As a council we commission the Young People's Learning Provision (YPLP), part of Children's services.
YPLP's programmes support unemployed, and those with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). By providing them the opportunity to progress into the world of work. YPLP works with employers and referrers, to ensure that the curriculum offered meets the needs of the young people. Providing tailored programmes that work with the individual learners skills and work experience.
YPLP offers a roll on roll off programme throughout the year to young people aged 16 to 19. Or those up to the age of 24 with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). YPLP provides accessible learning opportunities that supports the progression of young people.
Our vision is for every young person in Lincolnshire to:
- be empowered
- have high aspirations
- achieve their potential
Our sites
We work at seven sites around the county, including:
- YPLP Boston - Focus 1, Mill Road, Boston PE21 0HF
- YPLP Grantham - Earlesfield Youth Centre, Trent Road, Grantham NG31 7XQ
- YPLP Lincoln - Mary Knox Centre, Smith Street, Lincoln, LN5 8HY
- YPLP Louth - The Pavillion, London Road, Louth LN11 9QP
- YPLP Ruskington - Ruskington Youth Centre, High Street, Ruskington, NG34 9DW
- YPLP Skegness - The Pavillion, Wainfleet Road, Skegness PE25 2EL
- YPLP Spalding - 67A Albion Street, Spalding, PE11 2AU
Programmes
The programmes offered are:
The programmes content will include:
- Qualifications
- Preparing for Adulthood
- Work Experience
- Enrichment Activities
- Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
YPLP Pathway to Independence
Open to 16-19 (24) year olds on a full or part time basis.
It is an individualised programme of study that is likely to include:
- preparing for Adulthood
- English, maths and ICT
- work experience
- vocational qualifications
- employability skills
- other relevant qualifications
Entry Criteria
Learners who wish to enrol with us on a Pathway to Independence programme should want to gain the skills to become more independent.
Learners need to:
- be aged 16-19 (24)
- be fully committed to progressing
- want to gain new skills and qualifications
- wish to become more independent
Progression
Learners who complete this programme may progress onto:
- the Pathway to Employment programme,
- a further education programme
- apprenticeship
- voluntary or paid employment
Pathway to Employment
Open to 16-19 (24) year olds on a full or part time basis. It is an individualised programme of study that is likely to include:
- work Experience
- vocational qualifications
- English, maths and ICT
- employability skills
- preparing for Adulthood
- other relevant qualifications
Entry Criteria
Learners who wish to enrol with us on a Pathway to Employment Programme need to have the confidence and skills to be able to access an external work experience placement and wish to improve their skills.
The intention will then be to secure paid employment or an apprenticeship within 2 years.
Learners need to:
- be aged 16-19 (24)
- be confident in familiar situations
- be able to communicate effectively
- wish to travel independently
- have some idea of potential career paths
- wish to improve their skills
Progression
Learners who complete this programme are likely to progress onto a:
- further education programme
- apprenticeship
- voluntary or paid employment
YPLP Supported Internship
Open to 16-24 year olds, who have an Education Health and Care Plan, are looking to find paid employment but need additional support to secure this.
Supported Internships are a structured study programme, based primarily with an employer; that last between six and twelve months and includes:
- a supported work placement
- English, maths and ICT
- employability skills
- personal and social development
- other relevant qualifications
Entry Criteria
Learners who start with us on a Supported Internship need to have skills to be able to progress into paid work and out of education within 12 months.
Learners need to:
- have an Education, Health and Care Plan
- be aged 16-19 (24)
- be able to travel independently
- evidence of a completed extensive, successful, work experience
- be fully committed to finding paid work
- feel ready to leave education
- have a clear understanding of the field in which they would like to work
Progression
Learners who complete this programme are likely to progress onto an:
- apprenticeship
- paid employment
YPLP Traineeship
Open to young people aged between 16-24 who are nearly ready for paid employment but need to gain some experience in order to progress.
A Traineeship lasts for a minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of 6 months.
A Traineeship is an individualised programme that includes:
- a work placement
- English, maths and ICT
- employability skills
- personal and social development
- other relevant qualifications
Learners who complete this programme are likely to progress onto an apprenticeship or paid employment.
Entry Criteria
Learners who start with us on a Traineeship need to have skills to be able to progress into paid work and out of education within 6 months.
Learners need to:
- be aged 16 - 24
- be able to travel independently
- be fully committed to finding paid work
- feel ready to leave education
- have a clear understanding of the field in which they would like to work
Qualifications
On all programmes learners will have the opportunity to work towards and undertake qualifications.
English and maths
All programmes offer the opportunity to improve English and maths skills and gain qualifications.
