Pamela Charlwood Chief Executive South Central Connexions Partnership Partnership for Inclusion 15 O

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Pamela CharlwoodChief ExecutiveSouth Central
Connexions PartnershipPartnership for
Inclusion15 October 2004
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Connexions

• Information, advice, guidance and support for all
  young people aged 13-19 and up to their 25th
  birthday for those with learning difficulties or
  physical impairments

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Structure of Talk

• Brief Profile of Connexions
• Connexions role in relation to young people with
  learning difficulties or physical impairments
• Issues for debate
• How can we do better?

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Brief Profile of Connexions

• 47 Partnerships across England, matching Learning
  and Skills Council boundaries
• Not for profit companies limited by guarantee,
  with Board of Directors and Independent Chair
• Funded by DfES, though able to bid for other
  funding, eg European Social Fund
• Partnerships went live 2001-2003 half direct
  delivery half subcontracting

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Connexions Targets

• 13 targets, shared with others such as local
  authorities, YOTs, LSC
• Major focus on reducing number of 16-18 year olds
  not in education, employment or training (NEET)
• Specific NEET targets for
• - young offenders
• - teenage mothers
• - young people leaving care
• No specific NEET target set for young people with
  learning difficulties or physical impairments
  pending completion of DH work on National Service
  Framework

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Connexions Role with Young People with Learning
Difficulties or Physical Impairments

• Undertake assessments of the young persons
  education and training needs (section 140
  assessments)
• Attend and contribute to Annual Review and
  Transition Plan meetings in Year 9, providing
  information about options available
• Contribute to and oversee the implementation of
  the Transition Plan
• Attend subsequent review meetings especially in
  the final year of school or college
• Support the young persons transition into
  employment, training or alternative provision for
  adults

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Key Relationships for Connexions

• Young people, their parents and carers
• Schools and Colleges
• Education Departments
• Social Services Departments
• - children and young peoples teams
• - adult teams
• Learning and Skills Council
• Primary Care Trusts
• Job Centre Plus
• Voluntary Agencies

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Issues for Debate (1)

• My job, your job or our job?
• Number of (specialist) Connexions Personal
  Advisers
• Different roles of
• - specialist Personal Advisers
• - generalist Personal Advisers
• Lead role key worker

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Issues for Debate (2)

• Cross-boundary working, including out of county
  placements
• Variations in documentation and processes pilot
  underway in Hampshire and Isle of Wight across
  four local authorities
• Gaps in understanding and professional
  relationships eg Connexions Personal Advisers and
  Social Services adult teams
• Funding available, especially post-16

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How Can We Do Better?

• Improve mutual understanding
• Increase resources posts and training
• Clarify different, but mutually supportive, roles
• Improve communication
• Achieve clarity and agreement about
  confidentiality and information sharing

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Seven Principles for Inclusive Transition
Planning East of England (1)

• Principle 1
• Multi agency working should be established
  through the development of protocols which ensure
  a shared understanding of transition
• Principle 2
• Each stage of the assessment and planning process
  should inform the next

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Seven Principles for Inclusive Transition
Planning East of England (2)

• Principle 3
• Clarity about the role of health professionals in
  transition planning is essential
• Principle 4
• Young people must be prepared for their reviews
  so they can take a lead role
• Principle 5
• Parents must be helped to understand the
  transition planning process and the roles of
  those involved, and to be aware of the options
  open to young people before the review in Year 9.

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Seven Principles for Inclusive Transition
Planning East of England (3)

• Principle 6
• Reviews should provide a supportive and
  comfortable structure so that young people and
  their parents or carers feel able to contribute
  adequate time must be devoted to transition
  planning
• Principle 7
• Young people need access to curriculum
  activities, role models and other outside
  activities that raise their aspirations and
  encourage them to feel positive about their
  potential and their future opportunities