Equipping Young People for the Future: An Interview With a Preparing for Adulthood Coordinator
01 Apr, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- About the roles and responsibilities of a Preparing for Adulthood Coordinator.
- The importance of supporting children and young people with EHC plans and how to prioritise their future needs.
- Where the latest SEND Case Officer jobs are and how to apply for them.
In our latest industry interview, we spoke with a Preparing for Adulthood Coordinator (PFA Coordinator) and Senior Case Officer whose journey into SEND began with a desire to challenge broken systems and empower vulnerable young people.
A PFA Coordinator works with young people, their families and other professionals to plan for the transition into adulthood. They work with EHCP Coordinators to ensure young people’s EHC plans include areas like education, training, employment and independent living to effectively address the young person’s needs and aspirations for the future.
With over 20 years experience in the vulnerable sector, this PFA Coordinator and Senior Case Officer is an advocate for young people and has contributed to several successful and strategic projects. She is passionate about prioritising the future needs of young people with EHC plans and believes that more should be done for those Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET).
Throughout this interview, discover the importance of supporting children and young people with EHC plans as they prepare for the future under the new Labour government.
Tell us about your career journey so far and your current role
I began studying Occupational Therapy and after university I started working for a charity supporting vulnerable young people and those Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET).
I was shocked by how broken the care homes were and the lack of adequate support and the sense of hopelessness among the young people. I started working directly with them to inspire them toward careers and education. That experience marked the beginning of my ‘educational’ career.
I then was given an opportunity to work for a training provider as an engagement worker. My role was to engage young people in our education setting and support them to higher education or employment. We produced good outcomes and our contracts at that time were NEET’s.
Some of these NEET’s had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which is how I started working with SEN and understanding EHC plans. I worked my way up in this job to become a manager where I developed our alternative provision, an area that we established as a gap in the market. We started getting young people with EHC plans and after 2 years we were the largest training provider of SEN in the south.
What does your current role as a Preparing for Adulthood Coordinator consist of?
I started working as a Transition Navigator for a local authority, with a focus on preparing for adulthood. I was employed to deliver ‘preparing for adulthood advice’ and guidance and to conduct interviews with young people in year 9 onwards.
When I interviewed the young people, most were unable to fully engage in these types of discussions as they were too young and didn’t know what they wanted to do when they left school, so it was difficult to do any proper planning with them.
I developed my own Preparing for Adulthood (PFA) training package and delivered this across the SEN team and a resources toolkit to support Case Officers and professionals with anything PFA. I also supported them to set up their own inhouse supported internship with a travel training program which had 8 employment outcomes for 12 of the students we worked with.
I was put through a level 6 careers guidance and development qualification which I successfully passed. I was very well known in the local authority for advocating for young people but also providing guidance in complex cases as I look at things holistically.
I moved to an agency role as I was offered a well-paid job in PFA under the Delivering Better Values Project. I have been here almost a year and I have made just under £4 million (not including transport) in savings through good case work and guidance and by building relationships with trusted further education settings and across the service with virtual schools and adult social care. I also negotiate changes in contracts which are in line with the national education offer.
I have supported them building their own supported internships, supported the set up of a pre-internship, worked with specialist colleges to stop fourth and fifth year extensions without any progressions.
How has SEND provision changed over the past 12 months and where do you see it heading in 2025?
There has been an increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and EHCP requests for ASD and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. In one area we saw an increase of 80%. There are more and more requests for private and independent high cost settings and questionable private therapist reports who give diagnosis based upon parents wishes, rather than observations and school reports.
High numbers of Looked After Children (LAC) are given EHCPs and incorrect diagnosis when they have attachment and trauma and cannot get into colleges or mainstream due to Educational Psychologist advice or risks/offending behaviour.
Youth justice services also give young people Speech & Language Therapist assessments then get them an EHC plan which only disables them further as no setting will meet their level of need.
Parents with EHC plans are never fined for not sending their children to school, then in post-16 they're NEET but we do not report these to the government. Poor Educational Psychologist advice leads to students not being accepted in any setting and leads to NEET’s.
Young people with SEN have no voice and professionals continue to only discuss everything with parents, as their focus is needs, not strength based. Annual reviews don’t always get student contributions and plans are not being updated due to very high caseloads. This leads to local authorities losing millions and poor PFA/transition planning.
The 2025 Labour government has introduced several educational and SEND reforms. How do you think Labour will impact SEND and local authorities?
I hope they focus on our private and independent settings and deep dive into their accounts and provisions. Local authorities have issues with parents' preferences with these settings which end up being a social care provision - yet EHC plans fund it.
I also hope Labour will fund local authorities to have their own Speech & Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists employed within the SEN team. We waste millions in private therapy reports which are usually not including the child’s schools views.
