Young people with chronic health conditions ‘need improved support'

A report by The Work Foundation, which is part of Lancaster University, concluded that careers guidance, work experience, apprenticeships and health support all need to improve to better recognise the needs of young people with chronic health conditions, such as depression or cancer.

It said that current careers advice, in the form of the National Careers Service (NCS) in schools, is “very limited”, lacks flexibility in how it is delivered and it lacks specialist knowledge around the needs of young people with chronic conditions.

General weaknesses in careers advice provision – which is “fragmented and inconsistent, and is often poor quality” – are exacerbated for young people with chronic conditions due to a lack of specialist occupational health advice, the report adds.

The Work Foundation has called for improved access to work experience, and for the government to pilot and evaluate which work experience models will work best for young people with chronic conditions.

The report states that better communication with young people about the in-work support and advice they are entitled to is required. It has called on the government to develop an information campaign on the support services available, aimed at education providers and NCS advisers.

The Work Foundation has called for all young people with chronic conditions and mental health problems to be given education, health and care plans – which currently are only available to those with special educational needs. It has said this would enable young people with chronic conditions to benefit from more joined-up assistance between education and health.