AQW 40318/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 11/02/2026
Answered On Date: 03/03/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on the comprehensive transformation in services for school leavers with special educational needs.

Answer:

Since my statement to the Assembly in June, outlining my proposals to enhance provision and support for school leavers with Special Educational Needs (SEN), we have been making progress across all the work strands.

My officials have led the development of a cross-departmental bid for funding via the Transformation Fund. This collaborative bid is specifically focused on improving pathways and transitions for young people as they move on from school into adulthood. The bid has been recommended for funding by the Transformation Board. My officials have begun preparatory work to ensure activity can begin as soon as funding is confirmed as it will enable us to progress vital reforms to support every young person’s potential.

The proposal will enhance transition support, develop and expand suitable post-school pathways such as SEN and Supported apprenticeships and evaluation to support the wider application of outcomes and learning across mainstream provision.

Since September, my officials have been working with the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) on an evaluative review of the SEN related provision across the Further Education (FE) Colleges. The review will conclude later this month, with a report to follow. It will help shape and inform the good practice we want to build on, as part of the proposed statutory Assessment and Support model, as well as identifying the issues to target for improvement.

There have been physical enhancements on some the FE sites, while FE staff have also been participating in bespoke accredited and non-accredited training developed by Ulster University. My officials are also progressing much needed cross-departmental work on data sharing related issues and a working group has been established to scope the current data landscape.

Following my Statement, I also wrote to my Executive colleagues, to drive crossgovernment action to tackle significant system gaps for young people – including in relation to the lack of Specialist Provision in schools for 16-to-18 year olds, as well as highlighting with the Department of Health the difficulties created by the current Learning Disability eligibility thresholds.