Educational Psychologists need Preparing for Adulthood training and an understanding of what our mainstream schools and colleges can offer and how their reports impact the child. The SEND sector has huge issues with private settings creating a need which can only be met within that setting. They need to be person led, not money led.
How might SEND provision change under Labour’s government and what reforms do you hope to see in 2025?
The SEND Code of Practice needs to change! We are funding mental health packages so education has become responsible for funding what the NHS should be doing and this leads to poor delivery and young people not getting the right support. Parents also need to be held accountable and input to the EHC plan.
I think the government should provide local authorities funding to set up our own in-house provisions; one for those with ASD and another for those with SEMH needs. This will stop local authorities being forced to put in alternative provision or Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS), which provides poor outcomes.
I hope local authorities fund admin within SEN teams to avoid highly skilled Case Officers becoming Admin Officers. Our systems are not helpful to our work and processes take time away from what the Case Officer is employed to do which is to coordinate an EHC plan.
Upskilling Case Officers with Independent Advice and Guidance (IAG) will mean less EHCP assessments if guidance was given to the family and young person prior to the EHCP being agreed.
We don’t look at other funding routes without an EHCP or the different offers which means we end up giving them an EHC plan despite there being an offer they don’t need an EHCP for. I hope there is a closer link between adult education and EHCP as well as more training providers to offer traineeships with SEN inclusiveness.
What do you find most fulfilling about your role? Can you share a moment in your role that felt particularly rewarding?
I once supported a young lady with quadriplegia with a self-employment supported internship. This was a brand new offer and it took a lot of work to get commissioned, however she is now self employed and works across local craft shops and fairs. This lady would have moved into an inspirational high cost social care package, but with this guidance we have enabled her to work and it’s so rewarding knowing that she is happy.
What challenges do you believe councils and the SEND sector will face with the new labour government?
We need to bring everything that has been privatised in house to support best person centred practice. The SEND Code of Practice needs an overhaul as this sets local authorities up to fail in most cases which costs millions.
Local authorities need policies to address attendance for young people with EHC plans. We have thousands of children with EHCPs in this country not accessing any education with zero consequences. Local authorities don’t hold policies that address these issues and our most vulnerable are not being safeguarded. Courts in this country need to start putting conditions on our offending youths to ‘make them attend education’.
Can you share an example of a challenging situation you’ve faced in your SEND career and how you resolved it?
Usually we struggle with the parents who want things for their children that they are not entitled to. We need a link from SEN that can access social care records and the NHS. If we had our own house, this would not only be better for young people and save costs in private, but would mean we wouldn’t fail Ofsted inspections.
What's the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt in your career so far?
- Don’t judge, take the time to pick up the phone and listen to the parent.
- Always gain the young person's voice, as this makes our jobs easier.
- Being up front from the beginning and the importance of ‘decent’ careers advice for SEN young people.
What’s your vision for the future of SEND services?
We need attendance policies for young people with EHC plans and a team that addresses attendance issues and educational neglect for young people with EHC plans. Currently local authorities only address attendance for young people without EHCPs and this means many are not being seen which leads to safeguarding issues.
Local authorities need to have an inclusive offer which is also for EHCP students. I hope to have our own in-house ASD and SEMH year 10-13 provision. I would like to stop using independent and private settings and have our own which would save money. If we save money we can employ more Case Officers which will lead to reduced caseload, less stress and better retention.
What were your experiences of working with Spencer Clarke Group?
It’s good money, easy to use and there is always good communication.
SCG educational psychology report
As specialists in SEND recruitment, we work alongside hundreds of Educational Psychologists throughout the UK and are mindful of the challenges they face in their ever evolving role.
After commissioning our own research from Educational Psychologists in both local authorities and private practice, we published the SCG Educational Psychology Workforce Insights Report 2024.
The report delves into trends within educational psychology, funding and resources, industry challenges, policies and legislation and the future of educational psychology.
Read the SCG Educational Psychology Workforce Insights Report 2024 here.
SEND Case Officer jobs
If you’re searching for your next SEND Case Officer job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Recruit SEND Case Officers
As specialist local authority SEND recruiters, we support local authorities nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent staffing needs.
If you’re struggling to recruit, we have exclusive access to some of the most experienced SEND Case Officers in the UK.
If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
- South of the UK - Richard Shorrock
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Share your experience
Every individual brings a unique set of experiences, thoughts and insights to the table. We believe in giving a voice to a community of professionals to inspire positive change and champion reform in the SEND sector.
If you work in the SEND sector and would like to share your own personal and professional experiences, we’d love to hear from you. Perhaps you have a different perspective, could offer a fresh angle, or want to challenge assumptions.
Simply reach out to our Head of Content, Nicole Sherwood, to discuss a collaboration which makes your voice count.
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
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