Qualifications are offered from Functional Skills Entry level 1 up to GCSE in both areas.
Employability
All programmes offer the opportunity to improve employability skills and gain qualifications, such as,
- Award/Certificate/Diploma in Employability Skills Entry Level 2 – Level 2
- Safer Food Handling
- Health & Safety at Work
- First Aid at Work
- Customer Service
- Manual Handling
- CSCS
- Site Safety
Learners will also complete an Employability Passport that will give them the opportunity to demonstrate and record their skills and progress in all areas of employability.
Preparing for Adulthood
On all programmes learners will have the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge in four Preparing for Adulthood pathways, including:
- Employment
- Independent Living
- Community Inclusion
- Health
The curriculum will be dependent on the needs of the learners and will support them to make a positive transition into adulthood.
Work Experience
Work experience is an important part of all of the programmes.
The amount and type of work experience learners will do will be dependent on programme they enrol on and their ‘work experience readiness.
Learners will be supported to prepare for work experience and to find a placement that interests them and is linked to their aspirations.
Whilst on work experience job coaching will be available to learners who need it and regular reviews of their progress will be completed with the employer and the learner.
Enrichment Activities
A variety of enrichment activities will be organised throughout the learners programme depending on their needs and interests.
The activities will give learners the opportunity to try different things, have fun, get active, support the local community and boost their CV.
We also organise and encourage learners to take part in workshops delivered by other organisations, such as Road Safety Partnership and CAHMS throughout the year.
Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
We aim to raise the aspirations of all our learners, increase their employability and social skills and achieve qualifications to enable them to progress into employment and adulthood successfully.
CEIAG is central and embedded throughout all our programmes. All of our programmes are designed to support learners to make progress towards gaining employment in their chosen area.
Our CEIAG delivery is based around the eight Gatsby benchmarks of good practice:
- a stable careers programme
- learning from career and labour market information
- addressing the needs of each learner
- linking curriculum learning to careers
- encounters with employers and employees
- experience of workplaces
- encounters with further and higher education
- personal Guidance
The CEIAG will support learners to:
- understand themselves, their interests, likes and dislikes, what they are good at and how this affects their choices
- understand the different routes for young people including training, further and higher education, apprenticeships and employment
- gain experience of different employers through visits, taster days and work experience
- make realistic, but ambitious, choices about their next steps
- develop the skills they may need for working life and independence
- develop a plan of action for the future
This will begin before the learner enrols on the programme with a CEIAG interview to determine which is the correct programme.
Throughout the learners chosen programme CEIAG will be embedded through taught sessions, 1:1s, work experience and other organised activities, such as:
- visits to employers
- careers events
- guest speakers
Also learners will have their progress reviewed every 12 weeks and this will give the opportunity to decide if any additional interventions need to be put in place and reflect on targets and goals.
If the learner is out on work experience the employer will be asked to contribute to the review.
During these reviews staff will offer further information, advice and guidance to support the young person to achieve.
Work Experience
The employment team at each of our sites will work with learners to find and source suitable work experience placements that will support them achieving their aspirations.
They will support the learner with all aspects of work experience and will continually assess and review their progress alongside the employer.
Post programme
We work with learners and, if appropriate parents, carers and employers to plan and facilitate a positive transition from us onto their next steps.
This will be done in their progress reviews in their final year, in 1:1s, in sessions and during their final reviews.
We offer support with:
- job and college applications
- interviews
- transport
- benefits
- open days
Support
We support all of our learners by providing a range of support to ensure all their individual needs are met, such as:
- small group work
- 1:1 support
- adaptions to resources
- reduced timetable
- assisted technology
We are committed to removing barriers to learning in order for all of our young people to reach their full potential.
If a learner parent, carer or professional thinks that additional support is needed we will develop a learner led plan of support.
Work Experience Support
Work experience is very important to learner success and it is a part of all our programmes. It gives learners the opportunity to:
- experience of working and the workplace
- gain transferable skills
- improve their social skills, confidence and independence
- add experience to their CV
- improve their chances of gaining a paid work opportunity in the future
To ensure that learners get the most from it and that it is a positive experience we provide a range of support, including:
- training by Systematic Instruction (TSI)
- job matching
- job carving
- job coaching
- progress reviews
- employer support
- reasonable adjustments
- travel training
- transport support
Pastoral Support
We offer help and support to learners as well as providing information, advice and guidance.
Staff work with colleagues, parents, cares and other specialist agencies to offer support and remove any barriers to learning as quickly as possible.
It includes:
- behaviour, emotional, restorative approaches
- peer mediation
- links to specialist external agencies
Financial Support
Financial support is available for learners to enable them to access education.
