Minister's speech - Review of Post-School Education, Skills and Training Provision, and associated legislative protections, for Young People with Special Educational Needs - 16 June 2025

Note: This publication may not reflect verbatim delivery by Minister Archibald

Introduction

Ceann Comhairle, today is the start of Learning Disability Week and I wish to provide an update on the review of Education, Skills and Training Provision for Young People with Special Educational Needs.

Last year, my predecessor Conor Murphy advised this Assembly of his concerns regarding gaps in provision for school leavers with special educational needs, and the inequalities and injustices these young people face.

He tasked officials to review these issues.

The team has since engaged with schools, colleges, voluntary and community groups, training providers, social enterprises, parents, young people, and subject matter experts.

My officials and I have also met with parents from Caleb’s Cause, a campaign which has done so much to raise awareness of this issue.

In addition, Stranmillis University College was commissioned to carry out a comparative analysis of the different legislative frameworks across Britain and Ireland.

I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the review.

Now that officials have completed their work, I wish to outline the key issues and challenges identified, and the measures and actions which, with the appropriate resources, my Department intends to take forward.

I also want to highlight issues that require collaboration across Departments.

Key Issues and Challenges

Leaving school can be a huge milestone for any young person to navigate. But for people with Special Educational Needs and their families, there are often additional challenges.

The review highlighted many examples of excellent support from colleges, training providers, day opportunities providers and social enterprises.

Within the service there are many dedicated workers who go above and beyond to ensure that our disabled young people are fully engaged, learning and thriving.  I have met some of these people myself during visits to Further Education Colleges, and to providers like AEL in Larne, Springvale Training in Belfast and CAN in Ballymoney.   

However, the system is not working for all our young people.

The challenges I will outline will no doubt be familiar to many families who have tried to navigate the system.

Improvement is primarily needed for school leavers coming from Special Schools and Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools.

For these learners, the challenges often begin before leaving school during; what is known as ‘the transition process’, which starts after the young person turns 14.

This transition process, led by the Education Authority, involves a range of stakeholders.

Some of the initial issues arise due to a lack of capacity within the stakeholder organisations, such as the Education Authority’s Transition Service and the Health Trusts’ Children’s Disability Teams.

There are gaps in terms of timely, accurate and comprehensive information on potential options, eligibility requirements, whether there will be sufficient places, the level of supervision and the available supports.

There are also uncertainties with transport arrangements.

This means that planning for life beyond school can create significant stress and uncertainty for families.

The majority of leavers from Special Schools and from Specialist Provision typically progress onto one of two pathways;  

• A Department for the Economy-funded pathway involving Further Education or Training provision, or
• A Department of Health-funded pathway such as day opportunities or day care

Feedback did not suggest these pathways are wrong, rather it signalled a need for significant investment in both.

There is simply not enough suitable provision available and young people are not guaranteed access to the most appropriate pathway for their needs.

Funding and capacity are two of the biggest challenges faced across the entire post-school system.

The loss of the European Social Fund and associated provision in the Voluntary and Community Sector has reduced the available offer.

And of the provision that currently exists, there are regional imbalances.  

These issues have been exacerbated by a 29% increase in learners with Special Educational Needs over the last 20 years, a 134% increase in pupils with a Statement of SEN, and the growing complexity of needs.

The consequences of not ensuring the right supports are stark.

Too many young people Not in Education Employment or Training.

And if a young person with SEN is in this category, then it is highly likely that their parent or carer also faces leaving work, or reducing their hours, to meet the care needs of their disabled young adult.

My officials spoke to many people in this situation.  It is damaging for those families in terms of their wellbeing, mental health and household income.  And it is damaging for our economy to lose skilled and experienced workers in this way.

I am committed to driving forward a significant programme of reform to my Department’s education, skills and training offer for learners with special educational needs. 

My reforms sit under three broad themes.

Improved Provision

The first is Improved Provision.

There are excellent examples of our six Further Education Colleges providing support to learners with a disability.

In the course of the review my officials received some inspiring feedback of lives being changed.

A young woman at North West Regional College completing her HND in Childcare, and hoping to continue her education up to degree level.

A young man receiving tailored support at Southern Regional College so that he can fulfil his ambition of studying animation at Ulster University.

A student in the North West who had a fantastic College experience and on placement with Translink. He is now on a Level 3 Extended Diploma and has won an NCFE Aspiration award.

A young woman with complex medical and learning difficulties who has been supported to achieve her Level 3 qualifications and secured employment as a classroom assistant.

My officials also received very positive feedback about various training providers who deliver my Department’s Skills for Life and Work programme - with half of the participants on the programme having disability related support needs.

However, funding of the Further Education provision for students with learning disabilities and difficulties has not increased for many years.

This has constrained growth in terms of capacity at our Colleges, and in terms of subjects.  The entry level provision for SEN learners hasn’t always been refreshed to ensure access to newer programmes such as digital, arts, and the creative media.

I want to see investment in the Colleges to enable them to update and expand their offer; to improve physical accessibility, particularly in our older buildings some of which lack lifts, ramps or changing places toilets; and to ensure their staff can refresh their knowledge and skills to deliver high quality programmes and support to all learners.

