The Index for Children and Young People with Disabilities or Additional Needs

The Index is Cardiff’s voluntary register for children and young people with disabilities or additional needs. Working alongside a range of support services and professionals, it ensures that families of children and young people with disabilities or additional needs are kept up to date with information that is both relevant and beneficial to them. In addition, it assists the planning and co-ordination of services supporting those children, young people and their families.

You can sign up to The Index if you are:

• A parent / carer of a child or young person aged 0 – 25 years with disabilities or additional needs resident in Cardiff
• A professional working with children and young people 0 – 25 years with disabilities or additional needs

To be included on The Index the child or young person must:

• be aged up to 25 years
• have a diagnosed disability, be in the process of diagnosis or have confirmed ongoing additional needs

Once signed up to The Index you will receive the Index e-news – regular emails providing information about services, activities and events.

How to sign up to The Index?

If you are a professional and would like to be added to The Index mailing list, please email: theindex@cardiff.gov.uk

To submit an article for index bulletins, please contact theindex@cardiff.gov.uk

Transition: Beginning to Plan for My Future

When you are 14 you have to start thinking about your future and what you would like to do when you leave school. You might want to go to college, do some training or get a job. You may need support to continue to learn to do things for yourself when out and about in the community or you may need to be supported in a place where for example you are helped with your physical care.

Sometimes, making choices might be hard but it can also be an exciting time, and there are lots of other people as well as people in school who can help you.

For example:

• A Careers Advisor will be able to give you lots of ideas and choices that are available in your area when you leave school;
• College staff can also let you know what courses they have if you would like to go to college. They can also arrange visits for you to see what it’s like;
• You might also have support from someone who can talk about what you do in your spare time and help with new things to do as you grow older.

Here’s some of the things (Options) you might want to do in the future:

• Stay in School after you are 16
• Apply for jobs
• Sign up with a supported employment agency (your school can tell you about these)
• Go to college
• Join a training programme
• Attend a Day Service
• Receive support in the community
• Get some work experience or voluntary work to help you to get a paid job you would like to do in the future
• Prepare to live away from home

Planning for your future will start in year 9 which is long before you leave school. If you have a Statement of SEN, the diagram below will show you what should happen to help you plan ahead.

Making a plan for my future

The video (Planning for Your Future: Transition Plans Video) can also be found here

What’s Next? Your Life. Your Future.

A website for young people hosting provision and opportunities available in Cardiff.

Are you a parent or carer of a young person aged 16-24?

Using ‘What’s Next?’, you can help them to explore their options into work and feel more confident about their future. The ‘What’s Next?’ platform lists an exciting range of opportunities, to help young people access rewarding careers:

• Further and Higher Education
• Apprenticeships
• Traineeships
• Volunteering

To find out more, visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/whatsnext