Context of this study

In order to contextualise this research project further the researcher will provide an overview of the LA and the FE college where this research study was conducted. This study was conducted in a LA situated in the Southeast of England. This LA is geographically the largest borough of Greater London and spans 59 square miles (ONS, 2012). Based on the most recent census data this borough’s population was 309,392 (ONS, 2012). The number of young people from this population who were aged between 16 and 19 years was 14,094 (ONS, 2012). At the time of carrying out this research a

database search was conducted to identify the number of young people who were known to the LA’s SEN Department and had a statement of SEN under Section 324 (DfES, 2001) within Years 10 and 11. Up to 2014, there were 32 young people identified as having a statement of SEN which declared that their primary need was a ASD. Additionally, it was identified that 48 young people had a statement of SEN which defined their primary need as a social

communication difficulty. It is possible that a proportion of this total will have an additional diagnosis of ASD. These figures highlighted that a number of young people within the borough had a diagnosis of ASD and would possibly be transitioning into the LA’s FE college, which justifies the need for this study.

3.4.1. Local authority context

The LA has 17 mainstream secondary schools and 3 specialist provisions, all of which have sixth forms attached. Additionally, there is one mainstream further and higher education college available in this LA. For young people whose needs cannot be met within any of these provisions, families have an additional option of sending their young person into out-of-borough

independent specialist provisions (ISP), or residential settings, which they can attend daily or where they can live as a residential student.

3.4.2. Local and national context

Having received Pathfinder status in September 2011, this LA was set a range of proposals to implement on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills, in preparation for the SEN reforms being set nationally (DfE, 2011b, 2014; Preparing for Adulthood Programme, 2013). One of the tasks proposed is specific to this research study and required this LA to improve the transition process for young people with ASD into further education provisions. At this time there was also a national and local drive towards reducing the expenditure of LAs and to improve the life outcomes of young people with ASD (HM Government, 2014b) through ensuring that young people live, learn and work within their local community instead of receiving out-of-borough residential provision.

In accordance with the Children and Families Bill (DfE, 2014), the

Department for Education had commissioned the Ambitious about Autism (AaA) charity and Preparing for Adulthood charity to carry out a two-year transitions project. The LA where the researcher conducted this research study had signed up to this project. Specifically, this project aimed to improve access for young people with ASD into FE college by offering training and guidance to participating LAs and FE colleges, and to impart these best practices to all LAs within a good practice transitions guide (AaA, 2011, 2015; Cullen et al., 2014). To support the AaA project, a work

discussion group was set up that invited the attendance of all professionals who support the transition of young people into FE college. An additional aim of this group as stipulated by the SEND code of practice (DfE, 2014) was to develop the LA’s Local Offer for families in need of post-16

provisions, by documenting all of the provisions and resources available to young people within their local FE college.

3.4.3. Further education college context

This LA has one FE college, which is based on two sites. This FE college was contacted to participate in this study, as the researcher did not work directly with this setting in the role as a Trainee Educational Psychologist. Furthermore, the Department for Education and Skills has recently invested £2.4 million into this particular education establishment in order to improve the provision and services available to young people with complex needs. Some of the changes made included employing a speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist to work on site at the FE college. Staff had received training in managing challenging behaviours and in person-centred planning principles. In addition, the FE college has

developed taster sessions, or link courses, with local specialist schools for a year prior to the young person’s transition into FE college. The FE college offers a mainstream vocational curriculum, which has differing entry requirements for each of the courses. In addition, it has a specialist provision attached, which offers a range of specialist courses that aim to develop the independent living and employment skills of young people.

From November 2014, it was reported that 8,000 students between the ages of 19 and 24 were accessing either part-time or full-time education in this FE college. Out of these young people, 96 students between the ages of 16 and 24 had a diagnosis of ASD. 32 of the young people had transitioned from one of three neighbouring boroughs surrounding the LA.