Agenda item

Report regarding Support for Young People with Autism Spectrum Condition and SEND in Transition to Adulthood

Minutes:

Councillor Jon Taylor (Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Transformation), Councillor McDonald (Cabinet Member for Children & Young People), Judith Harwood (Service Director for Education, Participation & Skills), Jo Siney (Head of Special Education Needs and Disability) and David Bowles (Head of Education, Participation and Skills) presented the report.

 

Members were informed that support for young people with Autism Spectrum Condition and SEND was complex and focused upon multi-agency involvement and a personalised approach for each young person. Change in organisations and their ‘offer’ for young people was continually revised and revisited to ensure that adequate services and support were in place to maximise outcomes regarding independence, housing and education.

 

In response to questions raised it was reported that:

 

(a)

minutes from the Plymouth Autism Partnership Board would be provided to Members;

 

(b)

information included in the report was generated from the school census data for Plymouth schools; there were currently 23 young people, aged 15-18,  placed out of the city that were receiving an education, and 21 young people, aged 15-18, who had an identified special educational need that were home educated. Of the 23 young people placed out of the city, this was for a variety of reasons including parental choice, because of a complex learning requirement that was met within a specialist provision or because of a specialist health need including visually impaired or hearing impaired young people who were better supported at a specialist provision; children placed out of the city for educational need was not simply because of lack of capacity in Plymouth schools;

 

(c)

of the 1196 young people in Plymouth identified with SEND, 434 young people also had an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Members were informed that all young people would be provided with help regarding transitioning into adulthood regardless of a EHCP however schools were obliged to support young people with SEND; the Council had a contract with Careers South West to work with young people who were most at risk of falling out of the system;

 

(d)

Members would be provided with a breakdown of data detailing how many of the city’s looked after children had special educational needs and were impacted by the transition to adulthood, as well as those with an EHCP;

 

(e)

care plans for young adults with severe complex needs who were transitioning to adult services were discussed with multi agencies, the individual and their family at the earliest opportunity; support was also provided to parents with respect to the mental capacity act, power of attorney and guardianship however this was not provided whilst the individual was supported in Children’s Services;

(f)

further information regarding the transition to adulthood regarding mental health services would be provided to Members;

 

(g)

currently the local authority worked with Parent Carer Forum and the Young Send Group in order to ascertain the satisfaction of the young people identified with SEND; officers were assessing this to see if an integrated approach affected the speed or success of outcomes;

 

(h)

Members would be provided with thresholds for children and adolescents with mental health needs as well as young adults;

 

(i)

Members would be provided with the numbers of emergency placements requested for young people making the transition to adulthood;

 

(j)

 Members would be provided with the numbers of young people identified with SEND that use the service.

 

The following recommendations were agreed:

 

1.

for the Committee to be provided with the minutes from the Plymouth Autism Partnership;

 

2.

for further information to be provided regarding the numbers of how many looked after children had Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and were impacted by the transition to adulthood;

 

3.

for additional information to be provided regarding the transition protocols for Health Services, specifically regarding mental health;

 

4.

for further information to be provided regarding how many young people identified as having SEND go on to access the services;

5.

with thresholds for children and adolescents with mental health needs as well as young adults;

 

6.

Members would be provided with the numbers of emergency placements requested for young people making the transition to adulthood.

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: