Improving SEND in Norfolk

We want young people to: 

• Be prepared to engage fully in all parts of adult life ensuring they can be happy, healthy and safe
• Feel excited about enjoying adult life, knowing they are being supported

Our key priorities

Our key priorities for children and young people under the theme of adult life are: 

• I know what good physical and mental health feels like for me. I know when I need help and where to get it from 
• I have all the information and help I need to make choices 
• I have lots of opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills I need to be happy, healthy, and safe as an adult 
• I have family, friends and places that I know where I am valued and supported 
• I have opportunities to work

What have we done 

To meet our key priorities for adult life, we have:

• Ensured healthy living materials for young adults and families are accessible and meet the needs of those who need them
• Consulted with young people with SEND about the Mental Capacity Act. For example, how they would like to get information about how their rights change on their 16th birthday. 
• Planned a series of training sessions for college staff on the themes within preparing for adult life for Autumn 2025. They will inform and empower professionals to give advice and support young people with SEND and their families as they prepare to enter adulthood.   
• Redeveloped the SEND content on our Help You Choose platform. It will ensure young people and families have access to information that helps them make choices. This is based on our findings from a consultation with young people.   
• Created a new resource for families who have young people at college to tell them who the key contacts for SEND needs and advice within the college are. This has been adopted by several post-16 providers in Norfolk. 
• Expanded our supported internship offer in Norfolk. We will pilot supported internships for young people with SEND without an EHCP.  
• Addressed barriers to employment for young adults with SEND. This is by working with and supporting employers to be more inclusive. Our resources to support employers to be more disability confident are helping increase understanding of supported employment and offers of supported internships. 
• Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub have set up and delivered The Young Ambassadors Programme. This is for young people with SEND who are interested in a career in the music industry. Through this opportunity, 35 participants have developed skills that have enabled them to progress to further study, employment or internships.

What we plan to do next 

We will:

• Co-produce an accessible animation and leaflet with young people with SEND to explain:
  • How consent laws change at 16 and
  • Their key rights including health, autonomy and decision-making
• Promote existing resources on healthy living for young adults with SEND across schools and in the community. This is to make sure it is reaching the right audience and helping young adults and families.   
• Map the provision pathway for young adults with SEND. This is so that families have a clear understanding of the SEND provision available and the options for education, employment and training post-18.  
• Following positive feedback, continue to train college staff on areas of preparing for adulthood. For example, health, housing, finance and employment for young adults with SEND. This will enable them to support families of young adults with SEND to prepare for independence and adulthood.  
• Plan a pre-internship programme for young people with SEND, to better prepare them for employment