I want a more consistent offer across the College network, so that people in rural areas have the same level of provision as people in urban areas.   

And I want the continuation of a strong part-time offer.

This pathway is often accessed as part of the health-based day opportunities programmes for adults with a learning disability and it enables lifelong learning.   

To help us to build on existing best practice and inform the shape of our future expansion, my Department has asked the Education and Training Inspectorate to undertake an evaluation of the existing Further Education provision. This work commenced last week and will report in the Autumn.

Once complete, this evaluation will also help ensure that the funding bids I bring forward are evidence-based and focused on excellence.

Apprenticeships are a fantastic pathway for many people.

In-Training Disability Support is currently available for apprenticeships. In addition, through my Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund, two dedicated disability projects are testing approaches to improve participation and outcomes for people with disabilities.

These projects are piloting new pathways that enable individuals with disabilities to thrive and reach their full potential.

We know that learners with special educational needs can flourish in work-based environments.   

Our aim is to partner with employers, to create sustainable, long-term employment opportunities.

Therefore, an action identified in my three-year Apprenticeship Action Plan is to co-design a pilot approach to a new model for apprentices with Special Educational Needs. 

Social enterprises provide opportunities for disabled adults to engage in training and employment initiatives, often as a core part of the Health and Social Care Trusts’ Day Opportunities programme. The work to strengthen the social enterprise sector, through our Social Enterprise Action Plan, therefore also has a contribution to make.

The Review has highlighted too the unrealised potential for Higher Education based provision for learning disabled students. I have asked officials to examine how we might give effect to this.

Stranmillis University College recently carried out a feasibility study, funded through our Step Up Programme, into the possibility of Higher Education opportunities for learning disabled students informed by the model at Trinity College Dublin.  I can see real value in enabling inclusive pathways of this nature for raising aspiration and opportunities for all our young people.

Turning to my second theme; that of:

Enhanced Learner Support

If our Further Education Colleges are to become a destination of choice for a greater number of learners with special educational needs, provision must be accompanied by the right learner support. 

We have had feedback about the challenges of accessing support at College being exacerbated because the Statement of Special Educational Needs does not continue beyond school.

Students and their families report being nervous when choosing Colleges because they don’t know in advance of starting what support a young person will receive.

And Colleges report significant time spent at the start of an academic year duplicating assessments that will have been carried out at school to assess support needs, exam support requirements and so on.   

These systems should be more integrated so that the transition from school to college is more seamless.

To this end, I have asked my officials to develop a statutory Assessment and Support Model for students with learning support needs in Further Education.

We anticipate it building on the current Special Educational Needs Statement approach through schools but tailored for the Further Education environment.

The new Assessment and Support Model will be underpinned in legislation. Having approved this approach, I have tasked my officials with working up a costed plan to design and deliver this new model. The Assessment and Support Model will give clarity and assurance as to the support that a young person will receive in College, with appropriate mechanisms to raise and resolve any disagreements.

In the short term, I have asked my officials to explore with the Colleges, Education Authority and the Department of Education, administrative mechanisms that can give greater certainly to young people aged 16 to 18, who have had a Statement in school and are moving to College.

This interim measure is aimed at ensuring these young people do not lose support because they have to leave school at 16 years, often because their school does not have appropriate Post-16 provision.

Of course the best solution is that schools can provide sufficient Specialist Provision, and I will work with the Education Minister on this issue.

Another concern is that families often do not know who to ask for guidance when they face challenges during the transition from school to College.

From the age of 14, the Education Authority Transition team are closely involved with all young people who have Statements, in planning for their next destination after school. Yet the Education Authority role ends the minute the young person leaves school.

The young person and their family can quickly feel lost if, a few weeks into a college course, they decide it is not the right fit and they want to look at training instead, or a different college, or at Health-based options.  The Education Authority is no longer able to guide or support them.

And sometimes they need extra support to plan for the transition onwards at the end of their College programme.       

I have therefore asked my officials to bring forward proposals for creating a new Transitions Support Function for learners on my Department’s education and training provision.

We want to provide learners with the information, guidance and practical support needed to ensure a more seamless transition from school.

And we want these learners to feel suited to their chosen pathway, to make progress and, to enjoy their learning and flourish in their new environment.

Our third theme is 

Strengthened Foundations

Better provision and enhanced learner support needs to be underpinned by improvements in other areas.

More effective and timely data sharing between Education, Health and Economy will improve understanding of the type of demand coming into our systems, and to facilitate better forward planning.  

There isn’t a direct read-across between the categories such as Special Education in the schools, to Learning Disability in Health, to disability in our system. This creates confusion and increases the risk of people not being identified, and their needs not being met.   

We need to improve our understanding of which pathways and provisions are most effective in supporting learners to progress and achieve positive outcomes.

The ETI evaluation will contribute to our knowledge in this area.

Stranmillis University College has recently secured funding through the EPIC Futures partnership to take forward some provision mapping work.

And, we have launched a Research and Innovation policy fellowship to undertake Special Educational Needs focused research using the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset.

