Education and Services for People with Autism

Overview

Education and Services for People with Autism continues to be a "good provider," offering specialist further education for learners with high needs and autism. The college delivers personalised programmes that effectively prepare learners for employment, further education, or independent living through engaging activities and a supportive residential curriculum.

Strengths

• Learners "enjoy attending college" and benefit from staff actions that address significant barriers, such as severe anxiety, through home visits and counselling.
• The provider offers a "highly individualised curriculum" with thorough initial assessments, ensuring activities align with learners’ Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan targets.
• Residential learners benefit from a "24-hour curriculum" that reinforces independent living skills, such as budgeting and healthy diet planning.
• Staff are "well qualified and experienced," including psychiatric nurses, and receive training to support learners with autism effectively.
• Learners develop employability skills through work experience and volunteering, such as a year-long project to improve a local site.

Areas to improve

• Ensure that all learning support assistants are fully effective and prompt in supporting learners in the classroom.
• Ensure that all teachers plan sessions to clearly link activities to individual learners’ EHC plan targets.
• Develop a broader range of meaningful work placements following COVID-19 restrictions.
• Recruit a speech and language therapist as soon as possible to provide specialist support.
• Ensure all staff provide constructive feedback that helps learners improve, rather than feedback that is merely confirmatory.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are "effective," with appropriate policies, safe recruitment processes, and individual risk assessments in place to keep learners safe from various risks, including extremism and online dangers.