'Young people with SEN leaving school are left with nothing'

Some young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are "at home 24/7" after they leave school due to a lack of supported education or training, research suggests.

Stranmillis University College researched young people with SEN moving from school to employment or training.

It suggests there is one place in supported education or training for every 91 young people with SEN in Northern Ireland leaving school.

Professor Noel Purdy, who led the research, said this leaves some families "at their wits end".

Sheenagh McCann's 18-year-old autistic son Joe is non-verbal and has complex needs.

He is due to leave his special school in 2027.

"It's 24/7 care for Joe with my husband and I, we don't have any other children and there's just my husband and I who care for Joe," she said.

Sheenagh said Joe can find the summer holidays out of school "really, really tough".

"We're usually on our hands and knees by the time September comes," she added.

Sheenagh said the school has been successful in getting Joe out to places, such as the park or the supermarket, but getting him out of the house when he is not at school is a "huge, huge challenge".

She added that Joe's social worker has been very helpful, but she is fearful of what the future might hold.

"There is nothing actually for Joe when he leaves school," she said.

"Joe is not high-functioning, he's not moderate learning disability, so he can't attend the colleges... he will not be able to go to those type of things without support."

Sheenagh said Joe might get two hours twice a week in an adult day centre.

"So what does he do? What does he do when school's over for him?"

She added that the support he has received since he was born will not be there when he turns 19.

"He just falls off the face of the planet and ends up back in a room in our house forever.

"I'm at a complete loss to know what to do next."

A statement of SEN - which is a legal document - sets out what support a child should receive at school.

However, that mandatory support ends when they leave school.

In England, an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) is in place until a young person reaches the age of 25, detailing the help SEN school leavers should receive.

But in Northern Ireland, EHCPs do not exist.

Some parents have campaigned for change, but the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt recently said there was not enough time before the next assembly elections in 2027 to change the law.

The new research examined "the main challenges, gaps and barriers in the current transition process" for young people with SEN when they leave school.

Its findings are based on the experiences of parents, carers, young people, school heads and employment support organisations.

Purdy said the study "provides a wider evidence base for those challenges and the barriers that these young people and their families face".

"We all know that there's more and more young people with Special Needs that are in our education system, who are therefore leaving our education system and seeking further training and employment and opportunities," he said.

"But we also know that the current provision is fragmented, it's patchy."

The final report said what was available "falls substantially short of demand".

The report said there are a shortage of post-school opportunities in Northern Ireland, including Warrenpoint, Newtownabbey, Belfast, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Bangor, Ballyclare, Cookstown and Craigavon.

Purdy said there was no "one stop shop" for families to get information about post-school provision which has led to confusion and frustration.

"Parents are really at their wits end as they seek to navigate a very complex system," he said.

"Responsibility is fragmented as well between different government departments."

The report included a number of recommendations, including the need for legislative change and a centralised database of information for families on what was available in their area.

Purdy said there was also a need for more investment and joined-up work between different government departments.