Little Gate College

Little Gate College aims

Currently only 5% of people with SEND are in paid employment.

The development of our programmes meets the Government agenda to double the capacity of the Supported Internship’s programme, as set out in the SEND and AP Improvement Plan (March 2023).

Achieving paid employment not only brings young people financial independence, but it can be key to:

• building confidence and self-esteem
• increasing health and well-being
• developing new friendships and having social interactions
• There are also benefits for the economy, employers, families, the local community, and wider society.

Little Gate College Mission

Little Gate is a supported employment charity enabling adults and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism to fulfil their work potential. This entails pre-employment training, work experience and routes into work through Supported Employment.

Little Gate College Vision

The vision for Little Gate College is to improve the number of people with SEND who are in paid employment.  Our Study Programmes will provide opportunity to a group of people who are currently underrepresented.

What is Future Ready: Learning for Life and Employment?

Future Ready is a 1-year person centred study programme for those who are interested in the world of work but may not have had the opportunity to develop the key skills needed. Future Ready gives students the opportunity to complete work experience, visit employers in the local area as well as continue with the required education elements. Students on Future Ready may be able to transition onto our Supported Internship programme when they finish.

It is a 4-day a week study programme: 2 days spent in education, and the other 2 days will be a combination of work experience placements, task or community days and employer visits. It also includes preparing for adulthood pathways of being part of a community, having a social life and friends and being able to maintain good health.

Students will be supported by a job coach on their work placement days, to provide the opportunity to explore the working environment and to develop in confidence and transferable skills.

This year will enable us to develop a secure and rounded understanding of the students’ needs to create a detailed vocational profile which will provide guidance and understanding should the young person wish to progress to a Supported Internship placement. Obviously, this is not a ‘one size fits all’ model and the individualised programmes mean that some students may be able to transition directly to paid employment after completing ‘Future Ready’.

Can I do Future Ready: Learning for Life and Employment?

To be eligible for Future Ready: Learning for Life and Employment you need to be:

• Aged 16-24 years old
• Have a current EHCP
• Have a desire to be in paid employment
• Either travelling on public transport independently or wants to learn how to travel independently on public transport.

Where is Future Ready: Learning for Life and Employment based?

We are based in the Bexhill/Hastings/St Leonards area. With Work placements within this area. The education day will run from The Pelham in Bexhill.

What is Supported Internship?

Supported internships are a 1-year structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with SEND, who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The core aim of a Supported Internship study programme is a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach. A Supported Intern spends the majority of their week in a real-life workplace working alongside colleagues.

Little Gate Supported Internship is a 4-day a week study programme. 3 days a week spent on placement. 1 day a week spent in education.

Can I do a Supported Internship?

To be eligible for a Supported Internship you need to be:

• Aged 16-24
• Have a current EHCP
• Have a desire to be in paid employment
• Either travelling on public transport independently or wants to learn how to travel independently on public transport.

Where is Little Gate Supported Internship based?

We are based in the Bexhill/Hastings/St Leonards area. With Work placements within this area. The education day will run from The Pelham in Bexhill.

What will the schedule be on Little Gate Supported Internship?

The supported internships programme is a 4 day a week study programme. You will be on work placement 3 days a week and in education 1 day a week.

Little Gate Supported Internship

Day 1	Placement
Day 2	Placement
Day 3	Placement
Day 4	Education

Supported Internship hours = 21hrs – 24hrs per week

Hours per academic year (36 weeks) = 756hrs – 864hrs*

• 3 days placement 5-6hrs per day + travel
• 1 day education (6hrs)

* Hours may differentiate to meet the needs of both the student and the employer.

Education days will cover English, Maths, PSHE, employability skills and work-related training (examples food hygiene, health and safety). Also included across the programme will be preparing for adulthood pathways of being part of a community, having a social life and friends and being able to maintain good health.

How will I be supported on the Supported Internship?

On the Supported Internship you will be supported by a Job Coach in work whilst you learn your role and tasks. As you become more confident and secure in your understanding of your role the Job Coach support may gradually reduce to build independence.

On education days the individual will be supported by the college tutor and college assistants.

Supported Internships FAQs for individuals, parents and carers

What happens next/after A Supported Internship?

What happens after A Supported Internship?

When you complete a Supported Internship, the main aim is paid employment.  You might:

• Have a paid job
• Transition to a Supported Employment Provider
• Start an Apprenticeship.

The Little Gate College team is made up of several staff. Throughout the internship, Individuals will work with a combination of staff.

16 to 19 Vulnerable Groups Bursary Policy 2024 to 2025

Introduction

Little Gate Farm is a registered charity in England and Wales (1153584).

Scope

From September 2024 Little Gate will be opening its college for young people with high needs aged 16–24-years old.  The college receives a combination of funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the individual student’s home local authority.

Aim

There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursaries:

• bursaries for defined vulnerable groups.
• discretionary bursaries which institutions award using policies they set, in line with the ESFA funding rules.

This policy sets out how the college will work with the bursary funds provided for defined vulnerable groups by the Student Bursary Support Fund.  Please see our separate policy, criteria and application process for the ESFA Discretionary Bursary.

Defined vulnerable groups

The ‘Defined Vulnerable Groups’ bursary fund is for students who are aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2024.  Little Gate College is responsible for informing students/parents/carers about the bursary so they can identify if they are eligible to apply. The bursary is allocated by the Student Bursary Support Fund and Little Gate College will make the application on behalf of students once it has confirmed their eligibility for the fund.  Little Gate College will assess the applications as they are submitted.  Applications can be made if students are:

• in care
• recent care leavers
• receiving Income Support (IS), or Universal Credit (UC) because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner
• receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or UC in their own right

UC has now been fully rolled out and so young people aged 16 to 18 who apply now will no longer be in receipt of the other benefits listed above.

