The 5 day offer
Who is it for?
If you have an education health and care plan (EHCP) and have completed secondary education and live in North Lincolnshire then you could have a “five day offer”.
What is the “5 day offer”?
The purpose of the “5 day offer” in North Lincolnshire is to help prepare you to make a successful transition to adulthood.
Through primary and into secondary school you have been used to doing something every day, Monday to Friday. As you move on to college and 6th form you might find that most further education and post 16 courses are offered over 3 days.
The “5 day offer” is a package of provision and support across education, health and care that can be put together to meet your needs to cover up to 5 days a week. The 5 days do not have to be at one provider and can include time in different settings and with different providers and include a range of activities to compliment the education outlined within your education health and care plan EHCP.
There is no requirement to have a “5 day offer” and some young people are able to structure their week to build in their existing hobbies, interests, part-time work or volunteering or are able to undertake coursework and homework independently or with other students outside of lessons, as well as socialising with their college or 6th form peers with the education environment.
Activities can be undertaken during the college day i.e. 9am – 3pm or for part of the day e.g. 2 hours in the morning or afternoon, or during the evening.
Mental capacity
Now you are over compulsory school age you have the right to participate in decisions about your provision. However, some young people will not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions.
Under the Children and Families Act, lacking mental capacity has the same meaning as in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. In cases where a person lacks mental capacity to make a particular decision, that decision will be taken by a representative on their behalf.
Further information can be found in the SEND Code of Practice. Also see the Preparation for Adulthood – Mental Capacity Act and Supported Decision Making
The “5 day offer” in North Lincolnshire can be built around your existing post 16 education; for example courses delivered at
- North Lindsey college
- John Leggott college
- School 6th forms
- Specialist or independent providers – where this is already named within the EHCP
Alongside the education elements non-educational activities can be built into a “5 day offer”
- Volunteering
- Work experience
- Community activities
- Travel training
- Independent living skills
- Activities that meet your social care needs
- Sporting activities
- Health
These activities can tie in with vocational studies, for example, volunteering in a work area you are studying or be different and linked to your hobbies or interests.
From year 9 onwards at the annual review of your EHCP the four preparing for adulthood themes will be discussed and focus on the outcomes you want to achieve under each heading:
- Employment and education
- Friends, Relationships and Community
- Independent Living
- Good Health
Once you have had an offer of a place or started at college or 6th form; you will have an idea of your typical week at college and what days you will do which lessons and any work experience or placements. There will be things in your EHCP that you would like to do/achieve.
Step One
First have a discussion with tutor/EHCP coordinator and build up a typical week taking your college time table as starting point, then think about what else you would like to do
Step Two
Identify opportunities from a range of sources – this can be existing websites e.g. Do Something Different, or through a discussion with your family or others who know you well. You can then add these to your typical week:
You don’t have to do activities across all 5 days and can put together a timetable for 4 days, as the “5 day offer” can be up to 5 days. It is also okay to plan in some “chill out time” with your friends or family.
Step Three
You might find that something you really want to do (for example Archery at the Pods) is only available on a day you are timetabled to be at college. Sometimes college can swap days so talk to your tutor about swapping college sessions if there is only 1 day when an activity is on offer.
These activities can tie in with vocational studies, for example volunteering in a work place that ties in with your vocational studies.
There are lots of things to do as a young person living in North Lincolnshire. If you need support to participate you can look to your family and friends or you may need a personal assistant to give you the help that you need. You can employ one yourself using your own financial resources or you may need some financial support from the Local Authority. This financial support is called a personal budget.
Certain criteria need to be met to enable you to access a personal budget. This includes an assessment of your level of need for care and support (Care Act Assessment) and your financial situation.
An adult social care worker will contact you to arrange a visit. If you wish to have someone else present with you at this assessment visit then that is OK – just let us know what you want to do. If you struggle to explain what is important to you and what you want to achieve, it may be helpful to have someone who knows you well, present at the assessment visit.
Once the assessment is complete you will be supported to write your care and support plan, and your Adult Social Care worker will let you know what level of personal budget is available to you and your contribution towards this.
After that, it’s up to you …….. look at your care and support plan and get out there, live your life, work and play!!!
For those people living in their own home then a personal budget may help to meet care and support needs and could be used for a Personal Assistant (PA) support. On average a person will use a PA to support with access to day activities three days per week. Two of those days will typically be outside of their home and one day at home.
The amount of personal budget will depend on the level of need and will also involve a contribution from the individuals own finances. Support can also be offered to access work opportunities through a combination of personal assistant, access to work and PIP. Support could also be offered to access voluntary opportunities
There are an increasing number of opportunities in the community set up by voluntary and private agencies. These do not necessarily need the support of a PA to attend, but some will require this.
The Adult Support Team (AST) may be considered as the most appropriate support for the most complex of people living with a disability in the community. This is a small service available across North Lincolnshire with a mixture of building based and community based activities. It also provides valuable carer respite, Monday to Friday, 9.30am-4.30pm. Specialist transport forms part of this service.
Awaiting information
There are lots of places to find out about opportunities to include in your 5 day offer. Below are just some of links that can help you as well as searching this website.
- Family Information Service (northlincs.gov.uk)
- Do Something Different (northlincs.gov.uk)
- Positive Activities – Believe in YOUth
- Do it – volunteering (do-it.org)
- Ongo support page – Supporting you and your community
Here are some examples of a 5 day offer – your week can look like this but it doesn’t have to as it will take into account what is in your EHCP and what you want to do.
It may be possible to use your personal budget in a more creative way that can be “shared” with other young people who want to do something similar and this way you could get more for money if do activities in small groups.
Care and support plan
Below is an example of a care and support plan
Essential Support Needs
- I agree these are my essential support needs.
- I will use my personal budget to meet these needs.
Supported Employment at the Action Station
Sitting within the Action Station at North Lincolnshire Council, a Supported Employment Officer will organise a series of meetings with you and your supporters to listen to your hopes and aspirations. The meetings are flexibly organised to meet your needs.
Our SE progression advisor will complete a ‘skills profiling’ form so that we can get to know you well before we match you up to your next step.
A joint decision will be made on how we can move you towards:
Idea 1 – Volunteering at the Action Station
We support volunteering projects as it helps you to see what working would be like and it gives us a good idea which jobs would be good for you. Volunteering is a very positive opportunity because it helps you make friends, or contacts who can help you find work.
Taking voluntary work will help build your skills-set and improve your CV. It will also give you current references to add on to any future application form. Being a volunteer helps your confidence grow. It is good to give back to society. Local employers look kindly on those who have given back.
Idea 2 – Training at the Action Station
Sometimes, we can offer training to help you find a job. We work with many agencies to find training that is interesting and useful in supporting work and ‘Life skills.’
Looking for work is very difficult so we can also offer you the short course called ‘Journey 2 Work’ which will help you find work and get your interview skills, CV and writing skills up to date so that you can compete with other jobseekers.
Idea 3 – The Youth Hub at the Action Station
If you are receiving Universal Credit and you have a work coach at the Job Centre, you can ask to come to the Youth Hub.
The Youth Hub is where we match you up with a personal progression advisor who works with you to find work. You will meet with them either in person or online each week to discuss jobs that you want to apply for. Your advisor will help you to apply for jobs by using the Internet, writing letters, and going for interviews.
Your progression advisor will also invite you to ‘Google Meet’ training once a week where you can meet with other young people so that you can discuss with them how you are feeling. This training will help you use the Internet as most interviews happen online now so you will need to practice making sure that you perform well at your interview.
Any of these ideas and all of these ideas are a really good way forward but by using the Action Station you will make the right choice for you.
