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How to find work for young people with SEND, and how volunteering can help you develop your skills.
The benefits of having a job
Having a job allows you to:
- earn money
- be independent
- feel valued
- find fulfilment
- make friends
Mencap have made a video about the benefits of having a job, what having a job means to me Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaEOoKIXQsQ (opens new window).
Finding work
You can get help to find work:
- at your nearest Jobcentre Go to https://find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/ (opens new window)
- on The National Careers service website Go to https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ (opens new window)
- with the Post 16 team, if you're under 18 and have left education, they can help with referral to services that can support you to work towards employment opportunities, email Post16Participation@bristol.gov.uk Go to mailto:Post16Participation@bristol.gov.uk (opens new window)
- Sixteen Coop runs Employment Support Services to help you find paid employment, If you're over 18 and have a learning disability, email Sheren@sixteencoop.co.uk Go to mailto:Sheren@sixteencoop.co.uk (opens new window)
- in Mencap's easy read guides for finding work Go to https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment/finding-job/finding-work-easy-read-guides (opens new window)
- at Mencap's employment services Go to https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment-services (opens new window) which support people with a learning disability to develop the skills and confidence they need to get a job
- at Step and Stone who work with young people with learning disabilities to develop their skills and confidence, so they can find employment
- on the Spear Programme Bristol programme, which helps young people facing barriers getting into work or education
Volunteer to develop your skills
Volunteering can help you learn the skills you need to find paid work. You don't get paid to volunteer and it shouldn't affect your benefits. Scope have explained how volunteering could affect your benefits Go to https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/volunteering-develop-your-skills#Volunteering-and-your-benefits-click (opens new window).
Volunteering is a great way to:
- get a reference for paid work
- make friends
- learn new skills for work
- do something positive for your community
Find volunteering opportunities in Bristol
You can find volunteering opportunities :
- on the Can Do Bristol Go to https://candobristol.co.uk/ (opens new window) website, help your local community
- at WECIL Go to https://www.wecil.co.uk/ (opens new window), volunteer in your community
- on the Voscur website Go to https://www.voscur.org/ (opens new window), find volunteer work in Bristol
Information about traineeships, internships, apprenticeships and people who can help you apply.
Types of training programmes
Training can develop your skills to help you find paid work. There are a few different training programmes, so it's important to think about what type of training would suit you to help you get the skills you need.
Try the Skills Health Check Go to https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/skills-health-check/home (opens new window) if you're not sure what you're good at and what you may need help with.
Training programmes you can choose from:
- work experience
- traineeships
- supported internships
- apprenticeships
- supported employment
- we work for everyone
Work experience
Work experience programmes are for young people aged 14 and above. They help you to learn skills, gain confidence and try out different jobs.
Information about:
- Bristol City Council work experience placements in a range of departments across the city, email WEX@bristol.gov.uk
- The Education to Employment programme which links an employer and a paid job to a young person with learning disabilities, email paul.gaunt@bristol.gov.uk
- Step and Stone, a Bristol-based bakery who work with young people to develop their skills and confidence to find paid employment
Traineeships
A traineeship is a course with work experience for young people aged 16 to 24, which gets you ready for paid work or an apprenticeship.
You may be able to gain a qualification such as Maths or English. It can last for up to 6 months and isn't paid, however you may be given expenses for things like travel and meals.
Supported internships
Supported internships are structured, work-based study programmes for young people aged 16 to 24-year-olds with SEND who would like to move into employment.
Designed for people who have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) supported internships are typically run by partnerships involving learning providers (school or college), job coaches and employers.
Supported interns spend most of their time in the workplace supported of an expert job coach with the core aim of securing employment at the end.
More information can be found at supported internships (GOV.UK).
For example:
Supported Employment
Supported employment is a way of providing assistance to disabled people who need extra support to move towards and into work.
It represents a collection of values, practices and processes designed to offer job seekers and employers, structured and systematic work based support.
