Summer of SEND 2022 - Preparing for Adulthood
Preparing for Adulthood is such a crucial time in any young person's life. Bedford Borough's local offer is full of resources and services available to you people aged 14 - 25. You can find these services and resources by using the search function or by clicking on the age bands "15 - 17" or "18 - 25" from the Local Offer home page.
Below are a few highlighted resources, workshops and activities available over the Summer of SEND.
My Future Autism Bedfordshire new exciting Summer Programme for 18-25 year old’s with an Autism diagnosis
This is a 2-week programme where life skills will be taught, common challenges shared and there will be lots of opportunities to spend some time outdoors in the local community practicing what has been learnt in the ‘classroom’ and of course having the odd picnic here and there – if the weather is on our side! Mornings will be skills based and in the afternoon the focus will be on a social activity.
Bedford Borough Preparing for Adulthood (PFA)
In 2021, Bedford Borough launched it's new, coproduced Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) guide. This document is aimed at young people aged 14 - 25, their parents and carers and all practitioners working to support them. The guide takes you through each year from 14 through to 15 with a focus on what to consider from Education, Health and Social Care throughout each year and in particular at an EHCP annual review.
You can download this guide by clicking here
National guide on "Top tips when looking for housing"
A home is much more than a building. Suitable housing is important to someone with a disability. If it’s in a supportive community, it can give someone a safe and secure environment, and help improve and maintain independence. The quality of the property, its location, and security of tenure are all important aspects that can affect whether a person thrives. This guide is written for families and supporters to share with young people. If you have a social worker, they should be able to help.
You can view this guide by clicking here
Bedford Borough Disability Employment Page
A new web page on the Bedford Borough Local Offer website has been created with information and advice for both people with a disability looking for work and for potential employers https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/employment
The new webpages are accompanied by a series of short videos, with employees and talking about their own experiences and challenges in being confident enough to apply for a job and what it means to them to be working, and insights from their employers.
https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/kb5/bedford/directory/site.page?id=8I6PblFNX6E
You can have a watch all of the videos using the above link, below is Tyler's story....