1. Career support for students with SEND
Tristram Hooley

2. VOTE
We have a national network that connects schools and colleges, employers and career programme providers to create high impact careers opportunities for young people

3. It is underpinned by investment in high performing programmes
£10 million invested in 85 proven careers and enterprise programmes
75% of funding in Cold Spots
450,000 young people to benefit including 25,000 from mentoring

4. And a set of research and technology resources to drive impact
Cold Spots research
To target effort
Research
Example – Cold spot research
What works research
To focus on effective interventions
System research
To understand what else we need to do
Technology
Compass Tool
To help schools measure performance
Passport
To allow young people to keep a record

5. Good career guidance
Summarises existing evidence and frames them as eight benchmarks.
Presents it in a way that can be understood by policy makers and acted on by school leaders.
Has achieved wide support amongst policy actors and practitioners alike.
The influential 2014 report

6. The Benchmarks – a quick recap
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning and careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance

7. State of the Nation 2017
Based on responses from 578 secondary schools gathered through the Compass self- assessment tool in 2016/ The scope of the data is broadly comparable with data collected as part of the original Gatsby Good Career Guidance research in 2014 allowing us to see how provision has changed over time.

8. Number of benchmarks met by schools

9. Achieved and partially achieved

10. Young people with SEND
A child or young person has Special Educational Needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
Young people described as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face unique challenges in transitioning from school to further learning and the workplace.
The National Audit Office report Oversight of Special Education for Young People aged estimates that supporting people with a learning disability into employment will increase their independence and earning capacity (by 55 and 95 per cent).

11. But there are also some concerns.
EHC planning
EHC Plans create a new framework for managing the transitions of SOME young people with SEND.
There is much to recommend the new process (co-creation, personalisation, inter-agency collaboration, outcome focused, holistic and integrative).
But there are also some concerns.
Is the focus on paid work right for all young people?
Is resourcing sufficient?
Who is going to be delivering it?
Is it too narrowly targeted?

12. Compass in special schools
Generally doing a bit worse than mainstream schools (Average of 1.44 vs 1.89 Benchmarks achieved). But only 27 schools.

13. Why are special schools not completing Compass?
What could we do to engage them? Do we need a ‘special schools’ version? If so how would it be different?

14. What works for young people with SEND?
The evidence on transition programmes

15. Types of transition programmes
Student focussed planning
e.g. the student participates in the creation of their own individual education plan (IEP)
Student development
e.g. teaching employability and life skills.
Interagency collaboration
e.g. creating frameworks for delivering services collaboratively.
Family involvement
e.g. training families in self-determination.
Program structures
e.g. allocating resources to provide transition services

16. What works in each of these types of programmes?
Taxonomy Category
Programme Type
Interagency collaboration
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Programme structures
Integrated schools, classrooms and employment
Student development
Functional life skills curriculum
Community based instruction
Social and personal skills development/training
Career vocational assessment and education
Business and Industry linkages with schools
Student focussed planning
Development of individualised and comprehensive plans which include self-determination development, advocacy and input in transition planning
Family Involvement
Parent/family involvement in planning

17. Strength of the evidence
The strength of the evidence varies across the range of different programmes. We also have different levels of certainty about the different outcomes that result from these programmes (satisfaction, personal effectiveness, career readiness, employability skills, social capital, educational and career outcomes). There is a need to work to improve the quality of the evidence base – but there is also much to be positive about here. We know that these interventions can make a difference to young people.

18. Involve families in the transition
Lessons for practice
Start young and maintain support across the life course/until the young person is established in the labour market
Ensure access to support (this should include career guidance, teacher support, agency support)
Involve families in the transition
Provide encounters and experience with employers, working people and workplaces
Ensure that career and employability learning and support continues in the workplace

19. In conclusion
There is a long tradition of transition support programmes aimed at SEND.
However, at the moment there is insufficient evidence about what young people are getting access to these programmes and how good they are.
EHC planning creates a new context for some young people with SEND.
Transition programmes have been researched and found to be effective (although the strength of the evidences varies across different interventions).
The evidence suggest some clear principles that practitioners and programme managers should adopt.

20. References
Gatsby Charitable Foundation. (2014). Good Career Guidance. London: Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Grigal, M., Hart, D., & Migliore, A. (2011). Comparing transition planning, postsecondary education, and employment outcomes of students with intellectual and other disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 34(1), Kohler, P. D. (1993). Best practices in transition: Substantiated or implied? Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 16(2), Robinson, D., Moore, N. and Hooley, T. (2017). Ensuring an independent future for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND): A critical examination of the impact of education, health and care plans in England. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling. The Careers & Enterprise Company. (2017). State of the Nation London: The Careers & Enterprise Company. The National Audit Office (2011). Oversight of Special Education for Young People Aged (HC, 1585 Session ). UK: London Stationary Office. Wehman, P. (2013). Transition from school to work: where are we and where do we need to go? Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 36(1),

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