This type of work is crucial to help ensure evidence, data and best practice underpins all that we do.   

Our Careers Service also has a key part to play. This is recognised in the new DfE and DE joint Careers Action Plan which will be published in the coming week and sets out a range of measures that will strengthen support for people with disabilities and special educational needs.

The measures include, for example, professional development for Careers Advisers so they are better placed to understand and adapt to their clients’ needs.  It involves the development of innovative software solutions for autistic clients.

And, the new Careers portal will provide inclusive and equitable access to careers information, tools and resources for people of all ages and backgrounds, including young people with Special Educational Needs, as well as their parents/guardians.

However, my Department’s actions alone will not meet the needs and aspirations of all school leavers with special educational needs.

Many issues were raised with my officials that are outside our remit but which I intend to bring to the attention of the Executive because they are impacting on so many young people and their families.   

Young people and their families want choices.  While many young people with special educational needs aim to progress to skills and training based pathways after school, a very substantial number of Special School leavers want to progress to a Health-based pathway, usually day opportunities, as they feel it is the most suitable destination.

A smaller number want a work focused route such as supported employment.  These pathways also need significant investment to be able to respond effectively to the level of need.

I would like to see a model here that gives all young people the opportunity to progress to the pathway that is right for them and which will best enable them to thrive.

My proposed changes in relation to the Assessment and Support Model for Further Education will hopefully encourage and enable more young people to choose our colleges for their next step beyond school.

But we know it is not the right destination for everyone, and for those young people who are more suited to a Health based pathway I would like to see similar assurances in relation to their entitlement, access and support. This is an issue I intend to raise with the Health Minister.

Many School Principals highlighted the situation of a particular group of school leavers who have attended Special School from the age of 4 through to 19.  They have evident additional needs.

These young people and their families do not consider that Further Education and Training options are right for them. They want to be able to access day opportunities.  However, access to these Health pathways is determined by a Learning Disability assessment.

Every year a group of Special School leavers are assessed and deemed not to meet the relevant Learning Disability threshold meaning they are ineligible for Health funded pathways, despite their evident vulnerability.

This closes off the Health pathway and it can prevent them from accessing College too if, for example, they need a Direct Payment funded support worker to help meet their personal or other care needs.  Without access to Health or Further Education pathways these young people and their families often feel in limbo.

We may be able to explore the development of collaborative and co-funded cross-departmental pilots to try to provide pathways for these young people for whom our existing systems don’t work.

There may also be a need to revisit the existing Learning Disability eligibility arrangements, especially in relation to Autistic young people as the feedback suggests these are the vulnerable young people most affected by this issue.   

Many Schools also raised an issue in relation to the requirement to leave Special School at 19 years.  It was flagged that there are flexibilities in relation to deferring starting school and the transition from Primary 7 into year 8.

The question asked was whether a similar one-year deferral in exceptional circumstances could be introduced for a small number of students, at the end of the school journey, for whom an extension is assessed to be in their best interests.

Another Education issue raised, and which I referred to earlier, was the inequity of young people in Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPIMS) having no alternative but to leave school at 16 because there is no Sixth Form SPIMS provision.

The Education Minister’s proposed legislation to require participation in education or training until 18 years may provide a vehicle to address this issue.

Transport issues were raised by many stakeholders as a very clear barrier to accessing any form of provision, whether health-based day opportunities, or college, training or even employment, once school ends. Issues such as travel training, accessible taxis, and affordability of transport were all raised.   

Disability and inclusion are cross cutting issues and engage all of our Departments.

In the comparative analysis that Stranmillis University College carried out for us, they highlighted the need for a whole of Government approach to Transitions for disabled young people, as is the case in Scotland.

This approach recognises that transition occurs over many years and encompasses issues such as health, social care, education, employment, independent living, inclusion and active citizenship.

I intend to bring a paper to Executive colleagues so that we can take a collective, co-ordinated approach to these issues.

One of those cross-cutting issues is an appropriate legal right for young people with Special Educational Needs.

First and foremost, parents want their children to be in the right setting for them.

So the priority is to build up and resource pathways for people with Special Educational Needs.

Spending time and money in the courts is a last resort, but parents want the reassurance of legal recourse, if necessary.

I want to see the Executive work together to give people with Special Educational Needs a legal right to an appropriate pathway, whether that is an educational-based setting, or a health-based setting.

If the Executive was to agree such an approach,  developing the model and drafting the associated legislation would require close collaboration between my Department and the Health and Education Departments. There is a lot of good will around the Executive table on this issue and so I am hopeful that this work could develop at pace.

In the meantime, we must build up service provision, so that parents do not have to resort the courts.

Conclusion

Ceann Comhairle, what I have set out today involves a comprehensive transformation in services for school leavers with Special Educational Needs.

Considerable scoping and design work is now required to quantify the cost of these proposals.

We will then need substantial and multi-year investment, and close collaboration across Departments.

So we have much work still to do.

But today is an important step forward.

I hope that everyone will get behind this and work together to deliver these improvements which will be lifechanging for learners with disabilities, and their families.

Go raibh maith agaibh. Thank you.