Next Steps Tutors CIC aims to fundraise £500,000 over five years for a family mentoring centre based in Onyx Business Park, Roundswell, Barnstaple.
The centre will work with young people and their families to offer mentoring, tuition and counselling to the many students across North Devon and Torridge who are struggling with mental health, attendance or engagement at school and those not in employment, education or training.
Who are Next Steps Tutors CIC?
Next Steps Tutors CIC is a not-for-profit company, based in Bideford, led by Sarah Logan and Liz Fancourt. It’s their second company, set up to meet the funding gaps we’ve found through the work of their first company Next Steps Education Ltd.
Next Steps Education Ltd began in 2021 and works with local authorities (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset) and local schools to support students not in school or finding school attendance challenging because of health reasons. Through this work we’ve found many students and families don’t meet the strict criteria set out for funding, meaning that many local students are going without education and support for reasons such as:
- Having social anxiety or school anxiety and awaiting CAMHS support (which can take up to 4 years). GP evidence is not enough for a student to meet funding criteria
- Having unmet SEND needs and stuck in the ECHP process, often whilst finding their current school setting too overwhelming. An EHCP can take 20 weeks or more. Many EHCP applications are refused or taken to tribunal, which can extend the process over 2 years. Only students with an awarded EHCP would meet funding criteria
- Having low attendance at school but not meeting school criteria for intervention (no EHCP, no recorded SEND needs, sometimes due to not being at a school to have observations & needs recorded)
- Parents choosing to prioritise their child’s mental health and taking an Elective Home Education route where they feel this is the only choice
- Excluded students who’ve gone on to a second setting and this has failed. Students become non-attenders
- Having been put on the diagnosis pathway for autism or ADHD and are awaiting an assessment (our ADHD assessment pathway timings have improved in North Devon with a new service at NDDH. We have heard of students now receiving ADHD assessments within 3-6 months). Our autism pathway is still around a 2 year wait. Having a diagnosis does not necessarily open funding routes though. In many cases parents then need to go on to start the EHCP process
Sarah and Liz believe that North Devon and Torridge in crisis, as local authorities do not have the resources to deal with this.
Appealing for help
All help towards supporting the creation of Family Mentoring Hub is welcome and includes:
- Sharing the Facebook group with friends and community and asking them to support the cause.
- Following Next Steps Tutors CIC on social media.
- Sharing relevant stories in posts and comments in the group.
- Support from tradespeople – get in touch to let Next Step Tutors know how you can help on the internal unit build. All trades welcome: carpenters, metal studwall fitters, electricians, plumbers, painters, glazers, fire safety consultants, health and safety consultants, IT support services, furnishers, carpet fitters. Maybe you’d be able to help by offering your services at cost price or by volunteering your time for a day or two.
- Offers from local businesses for funding or resources – even the smallest donation funds direct work with families. Get in touch for the full funding bid document.
- Individual or corporate donations via the Crowdfunder campaign.
For details of Next Steps Tutors CIC visit nextstepseducation.org
