work, makes sobering reading

• https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/help-resources/resources/flares-top-tips-professionals• https://barclayslifeskills.com/educators/tags/curriculum-tags/send - A set of 11 lesson plans specifically

designed by Talentino to use with young people with additional needs• http://www.catcoteacademy.co.uk/ - Watch this film and it will light up your whole week!• https://www.base-uk.org/ British Association of Supported Employment• https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/ Expert lobbyist and information on benefits• https://www.mencap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2017-

06/Easy%20Read%20guide%20about%20finding%20a%20job.pdf – A series of easy read guides for people with learning difficulties to help them find employment

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Summary

You have considered:

• National Careers Landscape for young people with SEND

• Who young people with SEND are and what positive career pathways and outcomes look like

• Statutory planning processes

• How employers can make the difference

• Two case studies

• A career model for SEND - #sameandifferent

• Recovery Curriculum and Careers Advisers

• Free resources

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Open Conversation

jenny@talentinocareers.co.uk

www.talentinocareers.co.uk

@talentinocareer

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