1. Top Tips for Career Advisors in Education
Presented by: Caroline Papp
inspirecoaching.org.uk

2. Content
New Careers Strategy (2017)and New Statutory Careers Guidance (2018)
Best Practice?
The 8 Gatsby Benchmarks
The SEND Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit
Case studies & young peoples ‘Top Tips’
Resources/Websites

3. Session Outcomes
By the end of the session participants will have an increased awareness and understanding of:
What better career guidance could look like for young people with SEND
What young people with SEND want from career guidance interviews

4. Statutory Careers Guidance to support those young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

5. Statutory Guidance Documents
The Government’s key
Statutory Guidance Documents
for
Careers Education

6. Careers Strategy (2017), Pages 29 and 30
Careers Strategy: making the most of everyone’s skills & talents (2017)
Key points of SEND strategy are:
Careers advice needs to be inspirational, personalised and well informed.
Two sets of online training modules being developed to support careers professionals.
CEC will work together with Gatsby Foundation to set out good practice in supporting young people with SEND. .
Careers Strategy (2017), Pages 29 and 30

7. Careers Guidance & access for education and training providers (2018)
It is worth a read.
Careers Guidance: Pages 19 and 20, points 39-44

8. Summary of Points
Career Guidance for young people with SEND should be:
Differentiated with a focus on high aspirations and a personalised approach.
Bring families on board - ensure they understand what career options are possible.
Be based on the pupils’ own aspirations, abilities and needs.
Helping them understand ALL the available options even those you might not think they will be suited too.
Helping them understand how their disability might be supported in the workplace (e.g. Access to Work, job coaching, reasonable adjustments etc)
Broadening horizons by giving the pupil encounters with employers (e.g. hands on experience in the workplace).
Focusing on more than just their immediate needs - Support should focus on the pupil’s career aspirations, and post-16 options most likely to give the young person a pathway into employment, or HE.
Pupils with EHC plans MUST include a focus on Adulthood from year 9.

9. The 8 Gatsby Benchmarks 1. Stable Careers Programme
2. Learning from Career & LMI
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers & employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with FE and HE
8. Personal guidance

10. The SEND Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit
1. Stable Careers Programme
2. Learning from Career & LMI
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers & employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with FE and HE
8. Personal guidance
Published Feb 2018 Download from

11. The Young People

12. Mainstream School with a Statement/EHCP Currently at University
Meet Christine
Mainstream School with a Statement/EHCP
Level 2 Quals:
GCSE’s: (6) C’s
BTEC Business Studies DIst
Level 3 Quals:
A-levels: D
BTEC Enterprise Dist
BTEC Business Studies Dist
Career Advice
1-1 Year 11
1-1 Year 12
All Options Given
Cerebral Palsy
Currently at University
Business (final year)
Work Experience
TA role at another school
Her own TA organised it
Aspirations
University
Professional Job

13. Meet Adam Aspergers & Dyslexia Mainstream no Statement Aspirations
None in school
Hope given in College
Parents Aspirations
Bullying all through School
Numerous jobs
Level 2 Quals: GCSE’s: 10 C’s & D’s
BTEC ICT AB
Level 3: College A-level ICT
BTEC ICT Merit
Retakes: Eng & Maths
University
BSc Computer Forensics 2:1
Supported Internship for Autistic Young People
Currently a full time job with same company as Internship
Depression & Anxiety

14. Currently Full Time Employee in TV
Meet Belinda
Mainstream School
no EHCP
Paid Work
Numerous Customer Service Roles
Aspirations
TV or Acting
Apprenticeship or Internship
Hearing Loss
Level 2 Quals: GCSE’s (7) 3 A*, A, 2 B’s, C
Best subjects: Drama, Eng Lit & Lang
Level 3 Quals: College Professional Performance Program DDD
Apprenticeship
Level 3: Digital Marketing Diploma
Currently Full Time Employee in TV

15. 1-1 Careers Advice ‘Top Tips’ -Key Areas to Consider-

16. Career Interview Environment
‘A safe space’
Careers chat needs to happen in a private place
“I feel safe when I know no one else can listen in”
“I feel more confident to open up”
“Please think about the lighting, noise levels & possible distractions for those of us with sensory issues”
“I need accessibility for my wheelchair”

17. Interview Preparation
“I need advance notice of when my interview is”
“Give me tasks to complete before the interview”
“Set my expectations in advance on what to expect like what will happen & what you need from me”
“Engage my parents, make sure they understand the options available to me”
“Ask me if I would like my parents present at my careers interview with you”

18. Length & Content of Interviews
1 Hour
20 mins

19. Aspirations
“Listen to my aspirations” – don’t ignore them or tell me there are unrealistic without explaining why.
Let me still keep an element of hope!
Make me feel that you “believe in me”, that I can be more.
“Help my parents see me differently”

20. Widen the Focus “I am so much more than my qualifications”
“Please get to know me, I’ll open up more”
“Please don’t ignore my disability in our discussions”
“Please help me find something I might be good at”
“Please help me understand myself a bit more”

21. Final Thought
So we have come to the end and I would like to leave you with one final thought….
The overwhelming majority of young people with SEND, including those with high levels of need, are capable of sustainable paid employment, with the right preparation and support.
If we think of statement and consider the final thought on this slide - lets make sure we strive to find just one thing that our young people can do well and put the right support in place to allow them to develop it so as they know and feel that they are and will be needed by society.

22. Useful Resources/Websites
Useful Legislation
Equality Act
SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years - Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities (
Careers guidance and access for education and training providers. Statutory guidance for governing bodies, school leaders and school staff (Jan 2018) (
Vocational Profiling -

23. Useful Resources/Websites
Best Practice
The Gatsby Benchmark Handbook can be downloaded from
The SEND Gatsby Benchmark Tool – Practical information and guidance for the Enterprise Advisor Network
The Careers and Enterprise Company and their Enterprise Adviser Network – can help your pupils link up with local businesses for work experience and other contact
Schools can use the Careers Development Institutes (CDI) Framework for SEND to review
Quality in Careers Standard has some ‘Best Practice’ Case studies on schools careers programmes -

24. Thanks for listening