Introducing our project newsletter!

Hi All! I’m pleased to introduce our first

newsletter for the Regional SEN

Transition to Employment Project! This

first introductory issue is intended for

project staff, to hopefully give you the

‘bigger picture’ with regards to the

project structure and what’s going on,

and also provide a who’s who and some

useful contacts! From September, a

monthly issue will be launched and will

be made available to young people and

their parents/carers, other professionals

and outside agencies that might have an

interest in transition as well as you, the

project staff.

The primary aim of the

newsletter is to share good practice and

good ideas, share success stories and

news from the hub teams and inform

people about training and events, policy

and research and other useful bits and

bobs! Please share your good ideas and

success stories with the rest of us and

also encourage your young people and

parents to get involved too – we’d like to

hear their opinions and experiences.

I hope you find this and

subsequent newsletters beneficial, if you

ever have any feedback (good or bad)

please let me know!

Laura Davies – Information Officer Laura.davies@learningdisabilitywales.org.uk

Transition

REGIONAL SEN TRANSITION

TO EMPLOYMENT PROJECT

Newsletter: Introductory Issue July 2011

IN THIS ISSUE: Introduction Transition and ‘What Works?’ The Project Project Contractors

Project Organisation Hub Teams Project Structure Project Identity Training and Events

Some Facts:

1. In Australia over 60% of people with learning

disabilities are in employment.

2. In the USA approximately 32% are in employment.

3. In Wales around 7% of people with a learning

disability are employed!

What Works? Key Findings from ‘What Works? (Beyer et al, 2008) found

that the following provision and support was important for a

positive and effective transition process;

Promotion and support of employment as an option early in transition planning

Involvement of skilled employment organisations in transition planning

Access to individually tailored and flexible work experience, with on-the-job personal support when needed

Provision of transition workers as a single point of information and support for young people and their families

Consistent and high quality vocational training in schools and colleges

Challenge the idea that young people with learning disabilities are incapable of employment

The Regional SEN Transition to Employment Project aims to address these needs.

Transition has been a priority for health and social services for

over 10 years. Successful transition for young people with

learning disabilities can mean a substantial reduction of service

input in their adult lives and consequently is both beneficial to

the well-being of the young person and cost effective to Local

Authorities and Government.

A number of studies and reports have confirmed that the

transition system does not provide adequate support for

people with special needs, In particular a lack of support to

young people with learning disabilities to enter employment.

The UK has a poor record of employing those with learning

disabilities and a common perception that people with learning

disabilities are incapable of work. A large majority of people

with learning disabilities are not given employment as an

option in their transition meetings, young people, carers and

schools have different aspirations which can have a negative

impact on the success of the young person’s transition plan,

and support varies across institutions. This project seeks to

address this imbalance, challenge perceptions and effect

change.

1

The Regional SEN Transition to Employment

project has been in development since March

2007 and is based on the Promoting Independence

project started in Caerphilly back in 2003. The

project works with young people aged 14-19 years

who have severe and complex needs, a learning

disability, those on the autistic spectrum, and their

family/carers. The project was recognised as a

model of best practice and due to lots of hard

work by the Caerphilly team, in consultation with

external agencies, and thanks to ESF funding from

the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO), it is

now delivered across South Wales in 7 Local

Authorities – Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taff,

Merthyr, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire,

Torfaen and Bridgend. Swansea and Neath Port

Talbot will be in place October 2011 totalling 9 hub

teams.

The project is centred on ‘peer mentor support’

and the ‘Five Pathways’ of transition to adulthood

model, those pathways being; Lifelong Learning;

Relationships; Leisure Opportunities; Employment

and Independent Living..

Each of the 9 hub teams is made up of between 7

and 10 members of staff and each staff role reflects

one of the pathways to support the young person in

that area of their life

Teams vary depending on the Local Authority and

what provision they may already have in place.

