The Board received a presentation from Simon Cartwright, Head of College and Steve McDermott,Regional Livability Manager outlining the work of Nash College, an independent specialist further education college for students aged 19-25 years with a range of special educational needs and disabilities based in Hayes, Bromley.  Nash College had approximately 70 students, 10 of whom accessed the College’s residential offer.

Nash College was one of the services run by Livability, a national Christian disability and community engagement charity which worked to tackle barriers and promote inclusion for all and provided a range of commissioned care and community projects throughout the UK, including residential care homes and supported living schemes, schools and wellbeing centres.  Livability’s values were to be open, enabling, inclusive and courageous, and an emphasis was placed on ‘Livable Learning Community’ with the objective of creating this in Bromley through a programme of personalised learning and by supporting students to participate in the community and access vocational opportunities.  Nash College had been awarded a ‘Good’ rating by both Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in relation to its work with both day and residential students. 

Livability’s key priorities for the future development of special educational needs and disabilities provision within Bromley were to enable access to specialist placements within the local community, support increased joint commissioning and involve the third sector in improving the local care offer. 

In response to a question from a Member, the Regional Livability Manager reported that the residential offer at Nash College had reduced in recent years as more young people with special educational needs and disabilities chose to access day provision, and that the residential offer would be refreshed to support students to live more independently.  The Head of College noted that whilst the College currently provided an education offer for young people with more complex special educational needs and disabilities, future provision might be expanded to include young people with less complex needs or from an earlier age as the College was registered for pupils from the age of 16 years.

In noting the benefits of an education offer for the 16 to 25 year age group to support transition to adult services, a Board Member asked for more information about learning at Nash College.  The Head of College confirmed that the College offered both accredited and non-accredited learning and developed its curriculum collaboratively with other schools and colleges.  There was a need to ensure that non-accredited learning provide tangible learning outcomes and work was being undertaken with key partners including Bromley Mencap to develop the employability offer, part of which would include opening a charity shop and café.  A Next Steps provision was also available for former students on the site of Nash College.  This had initially been a day opportunities service offering a further 12 months provision to students leaving the College to encourage successful transition into adulthood; however the service had developed and grown and now offered learning and development day programmes to adults who had not attended Nash College.

The Chairman led Members in thanking Simon Cartwright and Steve McDermott for their excellent presentation which is attached at Appendix A.

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.