Although there are some variations, most supported employment agencies provide the following core modules of support:
- Discovery and vocational profiling to get to know the person with a learning disability
- Employment planning to find a job that meets the person's aspirations and needs
- Working with employers to understand their needs
- Job matching to ensure the right person for the right job
- In work support for both employee and employer
We Work for Everyone
We Work for Everyone is a free employment support programme for people with a learning disability, learning difficulty and autistic people.
We Work supports people across the West of England area which includes Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
We Work can help with
- finding a career that's right for you
- accessing training, qualifications and work placements
- accessing supported internships (ages 18 to 25)
- creating a CV and learning interview skills
- accessing computer equipment and IT support
Find out more at We work for everyone.
More information about supported employment can be found at British Association of Supported Employment (BASE)
Other local supported employment providers include:
Apprenticeships
If you're over 16 you can apply for an apprenticeship. This is a paid position where you work and learn through training.
Find out more on our apprenticeships site or search for an apprenticeship on gov.uk
People who can help you find training opportunities
You can get help to find training opportunities from:
- your school who'll provide advice on training and career opportunities, ask your teacher how they can help you
- Bristol Works for Everyone team Go to https://www.bristol.works/ (opens new window) if you're aged 14 and above with learning disabilities, email: paul.gaunt@bristol.gov.uk
- the Pathway to Independence team if you are aged 14 and over and are transitioning to adult social care, email Pathway2independence@bristol.gov.uk
- the Post 16 team if you are aged 16 to 25 and need support to apply for jobs or find apprenticeships and college courses. Email post16participation@bristol.gov.uk
Extra learning support at school, college or university, what an education, health and care (EHC) plan is and how to get one.
Support at school, college or university
Your school, college or university will have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCO) who can help you get the support you need. Your college or university should have a named person who makes sure anyone with SEND gets the help they need.
The SENDCO will:
- look at how you're getting on in the classroom
- agree a support plan with you
- make sure that you can still join in with the same activities that all other young people do
- ask you and your family to tell them how you're getting on with learning
If you need more support
If you need more support than your school, college or university can give you, you might need an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. An EHC plan is a document that explains what educational, health and social needs you may have and support that must be provided for you while you're at school, college or university. This helps your teachers to support you in your learning.
Find out more
- SEND And You (SAY) have published an easy read guide for young people about EHC plans help with learning Go to https://www.supportiveparents.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PDFEducationandTrainingEasyRead.pdf (opens new window).
- The Council for Disabled Children has a video to explain what an EHC plan is Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughC-a5RhAc (opens new window).
- The Department for Education also has a video about EHC plans Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki520qAjNTg (opens new window).
How to get an EHC plan
If you're over 16, you can ask us to do an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. If you're under 16, your parents, carer or teachers can ask for you.
To ask for an EHC needs assessment, fill in the following documents, either by yourself or with the support of family, friends or someone who supports you:
- document EHC needs assessment request form (209 KB)
- document child or young person's views form 1 (255 KB) or document child or young person's views form 2 (141 KB) (choose which form you'd like to fill in)
The forms will ask you:
- where you go to school or college
- what you're good at
- what you find difficult and need help with
- your goals for the future
Your parents or carers will need to fill in the document family views form (79 KB) .
To help you fill in the forms, see pdf Education, Health and Care needs assessment: information for young people (170 KB) .
Help with asking for an EHC needs assessment
If you have questions about how to ask for an EHC needs assessment, call 0117 922 3700.
Bristol's Special Educational Needs and Disability Advice and Support Service, SEND And You (SAY) Go to http://www.sendandyou.org.uk/ (opens new window), can give you free, confidential advice about filling in the form. Contact SEND And You (SAY) Go to https://www.sendandyou.org.uk/young-people-0-25/how-you-can-talk-to-us/ (opens new window).
