‘IT’S LIKE THEY FALL OFF A CLIFF AFTER SCHOOL’
School-leavers with special needs ‘failed by the system’
LEAVING school can be tough for anyone, but for a teenager with special needs it can be traumatic. All of a sudden the safety net is gone. The support network, the security, the familiarity.
Many young people are left sitting at home unsure what to do next after years of additional learning needs help suddenly stops and they transfer to adult services.
Janette Williams, from Wrexham, said her happy, outgoing 17-year-old daughter Lucy, who has Asperger’s syndrome, is doing nothing after finishing at Coleg Cambria.
“When we were choosing options in high school they limited Lucy to essential skills, so choosing for college she went for catering and hospitality, but that did not work because of the pressures of working in a kitchen,” armed forces liaison officer Janette said.
“We are now at the stage where Lucy really does not know what to do.
“It was a case of leaving college because there was nothing she could do, so they came up with a traineeship doing work experience with Careers Wales, but we would like her to have more education because she’s only 17.
“I worry about how she is going to find her way into employment and lead an independent life.
“I won’t be around for ever and I just want her to live a happy and fulfilled life and have opportunities.
“Parents need practical support and information to help them support their children and achieve the best outcomes.
“I found very little support in high school and teachers were often frightened to have honest conversations about my child’s abilities and future options. They left us with no idea about what Lucy was able to achieve and what her limitations might be.
“They are failing my daughter and people like her. Some stay at home doing nothing. Lucy is just at home now. There is no foresight with ALN. It’s like they fall off a cliff after school.”
Derrick and Sian Ellis, from Johnstown near Wrexham, whose son Tomos, 20, has microcephaly, a condition where the brain does not develop properly, have similar fears.
“When Tomos was born I had everyone coming here, but as he got older they stopped. Now it’s ‘where do we go from here?’.
“I feel young people are being let down,” said civil servant Sian. “There are worries about transitioning to adult services, as the process is not publicised and there is no one to direct people with learning difficulties to the correct destination.”
Tomos is due to finish his parttime, three-year learning skills college course next year and will be looking for some form of placement, supported work, or volunteering. But Sian isn’t sure how to go about getting it.
“We have to fight for everything. Nothing is publicised about what to do when you finish college in this situation” said Sian.
“Like lots of 20-year-olds Tomos doesn’t know what he wants to do next. He loves going to the gym and playing keyboards and could do vol- untary work, but would need support. Once high school finishes you just have to get on with it.”
Their experiences are backed up by a recent report from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, which says flagship Welsh Government laws are failing to deliver the support needed for young people with learning disabilities.
The report – Don’t Hold Back – looks at the experiences of young people with learning disabilities as they move to adulthood.
Under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014, young people requiring care and support should be involved in designing the care they receive, and should have easy access to the right help and information.
The Act also places a duty on services to work together to give people care that meets their individual needs.
The Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 says that bodies should work together to provide people with a flexible service that works for them.
But the commissioner’s report found young people and their families can find it difficult to access the support they need and that they are often left with little information about where to go for help.
Young people were also not involved enough in planning their futures and parents fear lack of support could lead to social isolation, the report found.
Children’s Commissioner for Wales Professor Sally Holland said: “Parents and carers aren’t getting the support they need.
“At the very least they need clear access to information about what support is available for themselves and their children and easier access to services they are entitled to.
“Many young people, parents and professionals we’ve met have also said that young people don’t get enough support to develop life skills, or opportunities to be supported into employment, increasing the risk of social isolation.”
The Welsh Government said in a statement: “We welcome the Children’s Commissioner’s report and will carefully consider its findings.
“We recently announced our Improving Lives Programme, which was developed following conversations with over 2,000 people with a learning disability and their families.
“It will build and strengthen current services and provide seamless support, focused around the needs of the individual.”