Support for care experienced young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities
Everyone’s path to becoming an adult is different and we want to help you get to where you want to be.
What happens after I leave school?
After finishing Year 11, we can help you make the big decision of where to go next.
You could go to:
- College
- 16 to 19 academies
- special Post-16 provisions and adult education
- apprenticeship training facilities
You might want to think about what you want to do after you leave school:
- AS/A levels
- Retake of GCSEs
- Functional skills and other vocational (work-based) qualifications
- Apprenticeships/, raineeships or nternships
- Other learning packages
What if I need extra support?
We will help make sure that whatever you choose, you get the right support for you. This means helping those who might have:
- cognition and learning difficultiee
- social, emotional and mental health difficulties
- communication and interaction difficulties
- physical and/or sensory difficulties
- other disabilities and difficulties
What help should I get?
Wherever you choose to go, we will help make sure that place gives you all they help they can.
They should help you voice your opinions, hopes, and wishes.
They should help you to become more independent by working towards:
- employment and/or higher education
- independent living skills
- having good health
- being part of a community
We will work with your chosen place to help create a plan that supports your hopes, wishes, and needs.
This plan will involve you and those who support you as much as possible.
This plan will then be updated around the same time as at least one of your other big meetings with school/ college like your Personal Education Plan (PEP).
Wherever you go, they will have to make sure you are given the same chances as everyone else. We will help make sure they do this.
What is an ECHP?
EHCP stands for Education, Health and Care Plan. Most young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities do not have one because their needs can be met by their current school.
If you do have an EHCP, this has been put in place so you can access your education.
Someone called a Local Authority SEN Senior Officer is in charge of making sure all of your needs are met to you can access your education. Your EHCP should then be reviewed with you and your Pathway Advisor.
Further information about this can be found on the SEND Local Offer.
Getting in touch
If you have any further questions or for more information or advice, please contact the Positive Futures Team on 01793 466715 or email pfduty@swindon.gov.uk.
Further information
You can download a Makaton version of this page: Support for Care Leavers with special educational needs and/or disabilities (PDF).
