SEND Reform Survey June 2015
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A survey of young people’s views to help planning for the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Reforms across Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole. July 2015 SEND Reform Survey June 2015 Index Handout Summary p.1 1. Key Findings and Recommendations p.2-5 2. Introduction p.6 3. Research Methods p.7 4. Demographics p.8-10 5. Future Plans p.11-12 6. How Students feel about leaving School/College? p.13 7. Information and Support p.14-17 People Who Help p.18-21 Finding out about Choices & Options p.22-25 Where to Get Help p.26-28 8. Listened To p.29-31 9. How Happy p.32-36 10. SEND Reforms p.37-38 11. Recommendations p.39-42 SEND Reform Survey June 2015 SEND Reform Survey June 2015 1. Key Findings & Recommendations A total of 233 young people with disabilities completed the online survey in March and April 2015. 221 of these young people were students and of those just over half (52%) attended specialist schools, 31% attended mainstream schools and 17% attended college. Information and Advice 84% of young people had enough information and support about their HEALTH. 73% of young people had enough information and support about LEISURE & HOBBIES. 54% of young people had enough information and support about GETTING A JOB. Only 51% of 17-18 year old said they had enough information about getting a job. People who help The most common people who helped were: 81% PARENTS/CARERS 76% TEACHERS 44% FRIENDS Students in mainstream school were less likely to get help from TEACHERS, 66% compared to 85% students in specialist schools and 82% at college. Students in specialist schools most common source of support was TEACHERS (85%) then PARENTS/CARERS (79%). PARENTS/CARERS were the top choice for students at college and in mainstream school. Students at college were more likely to get help from their PEERS, 58% from FRIENDS and 45% from BROTHERS and SISTERS. Where to get help We asked young people WHERE they get information and advice and the 3 most common were: 76% INTERNET. 72% SCHOOL/COLLEGE. 32% LIBRARY. 2 SEND Reform Survey June 2015 How young people would like to find out about choices and options The most common responses were: 70% TALK TO SOMEONE. 51% WEBSITE. 29% FACEBOOK. How young people feel about leaving SCHOOL or COLLEGE 43% of students were HAPPY. 31% of students were WORRIED. 25% of students were POSITIVE. 22% of students were ANXIOUS. Listened to The young people gave an average rating of 7.3 out of 10 for how well ADULTS LISTENED to them. Expressing opinions The young people gave an average rating of 6.3 out of 10 for how CONDFIDENT they were about EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS. Making decisions The young people gave an average rating of 5.9 out of 10 for how EASY they find it to MAKE DECISIONS. Young people indicated that they found it easier to make decisions as they got older, averaging 5.7 for the 12 to 14 year olds, 6 for 15 to 16 year olds and 6.3 for the 17-18 year olds. Happy Young people were asked to indicate on a scale of 1 to 10 how happy they were with a number of factors in life. FAMILY - 8.3 out of 10 AMOUNT OF CHOICE - 6.9 out of FRIENDS - 8.3 out of 10 10 FEELING SAFE - 7.7 out of 10 FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES - 6.9 out HEALTH - 7.6 out of 10 of 10 SCHOOL - 7.5 out of 10 3 SEND Reform Survey June 2015 When we compared by gender, young women were more negative about everything except how happy they were about their friends. The biggest gaps were in amount of choice, 7.4 for young men compared to 6.3 for young women and health 8 for young men compared to 7.1 compared to young women. Students at specialist schools were the most happy with SCHOOL, the average rating was 8 compared to 6.7 for students at mainstream schools. SEND Reforms 45% of young people had heard of the new Education, Health & Care Plans. 26% of young people had heard of the Local Offer. Our Recommendations Internet: More visits to College Websites that are helpful and young “I’ve only been to Brockenhurst College people friendly and not too much once, I think it would be better if we could writing. visit the college we want to go to more Have links from school/college than once.” websites to other useful websites. Advertise links on facebook and twitter. Information & Advice for Someone to talk to parents “The internet may answer your main “If parents are the ones that help the most questions but it’s the little questions that then they need to have more information are important to get to ask someone in so they can help you.” person about. It’s better to talk to someone face to face because they can then answer your questions directly.” Talks from older students “We’re more likely to listen to someone our own age or just a bit older.” 4 Young Researchers SEND Reform Survey June 2015 More help getting a job and becoming independent: Practical help with application forms and interview skills. More opportunities to do work experience at school and college. Advisors that respect you and help you to find work. Employers need training and support for employing people with disabilities. “We need more help with practical stuff “Show more kindness and support towards like practicing for interviews or filing out us. Help us with things we don’t job application forms.” understand and to help teach companies more about disabilities and how they can “Need more chances to do work train us for the working world.” experience so you know what you are doing and get experience.” Practice and support to make decisions “It's hard because if you don't get much practice, you won't know how. Young people need to be able to make bad decisions before making good; if you start with small decisions then the big ones won't be so big. Naturally young people can get scared because what they chose will affect their future but by helping them now, do what they want to do, will make it easier.” Respect and valued “It really gets you down when you have great potential and people don’t understand.” 5 Young Researchers SEND Reform Survey June 2015 2. Introduction This report is part of the Young Researchers project 2014/15. Youth Researchers Project SEND Reform: Background Young Researchers is a partnership project The government has recently introduced between young people in schools/ changes to the way services for young colleges, Action for Children and people with special educational needs Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole local and/or disabilities (SEND) are delivered. authorities. The Pan Dorset Programme Board implementing the changes across Young people are recruited from schools Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole and colleges and trained in research skills. commissioned the Young Researchers. They are then supported to carry out The research brief was to carry out an research that helps to shape service online survey with young people with development of local authorities and their special educational needs and/or partners. Young people get an opportunity disabilities to assist the Board with their to develop their employability skills and planning. are provided with practical learning experiences. The local authorities and their Students were recruited as Young partners get relevant and up-to-date Researchers from Beaucroft Foundation consultation with young people. School and Yewstock School. The project is in its third year. Between July 2014 and April 2015 35 Young Attempts were made to recruit students Researchers were recruited across from schools in Bournemouth and Poole Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole. but these were unsuccessful. Learning for future projects is that more development They worked on 4 research projects: time is needed to work with young people, schools and parents to build confidence 1. Special Educational Needs & Disabilities and understanding to ensure young people Reforms: information, advice & wellbeing with disabilities get involved. survey. (Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole.) In order to ensure young people from 2. Wellbeing of 16-18 year old learners (Dorset) Bournemouth and Poole were involved 3. Retention: reasons for Year 12 not completing with the project, The Chatterboxes at courses. (Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole) Bournemouth YMCA provided us with access to their young people and in Poole 4. Making Career Choices (Bournemouth & the Pre Vocational Course at the College Poole) provided access to their students. 6 Young Researchers SEND Reform Survey June 2015 3. Research Methods Online Survey The research was carried out using an online survey that the Young Researchers from Beaucroft and Yewstock schools designed. The Young Researchers were then assisted by The Chatterboxes group in Bournemouth to make a short video to explain the purpose of the survey and how to fill it in. This was used at the start of the online survey. The Beaucroft and Yewstock students made presentations to give in assembly to encourage students at their school to complete the survey. Across Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole local authorities’ key contacts sent out the links to all specialist and mainstream schools and colleges. The survey was open in March and April 2015. After cleaning the data 233 responses were useable for analysis. Please note throughout the report that not all the figures add up to 100%. This is sometimes due to a multi –choice question but also where the percentages have been rounded up to whole numbers.