Teen with cerebral palsy ‘abandoned’ by 150-mile trip to only complex needs college

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A family have told how they feel "abandoned" by the government after they were unable to send their daughter to Scotland's only complex needs college.

Dawn and Barry Neilson were left to look elsewhere after feeling a daily 120-mile round trip from their home in Burntisland, Fife, would be too much for their daughter, Morgan, 18, who lives with cerebral palsy. Corseford College in Renfrewshire is the only dedicated further education provision for young people with complex needs in Scotland.

Despite the best efforts of the Neilson family to further Morgan's education, they felt they were left with few options and no support once Morgan finished high school.

Barry said: “We just feel abandoned by the government. The minute they don’t legally have to provide, they just abandon all the kids. It’s really quite sad that in 2024 there is nothing out there for these young adults. Everybody is trying to be inclusive, but they’re only doing that to tick a box. If they wanted to make a difference, having colleges for young adults with special needs is something they could actually do.

“These children deserve to have the opportunity to go to college, to have somewhere to feel safe and continue their learning. We provide free education for all our children unless they’re living with additional support needs. I find that mind blowing and almost inhumane. It’s not right that the kid next door can go to college, and my daughter can’t.”

Instead, Morgan attends Capability Scotland’s Upper Springland campus in Perth. It leaves the teen to travel 60 miles every day but is a welcome alternative for the family. The facility, however, is not a specialist college for her educational development needs.

This is the reality for young adults with complex needs across Scotland who are unable to access the facilities at Corseford College, and could extend to the 38 students currently enrolled. Corseford College is in its final 12 months of a pilot scheme with the Scottish Government, where it is working to validate the case for a rollout of satellite centres across the country.

Without continued funding and reassurance from Holyrood that Corseford College will continue to be funded and satellite centres will be set up around the country, Scotland risks having no dedicated further education provision for school leavers with complex needs.

It will leave families like the Neilsons to encounter the same obstacles once their child leaves school - a stark contrast to the 120 further education facilities for students with complex needs in England and Wales.

Mum Dawn said: “There is obviously a divide between here and England. When we searched for special needs colleges there were loads down south, you can pick and choose depending on the support your child needs. In Scotland, there’s only one. Morgan was doing really well at high school, it had taken years to come up with a platform that worked for her. Her reading and numeracy skills were improving. Now she isn’t getting that, and we’re at the point where don’t know what Morgan is capable of anymore”

Brian Logan, Chief Executive of Capability Scotland, called on the Scottish Government to commit to robust and equitable funding in its budget after the UK Government pledged £1 billion to English special needs education.

He said: “The impact of our college on students and families is immense, and sustained government funding would provide the security needed to expand our provision, and support every young person with complex needs in Scotland. We welcome the UK Government’s investment in facilities across England, and hope a similar desire to help young people with complex needs can be realised in Scotland.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is vital that young people with disabilities and those with long-term medical conditions or additional support needs are supported as they leave school towards work or training. Over the past three years, more than £1 million has been provided to Capability Scotland to support the Corseford pilot for young people with complex additional support needs, delivering physical therapies and life-skills development.

"We are working alongside Capability Scotland to commission an independent evaluation of the pilot will allow us to explore a sustainable approach to specialist provision going forward.”

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