Careers advice and guidance

Your young person with SEND might find it useful to get some information, help and advice about their future plans. There are people and services listed below that might help with this.

Family members carers and friends

Family members, carers and friends might have a lot of experience and useful advice, especially if they have a job or know of someone that has a job your young person is interested in. If your young person attends a group, club or takes part in a hobby, the leader or a helper at the place they go to might be able to provide good advice too.

Schools

If your young person is at school, you can talk to a trained teacher such as the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) or the careers teacher/careers adviser.

Schools are responsible for providing independent careers advice for young people who are in Years 8-13. They should provide information and advice on the full range of post-16 options, including, suitable courses at college or sixth form (including specialist further education providers if appropriate), traineeships, supported internships apprenticeships, work experience and volunteering.

Colleges

Colleges must provide young people with careers guidance until they are age 18, or age 25 if they have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.

Similar to schools, colleges will have trained teaching staff to help your young person understand all of their options. This will include many of the options listed under schools above and possibly employment with training, higher education, and other progressive learning options to help your young person prepare for adult life.

Some colleges also offer vocational courses for young people in Years 10 and 11, in partnership with your young person's school. These learning opportunities help prepare young people for the world of work. They give them the experience they need to develop skills in a vocational area. For example horticulture, retail or hospitality and catering.

Norfolk County Council and other support services

Norfolk County Council has many support services where young people can talk to an adviser and get help with:

understanding all of the options open to them when they reach 16
understanding short programmes that can help build confidence and the skills needed to go into further learning or the workplace.
thinking about their interests and the skills they have to offer an employer
learning about education, training and job opportunities that are available in the local area
making decisions about what jobs might suit them best

Find more information on who can help you and how to contact them

Visit the SEND section on the Help You Choose website

Visit the National Careers Service website