Who would benefit from an Inclusion Facilitator (IF)?

Any child or young person who is highly at risk or has dropped out of the typical mainstream LA systems of support and inclusion.

This is a time of change and transition which poses extreme challenges for many young people.

A number will have withdrawn to live in their bedroom or have ceased attending school, college or any positive community activity.

Such young people will include those who:

·      Have become marginalised or lonely

·      Have social and communication needs arising from Autism

·      Severe social anxieties

·      Present challenging emotional and behavioural needs

·      Are children in care/looked after who have become highly vulnerable and isolated

·      Experience high levels of anxiety in ordinary community settings

·      Are not in education or employment

·      Experience the impact of disabling attitudes and have severe and complex impairments

Those who have already been supported in this way when asked have encouraged us to work with more young people recognising the value of quality person centred planning and direct meaningful support to pursue goals and dreams. We have learned from them as we have developed these ideas.

The families and carers of these young people will also benefit by the impact of this work. Such families may be impoverished, in crisis, swamped or confused by care staff and clinical professionals or simply struggling to meet the social or emotional needs of their young person. Parents and carers of young people already worked with wanted more and hoped others would benefit from this way of working. Feedback has informed the current proposals.

Professional teams and agencies working out of LAs will be influenced and will learn this way of working from us. This can only enhance Local Offers and support to the most vulnerable and isolated in our Society. 

Schools Choice, Suffolk LA inspired by work undertaken by Inclusive Solutions in person centred planning with follow up Inclusion Facilitator (IF) visits have employed 3 IFs as part of their new Assessment and Therapy Team. The design, role and work of these individuals has been directly modelled on the work we have already undertaken. This is evidence of the value of this way of working and the likelihood of LAs not just learning from the work but creating new inclusive roles.