Post-16 Learning Participation Team

About The Post-16 Learning Participation Team

Devon County Council’s Post-16 Learning Participation Team supports young people as they make important transitions in their lives. We do this through our network of Career Development Consultants who are all qualified career guidance practitioners. We provide targeted support to young people in education which means we have advisers linked to all schools and colleges. We also provide support for young people post-16 who are not in education, employment or training.

We are required to undertake tracking activities and to provide information to the DfE in respect of personal information; individual characteristics and the current activities of young people aged 13-19.

Alongside our work in education, our team of Client Contact Administrators assist Devon County Council and Torbay Council* to meet our statutory duty under the Education and Skills Act 2008, which is to support all young people aged 16-19 to participate in education or training. They usually work between 10am and 6pm, and on occasional Saturdays during October and November.

*Torbay Council commission Devon County Council to undertake these activities on their behalf.

We may be in contact with you soon – here’s why…

The Post-16 Learning Participation Team may contact young people, normally by phone, who have left statutory education through to the end of year 13, or up to the age of 21 for care-experienced young people, or up to the age of 25 for those with an active education, health and care plan (EHCP) to see whether they have continued in education, have moved into employment or whether they need any signposting support to access education or employment.

In most cases schools and colleges provide us with this information. However, sometimes we will need to contact young people or their parents, carer or family member to ask for this information which allows us to also offer support to those who need it. We will usually contact you by phone, but occasionally you may receive an email or letter either as a young person or a parent or carer of a young person, because we have been unable to establish contact or have no contact numbers.

We will ask for the following information so we can update our records

• Phone number
• Current address
• Email address
• Current activity: (School/college/employment (for any of these we also need the name of the school, college, or employer) or if you are currently unemployed.

Find our contact details at the bottom of this page

Information about Post-16 options

The team will offer support for young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) who are aged:

• 16 -18 years old (Years 12 and 13)
• Up to 21 years old if they are Care Experienced
• Up to 25 years old if they have an EHCP

Here are a few links to useful websites that can help you plan your future:

• Jobs and careers advice for young adults in Devon
• Careerpilot : Plan your future work and study
• Career Coach

Who we can support within Education

Our team of qualified Career Development Consultants Careers Advisers are registered with the Career Development Institute and abide by their code of ethics.

The team can provide careers information, advice and guidance to the following young people:

• Young People with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) maintained by Devon or Torbay who attend a Devon or Torbay school/college if they are in Years 10 and 11
• Young People in Year 11 that attend a Devon or Torbay school who are;
  • Looked after, and where Devon or Torbay are the Corporate Parent
  • Registered with the Young Carers service
  • Known to the Youth Justice Service
  • On a Child Protection Plan
  • Deemed to be a Child Missing Education by the Local Authority but should attend a school in Devon or Torbay
  • Electively Home Educated, and fall into one of the vulnerable groups or who have no planned destination for September.

We can also support young people who are in Year 11 and have no planned destination for September. Young people with no plan for September are identified by the end of April, so support will be offered from May once this has taken place.

Young People in Post-16 education (Years 12 and 13), will need to go through their school or college if:

• they are at risk of disengaging, or
• intend to leave their current education placement within the current academic year.

All the above activities are carried out in coordination with the school.

Are you getting the help you need?

You don’t need to wait for us to call you to ask for support! You can contact us now if you need signposting support. See our contact details below.