« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Appendix 6 Explanatory letters ( CALL Centre letterhead)
A. Teachers working with school-leavers with complex additional support needs
Dear Teacher
Finding Practical Solutions to Complex Needs:
Consultation on arrangements for supported further education places and funding for students with complex needs
As you may be aware, the Scottish Executive is currently consulting 1 on the above topic, and inviting views from everyone with an interest. Hopefully as many people as possible will respond to this consultation document by the closing date of 31 October 2005, whether as individuals or as a group, organisation, educational establishment or whatever.
Excitingly, the Executive has committed itself to focus particularly on young people who cannot find appropriate FE (colleges or curricula) mainly because of communication barriers and lack of appropriate provision (ie. rather than physical access barriers or learning difficulties). We have been asked by the Scottish Executive to help to carry out the consultation amongst such young people with complex communication support needs themselves, to ensure that they get their say and get their message across. This is a unique opportunity to 'make a difference' for this group, please will you help?.
Please would you give a copy of the enclosed letter and booklet to each member of your Leavers Group (or equivalent) and/or to any pupil with complex additional support needs (especially communication difficulties) who has entered the Future Needs / Transition process. We are hoping that you will help your pupils to go through and answer these questions.
(We have also provided the booklet on CD so that you can project it in PowerPoint and discuss it as a group if that helps.)
We are also hoping that you will allow us to visit your pupils in school for a 'focus group' discussion - ie. for them to tell us what they think. This could be in the form of answers to the questions (to save them sending in written replies by post) but also could be an opportunity for everybody to have more open debate. Any preparatory work you are able to do, eg. by introducing relevant vocabulary, would be very helpful for this.
We need to make it clear that this would only be only the first stage of a consultation exercise. We will unfortunately not be in a position to help individual pupils with specific problems. It might help therefore if you wanted to invite to the meeting another relevant professional (eg from Transitions Planning team, Social Work or local FE college) who could help by providing information on local provision, and by taking forward any queries or requests from students.
Thank you for your help. Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries or wish to discuss anything. Otherwise we will be in touch shortly to discuss the next steps, and perhaps try to arrange a possible meeting date.
Yours Sincerely, Stuart Aitken & Sally Millar
Communication Aids for Language and Learning ( CALL) Centre, University of Edinburgh
With help from FACCT, KeyComm, SCTCI, TASSC
On behalf of Scottish Executive:
Finding Practical Solutions to Complex Needs: Consultation on arrangements for supported further education places and funding for students with complex needs. The Executive writes -
"…we are aware that a small but significant number of young people with complex additional support needs may be unable to access appropriate further education provision in Scotland. Many of these young people then apply to attend specialist further education provision outside Scotland and seek funding from their local authorities to do so.
We have listened to the concerns of young people with complex additional support needs, their parents, carers and the organisations that represent them that the current arrangements do not provide fair access to further education. This consultation paper provides an opportunity for everyone with an interest in this issue - further education colleges, local authorities, voluntary organisations and young people themselves - to say where the strengths and weaknesses are in the current system and how we can improve arrangements for the future.
The Executive is committed to ensuring that everyone has the chance to learn regardless of their background or personal circumstances. Through the views expressed in this consultation we will consider how best to make provision for those with the most complex needs. Your contribution to this exercise will help shape that provision. We look forward to receiving your views."
***************
B. Students/school leavers, recent or soon ( CALL Centre letterhead)
Hello
We are helping the government to find out about how the college situation can be improved for students with additional support needs. Here is a booklet about going to college. It's in text form and in symbols - use whichever you prefer. We hope you will read it and think about the questions in it. Please will you help us by answering the questions? You can write in your answers and send them in. Or you can come to a meeting and talk about your answers and ideas. Or both.
We might come to you for a meeting. Or we might ask you to travel a short way to a meeting (if you travel, the government will pay your expenses).
We'll get in touch with you soon, probably through your teacher or other contact person. You can get in touch with us at the above address if you want.
Yours Sincerely,
Stuart Aitken & Sally Millar
Communication Aids for Language and Learning ( CALL) Centre, University of Edinburgh
With help from FACCT, KeyComm, SCTCI, TASSC
On behalf of Scottish Executive…(SEE ABOVE)
***************
C. Professionals working in Transition Planning, Social Work, FE, Careers Advice etc. ( CALL Centre letterhead)
Dear Colleague
Finding Practical Solutions to Complex Needs:
Consultation on arrangements for supported further education places and funding for students with complex needs
As you will be aware, the Scottish Executive is currently consulting 2 on the above topic, and inviting views from everyone with an interest. Hopefully as many people as possible will respond to this consultation document by the closing date of 31 October 2005, whether as individuals or as a group, organisation, educational establishment or whatever.
Excitingly, the Executive has committed itself to focus particularly on young people who cannot find appropriate FE (colleges or curricula) mainly because of communication barriers and lack of appropriate provision (ie. rather than physical access barriers or learning difficulties). We have been asked by the Scottish Executive to help to carry out the consultation amongst such young people with complex communication support needs themselves, to ensure that they get their say and get their message across. This is a unique opportunity to 'make a difference' for the future, please will you help?.
Please would you give one of the enclosed letter and booklet to any individual with complex support needs that you know who may have been to college or who may be thinking of going to a Further Education college. (We have also provided the booklet in PowerPoint on CD so that you can use a computer and discuss it as a group, if that helps).
We are hoping that you may be able to help individuals, if necessary, to go through and answer these questions.
We are also hoping to visit a few areas for 'focus group' discussions, and that if one is set up in your area, that you might be prepared to come along with individuals with whom you work.
People attending the discussion meeting can just answer the questions (to save them sending in written replies by post) but it also could be an opportunity for everybody to have a more open debate. Any preparatory work you are able to do, eg. introducing relevant vocabulary, would be very helpful for this.
We need to make it clear that this is only the first stage of a consultation exercise. We will unfortunately not be in a position to help individuals with specific problems. It would help therefore if you and/or colleagues (eg from Transitions Planning team, Social Work or local FE college) could be prepared to help by providing information on local provision, and by taking forward any queries or requests from students.
Thank you for your help. Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries or wish to discuss anything. Otherwise we will be in touch shortly to discuss the next steps, and perhaps try to arrange a possible meeting date.
Yours Sincerely, Stuart Aitken & Sally Millar
Communication Aids for Language and Learning ( CALL) Centre, University of Edinburgh
On behalf of Scottish Executive…(SEE ABOVE)
« Previous | Contents | Next »