Other matters

Your medical condition(s) may:

• have little effect on your everyday life
• have resulted in missing school
• require you to have support in looking after yourself
• result in you needing changes to help you do things

These short films explain how you can:

• be successful in education, training or employment
• get help to live your best life

If you have a long-term medical condition that has resulted in your education being interrupted you can talk to your school about reasonable adjustments, usually your school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

You do not need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to request reasonable adjustments. For more information about an EHCP visit Making a request for an Education Health and Care needs assessment – Somerset Council.

Many young people with long term health conditions will benefit from:

• Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) if they are studying at university
• access to work support if they are starting work – for more information, watch the short film by Emma below who talks about the work support available.

Somerset colleges offer a range of courses. Their staff will be happy to help you in finding the right course for you. In addition these organisations provide other learning opportunities.

Somerset Skills and Leisure

Somerset Skills and Leisure provides a number of face-to-face and online workshops and short courses for people under 19 years old.

Open Learn

Open Learn from Open University offer a wide range of free online course for any age.

Skills Up Somerset

Skill Up Somerset is an apprenticeship and skills advisory service that provides support to young people aged 16 to 24 with EHCP.

SomersetWorks

SomersetWorks support 15 to 18 years olds who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) to engagement in education, employment and training (EET).

Like most young people you may make your own plans without any help from professionals.

Somerset’s Local Offer has a dedicated page providing information and support around ‘Preparing for Adult Life’ which includes useful information about living more independently, getting a job, benefits and much more.

If you are likely to have social care needs after you turn 18, a referral will need to be made to the Preparing for Adulthood Team. The referral form can be found on the Local Offer page or by contacting Somerset Direct (0300 123 2224) and can be made by yourself, a family member or you can ask your Social Worker or any other professional to complete the referral on your behalf. The move to Adult Social Care can take time and may need careful planning, so referrals can be made from 14 years of age.

The Preparing for Adulthood (PFA) team will consider the referral and if appropriate will complete an assessment (Care Act Assessment) to understand what support you might need adulthood.

Some young people with long term health conditions may need support from Adult Social Care. A Care Act assessment is a legal process. For more information visit the Social care institute for excellence (SCIE) website.

Further information about the Preparing for Adulthood Team along with the referral form can be found on the Local Offer Moving to Adult Social Care services – Somerset Council.

The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) is all about a person’s ability to make a decision.