There is a big emphasis on partnership working

within the project to ensure the work is sustainable

and can support young people in a more rounded

way. This means that each hub team can look and

work a little differently, however each team is made

up of a combination of the following roles;

PCP Worker

Family Liaison Officer

Transition Key Worker

Independent Living Skills Worker

Peer Mentor Co-ordinator

Psychology Support Worker

Youth Inclusion Worker

Communication Officer

Duke of Edinburgh Development Officer

Finance & Monitoring Officer

All of the hub teams will work in direct

partnership with 6 external organisations that

have been contracted in to provide different

support services.

Project Aims:

Improve Educational

Outcomes for

Participants

Work in a Person

Centred Way

Provide

Comprehensive model

of support

Address key barriers to

employment

Provide a tool kit of

best practice and

framework for wales.

Increase employment

prospects

Change working

practices

The Project

2

Leisure Opportunities - Duke of Edinburgh Group supported by Laura from the

Caerphilly Hub Team.

Peer Mentor Support - Peer Mentor Training in

Caerphilly with Caroline from the Central Team

Project Contractors

Support services include employment support, training and

information services and research and evaluation of the project

over three years and will be provided by;

Remploy and the National Autistic Society (NAS)

Mencap Cymru

Elite Supported Employment Agency

Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities and;

Learning Disability Wales

Elite

ELITE Supported Employment Agency will provide the supported

employment service operating over the counties of Caerphilly,

Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Bridgend, Swansea and Neath

Port Talbot within the project. Elite will provide young people with

disabilities with accredited vocational training, one to one

supported work placements job matched to an occupation of their

choice, alongside supported paid employment in either after school

jobs, weekend jobs or permanent employment when they have

completed their education. One to one support within work

placements or paid employment will include either support from

adult staff or the innovative techniques of peer mentorship, derived

from ELITE’s national award winning Youth Supported Employment

Project

Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities

Stephen Beyer with a team of researchers at The Welsh Centre for

Learning Disabilities will investigate the outcomes of the project by

collecting descriptive data on all young people served, tracking all

inputs to young people from the project, and comparing

employment rates and other outcomes with a matched control

group through follow-up interviews with families 6 months and up

to three years after school leaving.

A series of one-year studies will investigate whether key elements

of the intervention deliver the psycho-social outcomes expected,

and gain a better understanding of how these model elements may

contribute to better outcomes, compared to controls. The results of

the project will be disseminated to research participants through a

series of workshops organised in collaboration with Learning

Disability Wales. Claire Pimm, Andrea Meek and Axel Kaehne will be

members of the Research Team.

Remploy & NAS

Remploy and National Autistic Society support all hubs teams

and are working in partnership to provide specialist support to

students on the project that are on the Autistic spectrum. They

will deliver engagement services, pre-employment training and

support, job searching activity, employer engagement, work

experience, employment, post-employment support and

brokering, and sustained employment.

Advisors work with candidates to complete a Diagnostic Profile

to develop and deliver Action Plans which address needs such

as vocational skills, development of employability skills,

specialist barrier support, work experience and job-search

activity. We review and update these plans and promote

sustainability through progression planning and by providing

on-going support to both employers and candidates.

Mencap

Mencap Cymru has been contracted to provide the

employment element of this project within the counties of

Torfaen, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. Mencap Cymru

will deliver individually tailored packages of work preparation

and supported employment to participants. The programme

will include classroom based work that will lead to a

qualification such as ASDAN Workright, supported work

experience placements and work tasters. Other elements of

provision will include travel training, securing paid employment

and providing advice to families.

Learning Disability Wales

Learning Disability Wales provides Information and training to

project staff, participants, participant’s families/carers and to

the wider staff group who will be involved in the young

people’s transition. A wide range of training will be offered

including In-depth Person Centred Planning and Introduction to

Person Centred planning, ‘Master Classes’ as requested by hub

teams and Networking Seminars on specific topics such as

employment, inclusion and planning for the future.

Our information team will keep those involved with the project

and the wider audience up to date with legislation, good

practice examples, methodology, evaluation, young

people/families stories along with accessible information for

young people through newsletters, updates and a website.

