AQW 41989/22-27


Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford


Tabled Date: 06/03/2026
Answered On Date: 16/03/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to AQW 40318/22-27, to detail an overview of the cross-departmental bid to the Transformation Fund on improving pathways and transitions.


Answer:
The aim of the Transformation Fund project - Transitions and Pathways for Post Schools Special Educational Needs - is to improve the life experiences and opportunities for individuals with Special Educational Needs as they leave school.
The project, led by my Department, is in collaboration with Department of Education (DE), Department for Communities (DfC), Department of Health (DoH) and Department for Infrastructure (DfI).
The Transformation Fund bid was initially for £7.5m across three years, and set out three strands:
a whole system service design model,
enhanced transition, provision and pathways, and
live monitoring, evaluation and broader system recommendations.
Strand 2, Enhanced transition, provision and pathways, will be taken forward primarily through collaboration between my Department and the Department of Health, with the other Departments involved where appropriate.
In my Department the work includes pilots to develop and test SEN and Supported Apprenticeships, the co-design and testing of provision to meet gaps in provision between existing programmes/services, alongside developing approaches to enhance the transition for young people with SEN from school into the Further Education Colleges and DfE funded provision and programmes.
In the Department of Health, the work will include piloting changes to Learning Disability Day Services, and co-ordinating and standardising transitions between Children and Adult Health and Social Care Services.
The Public Sector Transformation Board recommended that an element of Strand 1, a whole system service design model, be removed from the proposal, resulting in the Board recommending an award of £6.925m instead of the initially requested amount.
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.