Here you’ll find listings of local education services you can access and details of how to contact them as well as a number of organisations who provide support and services designed to enable you to access employment and develop your work experience.
Worcestershire County Council
Websites with information regarding education for children with special needs
Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA)
Offering free and independent legally based advice to parents of children with special educational needs in England and Wales.
Website: www.ipsea.org.uk
Child Law Advice
Specialist advice on child, family and education law
Telephone: 03003305485
Website: www.childlawadvice.org.uk
Evesham College
If you are not employed but looking to get back into the labour market and aged between 19 and 65 then Evesham College has range of free courses
The courses aim to improve confidence and self-esteem, improve your employment prospects and support job skills.
Telephone: 0300 4560047
Website: www.wcg.ac.uk
Ability Net
AbilityNet is a UK charity which is committed to creating a world where ICT is not a barrier to people but rather enables them to live their lives to achieve their full potential whether at home, through education or in work.
Telephone: 0800 0487642
Website: www.abilitynet.org.uk
Nineveh Ridge Care Farm
Social Enterprise offering work based learning. Cost involved.
Telephone: 01299 832864
Website: www.ninevehridgecarefarm.org.uk
Rainbow Autism
Activities and pathways to employment, training and education.
Website: www.autismlinks.co.uk
Wild Goose Training
Land and animal based training on smallholding
Telephone: 01905 620840
Website: www.wildgooseruraltraining.org
County Enterprises
County Enterprises is a service that provides work at their factory in St Paul’s Street and secures employment for disabled people within the locality.
St. Pauls Street,
Worcester,
WR1 2BA
Telephone: 01905 23819
Website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/countyenterprises
Restart
Seetec Pluss is the provider of the Restart Scheme across Worcestershire. The Restart Scheme is the DWP’s new welfare-to-work provision for people who’ve claimed Universal Credit for between 9-18 months. They have offices based in Bromsgrove, Redditch, Kidderminster and Worcester.
Website: www.seetecpluss.co.uk
Remploy
At Remploy they focus on ability, not disability. As a specialist employment services group they provide disabled people, people with a health condition and those who face complex barriers to gaining a job with the support they need to find sustainable employment.
Telephone: 0300 4568110
Website: www.remploy.co.uk
Job Centre Plus
Job Centre Plus is run by the Department of Work and Pensions as the statutory service that seeks to help unemployed people find work. They can provide consultation with a Disability Employment Advisor to help you back into work after time out due to illness or disability. Contact Job Centre Plus to access this service.
Worcester
Haswell House,
Sansome Street,
Worcester,
WR1 1UZ
Telephone: 03456043719 (This number applies to all Jobcentres)
Evesham
Evesham Community Contact Centre,
Abbey Road,
Evesham,
WR11 4SA
Pershore
Civic Centre,
Queen Elizabeth Drive,
Pershore,
WR10 1PT
Droitwich
Droitwich Community Contact Centre,
44 High Street,
Droitwich Spa,
WR9 8ES
Malvern
Portland Road,
Malvern,
WR14 2TA
Website: www.jobcentreguide.co.uk
Open University
The Open University is for people who want to choose when and where they study. It’s flexible enough to work around your disability and you can take on as much or as little study as you are comfortable with.
PO Box 197,
Milton Keynes,
MK7 6BJ
Telephone: 0300 3035303
Website: www.open.ac.uk
Shaw Trust
Shaw Trust is a national charity which supports disabled and disadvantaged people to prepare for work, find jobs and live more independently.
Telephone: 0800 9179071 (Worcester)
Telephone: 0300 3033111 (National Number)
Website: www.shaw-trust.org.uk
Sight Concern Worcestershire
Sight Concern offer educational classes for the visually impaired. These include practical sessions and leisure activities.
The Bradbury Centre,
2 Sansome Walk,
Worcester,
WR1 1LH
Telephone: 01905 723245
Website: www.sightconcern.co.uk
Skill – National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
Helping disabled people to overcome financial and physical barriers, ignorance and discrimination so that they can study, train or find work.
Helpline Telephone: 020 74500620
Website: www.skill.org.uk
Email: skill@skill.org.uk
University of Worcester
Offering higher education in Worcester and with a range of subjects and courses of study. Visit their website below for more details.
Henwick Grove,
Worcester,
WR2 6AJ
Admissions Telephone: 01905 725555
Website: www.worc.ac.uk
Email: admissions@worc.ac.uk
Heart of Worcestershire College
Heart of Worcestershire College is in the centre of Worcester offering a range of academic and vocational courses. They have a number of options for part-time and flexible study to accomodate students of any age with disabilities and courses designed to develop life skills for adults with a learning disability. Contact them to discuss your individual needs and explore which courses could be right for you.
Telephone: 0844 8802500
Website: www.howcollege.ac.uk
National Star
Lift training for young people to give them confidence to travel independently to school and college. Worcester
Telephone: 01242 527631
Website: www.nationalstar.org
Where Next Association
They provide supported employment and training to adults with learning difficulties and other special needs.
Telephone: 01527 69955
Website: https://www.where-next.org.uk/
Avenbury Care Farm
Purpose built for people with disabilities. Based at Bishops Frome. Activities include animal care, gardening, cooking, crafts,
There are costs
Telephone: 0739 3148343
Website: www.avenburycarefarm.com
IASS Network
Information and support to parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs.
Telephone: 01905 768153
Website: http://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk