Further Informa�on

Prospects - helps young people (aged 16-25) make the right choices to

move into further learning or employment. Young Northamptonshire

residents who are ‘Not in Educa#on, Employment or Training’ (NEET)

are eligible for the service for 2 years a(er comple#ng Year 11. Young

people with an EHC Plan can access the service to age 25. Young people

leaving care can access the service to age 21. For more informa#on,

speak to your school or visit h-ps://prospectsnow.me.

The Na�onal Careers Service - provides free, up-to-date, impar#al in-

forma#on, advice, and guidance on careers, skills, and the labour mar-

ket in England to anyone aged 13+. Visit

h-ps://na#onalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk or call 0800 100 900.

The Northamptonshire Local Offer is Part of the EHC Team

Website: www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/localoffer

Email: localoffer@northamptonshire.gov.uk

Phone: 0300 126 1000, op�on 5

Post: The Local Offer, EHC Team, Northamptonshire

County Council, One Angel Square, Angel Street,

Northampton NN1 1ED

Join us on social media:

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1

Northamptonshire Local Offer:

Guide to Choices For 16-Year-Olds

2

Contents

Leaving compulsory educa#on is an exci#ng #me for all young people.

Everyone makes a decision about what to do at this #me.

This guide has been created to help you understand your op#ons when

you leave compulsory educa#on.

If you need more help to be independent, you might find the

‘Northamptonshire Local Offer’s Guide to Specialist Services as an Adult’

useful.

Adult Life

What Next? 3

Work 4

Government Support to get into Work 5

Welfare Benefits 6

Post-16 Educa#on 7

Further Informa#on 8

7

Post-16 Educa�on

You might choose to stay in school, go to college, or

go to university to get more skills and qualifica#ons.

Mainstream colleges and specialist colleges run

supported learning courses.

You might meet the entry requirements for a

mainstream course at college or sixth form. If so, you

can s#ll get support to help you with your course (if

you need it). You should speak to your course advisor or tutor about the help

you might need.

If you have an EHC Plan, it will cease when you go to university or access a

Higher Educa#on course.

Disabled Student Allowance (DSA)

Undergraduate students that have a disability, on-

going health condi#on, sensory impairment, mental

health condi#on, or specific learning difficulty can

apply for Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) while at

university.

www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/

overview

16 to 19 Bursary Fund

You could get a bursary to help with educa#on-related costs if you’re aged 16

to 19. If you’re aged 19+, you might s#ll be able to get a Discre#onary Bursary

if you’re at college. For more informa#on visit www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund.

6

Welfare Benefits

Access to Work

Access to Work is a publicly-funded employment

support programme that aims to help more disabled

people start or stay in work. It can provide prac#cal

and financial support if you have a disability or long-

term physical or mental health condi#on.

An Access to Work grant can pay for prac#cal support

to help you start working, stay in work, or move into self-employment or start a

business. For more informa#on contact the JobCentre or visit www.gov.uk/

access-to-work.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

You can apply for ESA if you have a disability or health

condi#on that affects how much you can work.

For more informa#on contact the JobCentre or visit

www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

PIP can help you with some of the extra costs if you're

aged 16+ and have a long term ill-health or disability.

For more informa#on visit www.gov.uk/pip.

Further Support

For independent support about welfare benefits, visit www.en#tledto.co.uk,

www.ci#zensadvice.org.uk, and www.communitylawservice.org.uk.

3

What Next?

Your next steps

What do you want to do when you leave compulsory

educa#on?

You should think about:

• What you want to do in the future

• What your parents/ carers/ teachers think

might be a good op#on for you

• Your strengths

• Your interests

• What you need help with

Your choices might include:

• GeNng a job straight away. *

• Gaining work experience - via voluntary work. *

* There is a duty on 16 to 18 year olds in full-#me

work or volunteering (20 hours or more) to combine

it with part-#me educa#on or training leading to

relevant, regulated qualifica#ons.

• An approved appren#ceship, traineeship, or supported internship.

• Staying in educa#on un#l you start work - this could be at school, college,

or university.

4

Work

You might choose to go to work to earn money when

you leave compulsory educa�on

It is a good idea to volunteer or arrange work

experience through your school before applying for a

job, it will give you an idea of what you enjoy, and

you’ll find out if you will need to have adapta#ons

made for you.

This symbol means the employer is commi-ed to employing disabled people. If

a job advert displays this, you should get an interview if you meet the basic

condi#ons for the job.

If you are under 18 you will need to con#nue to have some form of educa#on

leading to a qualifica#on while at work.

An appren#ceship or traineeship might be appropriate if you wish to train and

earn money at the same #me.

You might also think about doing a supported internship before you start

work. Northamptonshire County Council’s Employment and Disability Service

(below) can provide more informa#on about these.

Employment and Disability Service (EADS)

EADS is the specialist supported employment team within Northamptonshire

County Council.

They provide bespoke support to individuals facing

barriers to employment to work towards and achieve

their employment goals.

For more informa#on, phone EADS on 01604 361033

or email eads@nass.uk.net.

5

Government Support to Get into Work

DWP Work and Health Programme

The Work and Health Programme helps you find and

keep a job if you're out of work.

You'll get personal support to help you iden#fy your

employment needs and match your skills to work

that's available.

Visit your local JobCentre for more informa#on.

DWP Northamptonshire Careers Support for Schools

Provide up-to-date informa#on on the range of available traineeships and

appren#ceships, and help schools to source work experience placements.

They also support students with health/disability issues or learning difficul#es

to iden#fy op#ons for progression from school into

the world of work.

DWP Specialist Employability Support (SES)

SES is intensive support and training to help people

into work if they're disabled. Locally, SES is delivered

via Northamptonshire County Council under the

name Employment and Disability Support (EADS).

For more informa#on on how to access this service, please call 0800 7835 637.