BEXLEY LOCAL COLLEGE
FIRST PROGRAMME
A GUIDE
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE,
PARENTS, CARERS AND FAMILIES
APRIL 2015
Bexley Local College First Programme
What is the Local College First Programme?
All young people with special educational needs are encouraged to raise their aspirations,
maximising their potential as they plan to leave school. The vast majority of people have access to
a wide range of educational programmes designed to meet a variety of educational needs. We
refer to these programmes as ‘mainstream’ courses. Most of the mainstream courses and colleges
are attended without the need for additional support. However, some people require enhanced
levels of support to have their learning needs met locally. This is the primary reason for creating
the Local College First Programme.
Bexley is committed to offering local education opportunities for young people with learning
disabilities. With this in mind, Bexley has published a ‘Statement of Intent’. This statement
describes the levels of appropriate educational support young people may need through school
and up to their 25th birthday.
The LCF programme was designed for the following reasons:
1. Inclusion. – Going where everyone else can go. Local colleges, offering mainstream courses,
can provide educational programmes to young people wishing to continue with their learning in
their own communities.
2. Choice. – Often young people needed to travel long distances to access educational
programmes that could meet their needs. The LCF programme offers a local option.
3. Support. – A combination of joint social care, health and education funding can provide 1:1
personal assistants for learners on the LCF programme throughout their day. This could include
support at home, travelling to college, in lesson time and returning home again according to
need.
4. Community. – The LCF programme combines a range of professionals from local education,
health, employment and social care provision to ensure the needs of young people are fully
understood and met by services where they and their families live.
5. Independence. – The whole programme is focussed on developing skills for independence and
work skills.
In summary, the LCF programme is a tailored local offer of education provision. It is for young
people who have been assessed as needing additional support not available on mainstream
courses. This support is a combination of person centred teaching programmes, employment skills
and 1:1 personal assistance.
Outcomes for students will be tracked, measured and reported through annual reviews of each
student.
The programme will also deliver ‘soft outcomes’ that will include:
a. Inclusion and Socialisation
b. Building Confidence and Independence
c. Improving Family Dynamics
d. Improving Relationships
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What about people with more complex needs?
The LCF programme is supporting young people with a range of complex health and social care
needs, for example:
 Communication difficulties
 Mobility difficulties
 Learning difficulties
 Behaviour difficulties
 Autism
 Social and communication disorders
 Who need medical support
Young people interested in accessing the LCF programme will have an Education, Health and Care
(EHC) Plan Assessment. This detailed and personalised assessment identifies health, social and
education needs. The outcomes for a young person will be identified including their aspirations
and options. The risks to the person or others and crucially, what support will be required to meet
the outcome described in the EHC plan.
If these outcomes can be achieved through local colleges, the Personal Assistants offered to each
learner on the programme are specifically trained to meet individual need. This could include
personal care and medical intervention.
Bexley recognises there are individuals with needs that require very specialist provision that may
not be available locally. Each case is considered individually with a range of professional support.
The borough has a duty to manage its resources appropriately but also to ensure it offers families
every opportunity to have their voices heard, needs assessed, offers made and provision
identified.
Things for young people and families to do:
Planning is very important. Whether considering education, health or social care needs, speaking
to services and gathering information is key. Visiting colleges and speaking to the people who
deliver education programmes will help in understanding what choices are available. There is a lot
of information on the internet and web addresses will be provided at the back of this guide.
Planning for leaving school and preparing for adulthood will start to be discussed at Year 9 annual
reviews.
Consider college application deadlines. Make sure you know when the applications need to be
submitted to the colleges of choice. You can speak to the SEN team at Bexley Council. All of the
contact numbers will be provided at the end of this guide.
What subjects and learning opportunities are offered to people on the LCF programme?
The LCF programme is tailored to the learning, social and health needs of students with complex
needs. As a result, it is important not to view the programme as a specific course. Instead, it is a
combination of courses and learning opportunities with the support of a personal assistant if
required. Every aspect of the programme is chosen by each learner, with the support of their
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Bexley Local College First Programme
families when required.
An example could be:
Monday
PA arrives at my
home to assist
me to travel to
college
Tuesday
PA arrives at my
home to assist
me to travel to
college
Wednesday
PA arrives at my
home to assist
me to travel to
Twofold
Thursday
PA arrives at my
home to assist
me to travel to
college
I attend College
to complete my
drama course
with 1:1 PA
support beside
me in my lesson.
I attend College
to complete my
art lessons with
1:1 PA support.
I attend a
Supported
Employment
Programme. It is
run by Twofold
with 1:1 support.
I attend College
to complete my
life course lesson
with 1:1 PA
support beside
me.
My PA supports
me to travel
home.
My PA supports
me to travel
home.
My PA supports
me to travel
home.
My PA supports
me to travel
home.
Friday
PA arrives at my
home to assist
me to travel to
The Learning
Centre Bexley
I attend the
Learning Centre
to do complete
my cookery
course with 1:1
PA support
beside me in my
lesson.
My PA supports
me to travel
home.
For full details on all of the courses on offer, it is important to visit colleges. Many of our learners,
either through autism or learning disabilities, value a visit to the colleges. Physically visiting a
classroom and meeting a tutor can make all the difference to someone who finds it difficult to
imagine what it would be like from a website.
In all of the colleges there is a lead for young people with special educational needs. This person is
tasked with ensuring the teaching programme in the college is appropriately taught to meet the
LCF learner’s needs. For full details, please contact the Learning Support Department in each
college.
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Who to Contact
Bexley Council - Transitions Team
020 3045 4323
Bexley Council - SEN Team
0203 045 4451
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust – LD Team
Main Switchboard – 020 8269 3300
When or Why?
For information about your local social care
offer, your PA, care package at home, benefits,
day centre, supported living or residential care.
This includes the Care element of your EHC
Plan.
For information about your local education
offer – college options, applications or the
education element of your EHC plan.
For information about your local specialist
health care offer, nursing, psychology,
physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech
and language therapy or psychiatry.
This includes the ‘health’ component of your
EHC plan.
Bexley Twofold
020 3045 4917
For information about supported employment
opportunities in Bexley within and beyond the
LCF Programme.
More information can be found on The Local Offer website - www.thelocaloffer.co.uk
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