Young people and SENDIASS
Here at Staffordshire Information Advice and Support Service, we provide confidential (we don’t discuss your issues with anyone else) help to young people about issues relating to their education, health and social care.
This might include:
- Providing information, advice and support about what might be available to you in your learning environment.
- Helping you through the education, health and care assessment process.
- Helping you prepare for the annual review of your education health and care plan.
- Telling you about activities or support groups in your area.
- Signposting you to other services that might be able to help you.
- Making a complaint.
Young people and Staffordshire Local Offer
What is the Local Offer?
The Staffordshire Local Offer is an online information tool that can tell you about support groups, activities and services available to you.
Who is the Local Offer for?
Children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), and their families or carers.
Some examples of SEND
- Physical disability
- Learning disability / difficulty
- Autism / ADHD
- Medical condition
- Sensory difficulties
- Dyslexia / dyspraxia
- Visual / hearing impairment
- Mental health issues
- Communication difficulty
What is in the Local Offer?
The Local offer must have information about:
- Schools, colleges and training
- Special health and care support
- Hobbies and fun activities
- Transport services
- Support for young people to become an independent adult
Young people and Annual Reviews
What is an Annual Review?
If you have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) it will need to be checked every year. This is called the ‘Annual Review’.
The purpose of an Annual Review is to:
- See if the EHCP is helping you to progress
- Check that you have the right support
- Make sure your school/college is able to meet your needs
Do I have to wait a year?
- If you are concerned that things are not going well, you can ask at your school or college for an early review
- If you are moving on from your school or college your review may take place early
What happens?
- You and other people who help you are asked to share thoughts and views
- You and other people who help you have a meeting to discuss your EHCP
- The Local Authority (The Council) decide whether to keep your EHCP the same or change it
What if I need support to communicate my views?
An advocacy service could help. Advocates can:
- Help you get your views heard
- Attend meetings with you
- Help you understand your rights
Change Grow Live offer a range of services including supporting you at meetings and offer information, advice and support to help children and young people.
What if I’m not happy?
You can appeal if your EHCP is not changed in the way you wanted, or it is not changed at all.
You can complain if you are not happy with how your Annual Review was completed
Speak to SENDIASS for help to appeal or raise your concerns
Young People’s Post 16 Options
What are Post 16 options?
Post 16 options are the choices you have to continue learning after you finish school.
It is important to know all of the options available to you before you make a decision.
You may have heard that you must continue learning up to the age of 18 years old, but this doesn’t mean you have to keep going to school.
You can pick the option that suits you best.
Can I be supported in work based learning?
Work based learners may be able to get extra help when they are at work through funding called ‘Access to Work’.
You may be able to have:
- Helpful equipment and adaptions
- Mental health support at work
- Communication support at work
- Practical help at work
- Help with special transport costs
I have an EHCP
If you already have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) the support in your plan should continue. You can speak with colleges/sixth forms about the support they can offer you.
Can I be supported at college or sixth form?
In college - There is usually a team of staff who are there to support students who need extra help. This is usually called ‘Student Support’.
In sixth form - You can speak with the school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) about extra support.
What support could I have?
This depends on what you need. It could be:
- Making helpful technology available to you
- Giving you mental health support or mentoring you
- Extra time for tasks and exams
- Altering tasks or work to help you
- Practical help in class
Where can I learn?
Colleges
- Usually large with lots of students
- Offer a range of different types of learning programmes
Sixth Forms
- Found in many high schools
- Offer more study-based courses, and some skills based learning
Special Colleges and Sixth Forms
- For young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- Offer more skills based and work-based learning
Work Based Training Centres
- For young people and adults
- Work-based learning
Types of study & training
Study based qualifications
- Learn mostly with a tutor in a classroom
- Can include coursework, practical tasks and exams
- Examples are A Levels and BTECs
Work based learning
- Spend some of each week working and learning in a real job
- Learn in a classroom for the rest of the week
- Examples are Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Supported Internships
Skills based learning
- Learn skills for work or adulthood
- Examples are travel training and Prince’s Trust
Can I get help to understand my options?
Schools and colleges offer careers advice with a Careers Advisor.
Careers Advisors can:
- support you to understand all of the options available to you
- help you to find courses
- explore different types of careers with you
help you to find out where you can learn new skills for a job (employment)
So, how should I prepare?
- Think about what you would like to learn
- Talk to a Careers Advisor
- Find out which options are available to you
- Visit different colleges and sixth forms. Ask about how they can support you
Young People and transition to Adulthood
Find out what happens when you become an adult
What happens after I turn 18 years old?
After turning 18 years old you are an adult. When you are an adult, you may...
- Make your own choices, if you are able to
- Continue learning if you wish to
- Receive your own financial support (benefits)
- Use adult support services
Can I still have support?
Some adults can still be supported.
- Anyone over 14 years old who is likely to need help from Social Care as an adult can ask their Local Authority (Council) for a transition assessment.
- A ‘transition assessment’ is a check of what support you might need as an adult.
Can I keep learning?
You can choose to keep learning even if you are an adult. You can choose from:
Study based courses - You can learn with a tutor in a classroom
Work based learning - You learn work skills through a real job
Skilss based courses - You can learn skills for work or independent living
If you have an EHCP you can have support whilst you learn until you are 25 years old, if you need it.
Which children’s services move to adult services?
If you already have support from a children and young people’s service and you need support to continue, you may need to be supported by an adult service.
These are adult services you may need support from:
- Disability and health services
- Mental health services
- Education
- Care Services
Support services should help you transition (change) from one service to the other. They should create a ‘transition plan’.
What extra support can I get as an adult?
When you reach adulthood there are extra services that may be able to help and support you. Some examples are:
- Housing and independent living support
- Employment support and training
- Financial (money) support and advice
- Adult leisure activities and social groups
How do I find services?
You can search for local services on the Staffordshire Connects website: Staffordshire Local Offer
I have an EHCP. How will I be supported to transition?
- In year 9, services start planning your transition
- Annual Review
- Yearly meetings include planning for transition
A SEND Keyworker begins arranging your support for your move. They will be your key person until you are 25
EHCP
- Support for transition is now in your EHCP
- Introductions
- You meet your new workers before you move services
After moving
Your old workers contact you for a while to make sure you are okay.
I don’t have an EHCP, will I be supported?
- Each service who helps you should create a support plan to help you move from one service to the other
- Introductions
- You meet your new workers before you move over
- After moving, your old workers contact you for a while to make sure you are okay.
What if I’m not happy?
If you don’t think you are getting the support you need to move services, you can contact your SEND Keyworker or a support worker.
Communicating my views
An advocate may be able to help you get your views heard, attend meetings with you and help you understand your rights.
Where can I get support?
Staffordshire SENDIASS is an information, advice and support service for children, young people and their parents or carers.
Tel: 01785 356921
Email: sfps@staffordshire.gov.uk
You can also get information, advice and support around careers from the National Careers Service. Tel: 0800 100 900 Email: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/