*Contact Details for all Contractors will be sent via e-mail. To

update contact information please contact Berwyn Perry:

perryb@caerphilly.gov.uk 01443 81444

3

Cassie Richards from Ysgol Hen Felin, Rhondda on her Travel

Awareness Course lead by Ian from Elite.

Role Bridgend Caerphilly Carmarths Merthyr Pemb RCT Torfaen

Team Manager

Glynis James (Head)

Angela Kenvyn/Simone

Williams

Anthony Maynard Jonathan Hughes

(Social Serv)

Sian Thomas (Social Serv)

Sue Painter (Head)

Andy Henderson

(Head)

Lesly Bush (Head)

Team Leader Lynn Davies

Joanne Harper

Amanda Barker

Karyn Morris

Lynn Winfindale

Darryn Walker

Helen Palmer

Youth & Leisure Manager

Geraldine Smallman

Transition Key Worker

Lynn Davies

Dafydd Flay

Amanda Barker

Hayley Thomas

Lynn Winfindale

Darryn Walker Jodie Way

Craig Chedzoy

Suzanne Dicken

PCP Worker Catherine Hughes

Joanne Harper

Claire Thomas

Karyn Morris

Linda Llewellyn

Rhiannon Davies (& Communication

Officer)

Darryn Walker Jodie Way

Craig Chedzoy

Sue Garland

(& Communication Officer)

Family Liaison Catherine Hughes

Joanne Harper

Claire Thomas

Karyn Morris Tim Carter

Linda Llewellyn

Tracy Lloyd

Helen Palmer

Independent Living Skills

David Evans

Amy Pole

TBC Kate Thomas

Katy Wragg

Helen Spokes

Nicola Perry

Youth Inclusion

Tanya Pound

Bethan Stallard

Heike Griffiths

TBC Jodie Evans

Ian Broad

Kristina Burroughs

Peer Mentor Trainer

Tanya Pound

Bethany Dowsett

Heike Griffiths

TBC Jodie Evans

TBC

Duke of Edinburgh

Laura Hayter

Jane Richards

Psychology Support

Sarah Thomas

Anna Jenkins

Irina Lapadatu

Tracey Jones

Stephanie Hopkins

Emily Sibcy

James Mckeon

Social Enterprise

Neil Wilson

Finance & Monitoring

Hanna Thomas

Berwyn Perry

Anna Sadler

Sian Phillips

Amy McClelland

Rhoswen Cox Nicola O’Hagan

Grants Officer Matthew Holder

N.B. Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Hub Teams are due to be in place October 2011, contact details will follow.

Project Organisation

Caerphilly County Borough Council Education

Authority has taken the lead in the development

of the project and assumes responsibility for

admin and finance as a whole. Caerphilly is also

home to the Central Team, who is responsible

for the overall management of the project, and

who feeds back to Caerphilly County Borough

Council Education Authority via the ‘ALN LA

Service Manager’ and ‘LA Finance Officer’. The

central team is based at Trinity Fields School and

Resource Centre alongside the Caerphilly Hub

Team but are a separate entity.

The Project Management Steering Group is

chaired by the ALN LA Service Manager and is

attended by a representative from each Local

Authority and each of the Contractors to discuss

the direction and development of the project.

The contractors provide services as described, to

all hub teams and are an ‘umbrella’ support

service. With the exception of Elite and Mencap

who only work in the counties previously

mentioned.