Care leavers

A ‘care leaver’ is defined as:

1. a young person aged 16 and 17 who was previously looked after for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks), which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16; or
2. a young person aged 18 or above who was looked after prior to becoming 18 for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks), which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16

Only students who meet this definition are eligible if they have a financial need.

What it can pay for

The bursary fund is intended to help students with the essential costs of participating in their study programme.  Help with the cost of essential books or equipment or with the cost of travelling to college, for example. The bursary fund is not intended to support costs not related to education (living costs), extra-curricular activities or provide learning support – services that colleges give to students – such as counselling, mentoring or extra tutoring.

Payments

Wherever possible, payments will be made in-kind rather than in cash.  Please note that even though a student may pass the eligibility criteria, they may not receive an award because their financial costs are already being met by other sources.  Or a reduced award could be made because the financial help they need is limited.  For example, a student may be in the care of a local authority that is covering the costs of their education in full.  Or travel costs are being met by a student’s local authority.

A bursary will only be paid if attendance and behaviour meet our required standards.

Other benefits

If you are successful in receiving bursary funding it does not affect receipt of other means-tested benefits paid to families, such as Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or, generally, Universal Credit.

Please note that our policy is to maintain strict confidentiality in the review and storage of any information that is held.

How to apply

You can download an application form, request that an application form is posted to you or collect one from the college.  We can help if you require any further information or have questions about how to complete your application.

There is also a guide for students (and parents) which can be found on the government’s website as follows: https://www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund.

16 to 19 (24) Discretionary Bursary Policy 2024 to 2025

Introduction

Little Gate Farm is a registered charity in England and Wales (1153584).

Scope

From September 2024 Little Gate will be opening its college for young people with high needs aged 16–24-years old.  The college receives a combination of funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the individual student’s home local authority.

Aim

There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursaries:

• bursaries for defined vulnerable groups.
• discretionary bursaries which institutions award using policies they set, in line with the ESFA funding rules.

This policy sets out how the college will work with the ‘Discretionary’ bursary fund.  Please see our separate policy, criteria and application process for the 16 to 19 Vulnerable Groups bursary fund.

Discretionary bursary fund

Each year the ESFA provides the college with made a small allocation of bursary funds to provide financial support to help students overcome specific barriers to participation, so they can remain in education.

Applications for discretionary bursary funds are open to students who are aged 16 to 19 on 31 August 2024, or aged 19 to 24 with and EHC Plan.  A bursary will only be paid if attendance and behaviour meet our required standards.

We will need to look at information that sets out your household income.  We have set a threshold of £45,000 to be eligible for a discretionary bursary.  This means that the total family household income must not exceed this amount.

Please note that our policy is to maintain strict confidentiality in the review and storage of these documents and any information that we hold.

What it can pay for

The bursary fund is intended to help students with the essential costs of participating in their study programme.  Help with the cost of essential books or equipment, uniform for work placements or with the cost of travelling to college, for example. The bursary fund is not intended to support costs not related to education (living costs), extra-curricular activities or provide learning support – services that colleges give to students – such as counselling, mentoring or extra tutoring.

Payments

All decisions about which students receive a discretionary bursary, and how much they receive, will be based on each student’s individual circumstances and their actual financial need. These will vary from student to student, depending on, for example, their household income, the distance they need to travel to the institution and the requirements of their study programme.

Students who meet the criteria are not automatically entitled to a bursary if they do not meet financial need or their needs are being met from another financial source.  They may receive a lower amount of bursary or no bursary at all in these circumstances.  Wherever possible, payments will be made in-kind rather than in cash.

Other benefits

If you are successful in receiving bursary funding it does not affect receipt of other means-tested benefits paid to families, such as Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or, generally, Universal Credit.

How to apply

You can download an application form, request that an application form is posted to you or collect one from the college.  We can help if you require any further information or have questions about how to complete your application.

Completed application forms, and supporting information, are considered by a panel to ensure that funds are allocated for those students who genuinely need them.

There is also a guide for students (and parents) which can be found on the government’s website as follows: https://www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund.

Free college meals

Little Gate College are implementing the Department for Education Policy in relation to free College meals.

For the 2024 to 2025 academic year the rate set is £2.53 per student per meal taken. The meal is provided for the days where a student attends College over the lunchtime period or is on an external work-placement.

If your child was already receiving a free meal at their school or College on or after 1 April 2018, they will continue to be entitled to receive a free meal in College for 2024-2025.  This applies even if your household earnings rise above the thresholds.  All students must also have an Education Health and Care Plan.  We will need to hold evidence of this entitlement and may contact you further or speak with the previous education provider.

If you wish to apply for a free College meal for the first time in 2024-2025 you must complete an application form.  The application process requires students and/or parents and carers to provide evidence of benefits that they are receiving.

Please contact the College if you would like to discuss this further or make an application.  Application deadline is 31st October 2024.  Please note that our policy is to maintain strict confidentiality in the review and storage of the evidence you provide to us.

To host an intern in a workplace can be immensely rewarding, to both the other employees and the wider business.

It can act as an extended working interview. A placement gives interns the opportunity to develop and showcase their skills over a longer period of time.

A placement gives employers the opportunity to test drive potential employees.

Provides motivated employees who are committed to your business.

An intern can bring new prospectives, ideas and skillsets to an employer or business.

Increases workplace diversity, to reflect the community.

It demonstrates great social responsibility.

Employers we have worked with have said ‘It has been a positive experience for everyone involved, the staff have benefitted from having direct experience with someone with a learning disability if they hadn’t done so before so I would say it has broadened everyone’s experience.’

For further information please click HERE.

Employer FAQs