Additional Needs Programmes
Inspire! support children and young people with a range of additional needs. These tailored, intensive programmes help young people aged 11 – 25 to fulfil their potential.
This can include behaviour or mental health difficulties, special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), English as an additional language (EAL), looked-after children or care leavers. We also work with those who are, or are at risk of becoming, NEET (not in education, employment or training).
Our programmes help young people to develop employability skills and confidence, progress in education or move into work or apprenticeships. This can include achieving accredited qualifications.
Business volunteers support many of our projects. Volunteers act as role models who can offer insight into their experiences of education and work. They may have followed alternative education or employment paths themselves.
Mentoring programmes
Employability and Life Skills Projects
Progression Projects
Mentoring Programmes
Our mentoring projects provide one-to-one support to young people to develop their confidence and motivation.
Current projects include Challenge Mentoring, an intervention programme which helps pupils transition from primary to secondary school. This has been developed in partnership with UBS and Linklaters and is facilitated by employee volunteers. Business volunteers also support literacy and numeracy in Primary School through the Primary Mentoring Programme.
Employability and Life Skills Projects
We work with schools and colleges to meet the needs of individual or small groups of students, helping them to develop essential skills. This includes work experience for students with special educational needs (SEN), and work-related learning for specific students, such as those on Level 1 courses.
Current and previous programmes have included:
- EAL Employability: a series of work-related learning workshops tailored to students with English as an Additional Language.
- Inspiring Action: an ongoing programme which supports students to take part in volunteering and social action. Working in groups, students identify an issue in their local community and plan a project to address it.
- World of Work: Students with special educational needs took part in a range of workplace visits, tailored to their interests and needs.
Progression Projects
We help those who are/are at risk of becoming NEET progress into education, employment or training. These programmes help young people to develop motivation and confidence, apply for jobs, apprenticeships or college courses, and successfully transition to the next stage of their lives.
Current projects include:
- Female Future: A project supporting young women aged 16 – 25 to find work, training or apprenticeships. A dedicated job coach will provide CV and interview guidance and access to work experience.
- Inspired Futures: A programme which helps vulnerable young people aged 16-19 find their next steps, whether into college, apprenticeships or work. Mentors support young people to stay motivated after leaving school and on an ongoing basis.
In addition to this, we run an on-site Alternative Provision school, the Inspired Directions School. This offers full-time education for young people with a range of additional needs. Students take part in vocational learning projects and are supported to progress into further education or training.
If you would like to find out more, refer a young person, or discuss ideas for a new programme, please contact us.