Each hub team is employed and managed by

their respective Local Authority and is directed

by a local steering group put in place by the

Local Authority. Information is fed back into the

hub teams who work one on one with the

participants to support them through their

transition

Hub Teams

Contact details for all project staff will be sent via e-mail attachment. If you need to make changes to your contact details please get in

touch with Berwyn Perry perryb@caerphilly.gov.uk 01443 8144

4

Merthyr Karyn Morris

Karyn.morris@m

erthyr.gov.uk

01685 724658

Swansea

In Post Oct

2011

Neath Port

Talbot

In Post Oct

2011

Torfaen Helen Palmer

Helen.palmer@t

orfaen.gov.uk

01633 627120

RCT Darryn Walker

.tiwproject.ysgolhenf

elin@rctednet.net

01443 431571

Pembrokeshire Lynn Winfindale

Lynn.Winfindale@

pgfl.org.uk

01437 771442

Caerphilly Joanne Harper

harpeja@caerphi

lly.gov.uk

01443 814447

Carmarthenshire Amanda Barker

ambarker@carmart

henshire.gov.uk

01267 24673

Regional SEN Transition to Employment Project Project Structure

Research & Evaluation Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities

Dr Steven Beyer beyer@cf.ac.uk 02920 687206

ASD Peripatetic Employment Agencies

REMPLOY & NAS Pamela.bayal@remploy.co.uk

07977 436048

Training & Information Learning Disability Wales

Zoe Richards Zoe.richards@learningdisabilitywales

.org.uk 02920 681168

Project Management Steering Group

Local Steering Groups- Appointed Locally

Community Service / Project Manager Angela Kenvyn

kenvya@caerphilly.gov.uk 01443 814447 ext. 6043

Peer Mentor Development Coordinator

Caroline Millington

millic1@caerphilly.gov.uk

01443 814447 ext. 6043

Finance & Monitoring Manager Susanne Salter

saltes@caerphilly.gov.uk

01443 814447 ext. 6043

Employment Support Mencap Cymru

Helen Steel Helen.steel@mencap.org.uk

01267 232256 ext. 301

Employment Support Elite

Andrea Wayman awayman@elitesea.co.uk

01443 231069

LA Finance Officer Central team link to Ass.

Director overseeing finance

LA ALN Service Manager Project Management Steering

Group Chair

Caerphilly Local Authority

Representatives

Central Team

Co

ntr

acto

rs

Re

gio

nal

Hu

b T

eam

s

Bridgend Lynn Davies

.lynn.davies@bri

dgend.gov.uk

07854 946649

5

Training & Events

Project Identity

The project goes by many different names, some we’ve heard

include:

Regional SEN Transition to Employment Project

TIE Project

Transition Project

Promoting Independence

ESF Transition to Employment

Transition into Work Project

The official name is ‘Regional SEN Transition to Employment

Project’, which needs to remain with us for funding purposes.

That said however, it is a bit of a mouthful, so to make it

easier for well, everyone, the central team launched a naming

competition! All entries are in and ideas are currently with a

designer which means we will have a real identity soon!

Please embrace the new name, logo and colour scheme when

launched to support the project as a whole! Results will be in

the next newsletter!

If you would like to submit stories, news, PCP tools, useful contacts and/or links or anything worth sharing please contact

Laura at Learning Disability Wales:

Laura.davies@learningdisabilitywales.org.uk

01792 817224 Learning Disability Wales – Neath

Office C & D Newby Business Centre

Newby House Neath Abbey Business Park

Neath SA10 7DR

6

Inclusion Networking Seminar

For: All Hubs

Date: 19th August

Time: 10am – 1pm

Venue: Afan Forest Park Visitors

Centre

Employment Networking Seminar

For: All Hubs

Date: 16th Sept

Time: 10am – 1pm

Venue: Afan Forest Park Visitors

Centre

Planning for the Future Networking

Seminar

For: All Hubs

Date: 23rd August

Time: 10am – 1pm

Venue: Afan Forest Park Visitors

Centre

Introduction to Person Centred

Planning

For: Caerphilly & Torfaen

Date: 31st August

Venue: New Cottage Dance Centre

Upcoming Training:

Introduction to PCP

RCT, Merthyr & Bridgend

September (Dates and Venue TBC)

Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire

October (Dates and Venue TBC)

For more information or to book onto

training please contact Hannah at:

Hannah.cox@learningdisabilitywales.org.uk

Or on 01792 817224