What happens after you ask for an EHC needs assessment
When we get your request for an EHC needs assessment, we'll email you to tell you we've got it. We have up to 6 weeks to give you a written decision about whether we'll do an EHC needs assessment.
The process:
- We record your EHC needs assessment request.
- We email you, health and social care services and your education setting to tell you we've got the request.
- We contact you within 6 weeks of getting your request to tell you our decision.
If we decide to do an EHC needs assessment
If we agree that an EHC needs assessment would be helpful, we'll have 6 weeks to get information about you from professionals linked to you.
Find out more about what an EHC needs assessment involves.
If we decide not to do an EHC needs assessment
If we decide not to carry out an EHC needs assessment, we'll send you a letter which will explain why. You will continue to get support from the education setting through SEND support.
You have the right to appeal if you disagree with our decision not to do an EHC needs assessment. Find out more on Guide to resolving disagreements about SEND provision.
If you need support with this, SEND And You (SAY) Go to https://www.sendandyou.org.uk/ (opens new window) can help. Contact SEND And You (SAY) Go to https://www.sendandyou.org.uk/young-people-0-25/how-you-can-talk-to-us/ (opens new window).
How to ask for a school or college when you have an EHC plan
After the EHC needs assessment, we'll decide whether to issue an EHC plan. If we agree to do an EHC plan, you have the right to ask that a particular school or college is named in it.
You have the right to ask for any of these types of school or college:
- an Academy (mainstream or special)
- an institution in the Further Education sector
- a non-maintained special school
- an independent special school or college (section 41 school)
Where you can choose to study or train and how to find a course in Bristol for young people with SEND.
Education for ages 16 and over
All young people have a right to stay in education or training until their 18th birthday. This is so that you develop skills and knowledge that you might need when you are older.
Choose where to study
If you want to stay in education after 16 you can choose to go to:
- sixth form
- college
- join a training programme
Sixth form is:
- the last two years at a school
- for young people aged 16 to 18
Colleges are:
- separate from schools
- for young people aged 16 to 25 years old
- able to offer you a wider range of things to study
Find out more about the different qualifications available on the Post 16 website Go to https://www.p16p.co.uk/qualifications-explained (opens new window)
Find a course in Bristol
To help you find a course see:
- pdf directory of courses (3.38 MB) in Bristol for all young people
- if you're under 18 and have left education, the Post 16 team can help you, email Post16Participation@bristol.gov.uk Go to mailto:Post16Participation@bristol.gov.uk (opens new window)
Education for ages 18 and over
After your 18th birthday, you can choose to:
- stay in education
- join a training course
- find work
Stay in education
There are lots of higher education courses you can choose from:
- search the UCAS website Go to https://www.ucas.com/ (opens new window) to find a course that suits you
- Bristol Works for Everyone can support you to access a range of courses, email Paul.Gaunt@bristol.gov.uk Go to mailto:Paul.Gaunt@bristol.gov.uk (opens new window)
How to get extra help at school, college or university
If you have a special need or disability, you may need extra help in a range of areas such as:
- reading, writing, number work or understanding information
- expressing yourself or understanding what others are saying
- making friends or talking to others
- organising yourself
- sensory or physical needs which may affect your learning
Who can help arrange support in learning
Your school, college or university will have a person whose job it is to make sure you get the support you need. They're sometimes called a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). If they don't know you need extra support, you can speak with your parents or carers about telling them.
If you feel you need extra support and are struggling, you may need a support plan.
If you have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, your school, college or training provider will use this to make sure you're supported in your learning.
If you need support to tell them what type of help you need, you can contact the free service managed by SEND And You (SAY).
Benefits you can apply for
You might be able to apply for different types of benefits. Find out about other benefits you may get.
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- Schools, learning and early years
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- Early years and childcare
- Special educational needs and disability
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- Adult courses and learning
- Information for young people in Bristol
- Children in care or previously looked after children
- Governing schools and academies
- What the council spends on schools
- Complain about a school