If learners or their families have a low income they may be able to receive support via:
- Vulnerable Learners Bursary
- Discretionary Bursary Fund
- Free Further Education Meals
- Access to Work
All financial support is dependent on individual circumstances.
For further information please contact us at yplp@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Employers
Lincolnshire's employers contribute massively to the success of our programmes and the learners they support in many ways, such as:
- offering work placements
- visiting us at one of our sites across the county to giving a talk about their business
- inviting us to bring a group of learners to their premises so that they can see different working environments
- passing this information on to other employers or businesses who may be able to support us
- offering us any advice for planning our programmes and improving our engagement with employers
Work experience
We work with employers across the county to provide high quality work experience placements for its learners that benefit both the learner and the employer.
Work experience is a vital element of all our programmes because it gives young people the opportunity to test and improve their skills in a real working environment.
Prior to going on work experience our learners are assessed on their 'work experience readiness' and are supported to gain and demonstrate that they are able to:
- communicate with familiar people
- present themselves appropriately
- demonstrate good time keeping
- behave positively
- work as part of a team
- follow basic instructions
Once we are confident that they are ready the employment team work with them to identify suitable placements and make contact with employers to arrange an interview and hopefully a placement.
Benefits for employers
Benefits to employers who offer work placements for our young people, including those with a Special Educational Need or disability, could include:
- an improved image with a workforce that reflects the diversity of local communities
- improved understanding of the needs of customers
- ability to recruit from a wider availability of labour
- early identification of talent, and development of a local workforce
- reduced recruitment costs and improved staff retention
- corporate social responsibility and being seen as an “employer of choice”
Support for employers
We treat every placement individually and will work with you and the young person to decide what and how much support is needed.
The team can work with you by:
- giving advice and guidance about job roles and reasonable adjustments
- delivering job coaching and mentoring
- offering ongoing support to employers, and the young person, and always being 'on call'
- delivering free staff training and awareness sessions
- conducting regular reviews and giving feedback to support with progress
- offering free publicity to your business
Contacting us
If you are interested in working with us and supporting our learners please contact us at yplp@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
16 to 19 Tuition Fund
The 16 to 19 tuition fund is allocation to support students who have been academically disadvantaged due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
We will use the fund to provide small group and 1:1 tuition for learners aged 16 to 19. Who have not yet achieved a grade 4 or above in English and/or maths.
Tuition groups will have of no more than five students and the tuition sessions will be scheduled. .
Tuition and additional support may be delivered using a blend of online and on-site delivery.
Examples of some of the tuition support on offer will include:
- GCSE re-sit preparation
- Functional skills assessment preparation
- Additional subject specific support
Tuition support offered will be based on:
- an individual needs assessment
- the identification of an individual starting point
- clear learning goals
- expectations and outcomes
We are committed to ensuring the tuition fund is used in accordance with the Government’s guidance by:
- producing this statement setting out how the fund will be used to support the most disadvantaged students
- publishing this guidance on the YPLP pages on the LCC website
- recording the use of the fund, including references to individual learners who receive support, the needs of those learners, the number of hours of tuition delivered and retain the evidence of the tuition provided
- deliver the extra tuition and spend the allocated funds in the academic year 2022//23
- notify the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) of any underspend from the Fund for it to be reclaimed
Find out more about the 16-19 Tuition Fund.
Community Action
YPLP Staff and students had a great day celebrating all things Lincolnshire on Monday 2 October. Staff and students from across the county came together at the Lincoln Centre. Tasting tables were available to experience some of Lincolnshire’s culinary delights, with donations from:
- The Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese
- Hawkens Gingerbread
- The Chocolate Drop.
The Noise Academy, were there so that students could have a go at DJing and Music Production. This helped to create a party atmosphere! Traditional Corn Dolly making was a new experience for many. Lincolnshire Young Voices supported the event and Freddie the Therapy Dog was getting into the spirit. Students took part in:
- sausage making
- potato painting
- designing red arrows
- flower making
- a themed escape room.
Students entered a photography, imp design and Lincolnshire writing competition. Chief Executive Debbie Barnes, Councillor Bradwell, Councillor Roe, Children’s Services Director Heather Sandy, Assistant Director Martin Smith and Head of Service Sheridan Dodsworth were in attendance.
Work experience is an important part of the Young People's Learning Provision. Getting involved with the local community is another avenue to boost the learners CV. See what they have been up to these recent months.
- Our learners at Louth Young People’s Learning Provision choose to volunteer at The Lighthouse Project, a charity. The learners took on various roles such as parcelling food donations, stacking shelves, litter picking the grounds and sanitizing toys that had been donated. The learners really enjoyed their time there.
The Lighthouse Project publically thanked them on a social media post