Supporting young people with learning difficulties to participate and ...

Part 2 – The Learning Landscape
2.1 Our aspirations are as high for young people with learning difficulties as they
are for any other young person. All young people should have the opportunity to
participate in appropriate learning that leads to progression and positive outcomes,
including employment.
2.2 We want there to be a seamless system for identifying needs for all learners
aged 0-25 years with Special Education Needs, placing responsibility with a single
accountable body. Consistency of standards within local flexibility will help to
ensure that all young people can benefit from the opportunities available and
ultimately progress into employment regardless of where they live.
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2.3 The Getting a Life project finds that aspirations are often far too low for young
people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and that some post-16 assessments
focus too much on what young people cannot do rather than on what they can. The project
suggests that there needs to be:
• a greater emphasis on the voice of learners and their families at the local level;
• employer engagement in the pathway for learners from year 9;
• an emphasis on the needs of the individual throughout the Learning Difficulty
Assessment process; and
• a consistent way to use the information coming from Action Plans centred on
individual needs to inform strategic planning and commissioning.
2.4 More than ever we need Learning Difficulty Assessments to be high quality and
consistently delivered, ensuring continuity and appropriateness of support when it is
needed. This process should be actively supported by Children’s Trusts and Directors of
Children’s Services monitoring the quality and sufficiency of the assessments produced
through robust quality assurance systems operating in local authorities and commissioned
services.
Children’s Trusts
2.5 The Children’s Trust is the sum total of co-operation arrangements and partnerships
between organisations with a role in improving outcomes for children and young people.
Children’s Trusts have an important role to play in ensuring positive outcomes for all
children and young people including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The
ASCL Act 2009 strengthens Children’s Trust co-operation arrangements by requiring all
areas to have a Children’s Trust Board by April 2010 and extending the number of
statutory “relevant partners” who will be represented on the Board to include schools,
colleges, Job Centre Plus and the management committees of Pupil Referral Units
(PRUs)/short stay schools.
2.6 The Board has responsibility to prepare and publish the Children and Young
People’s Plan (CYPP). The CYPP is the joint strategy of the Children’s Trust partners
which sets out in detail how they will co-operate to improve well-being for local children
and young people across the 5 Every Child Matters outcomes. The CYPP should reflect
the shared priorities of all the key local agencies, which include the Primary Care Trust
15 The project operates in 12 sites, and is focused on determining what works in provision and support, what
barriers exist and how these may be removed. for more information see http://www.gettingalife.org.uk/
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