Have DD with Downs, what happens after secondary?

[Notonaschoolnight]

Sorry if this has been asked before but I've never noticed that there's a teen thread

My dd has another 3 years after this one at comprehensive and during this time I'm able to look for work between dropping her off and picking her up, to be honest the time restriction alongside only being able to work termtime has meant I've spent my time in various school support roles and it's becoming glaringly apparent that I just don't have the right personality for working in school as I've been left feeling taken advantage of, unsupported and unhappy in all of them, but I don't know what else to do

Anyway I'm digressing, my unhappiness with my job situation has had me thinking about how will it be when she finishes school, will it be easier for me to find work ie longer hours in college every day for her or much harder ie like when I went to college then uni when you probably only had 15 hours of lessons a week with various start and finish times.

I'm guessing the latter but if anyone has any experience and can shed some light I'd be grateful

Do you need to drop her off and pick her up? Surely she qualifies for school transport, even if the school is close to you?

Do you have a care plan, and has there been a carer's assessment? You could perhaps ask for respite care during the holidays which might allow you to get a different type of job. I'm no expert on this, but I think under the Children and Families Act and the Care Act 2014 there is much better recognition than there used to be that carers are entitled to a life of their own, and LAs can't assume they have to give up their lives to looking after their disabled relatives.

Your dd should at some point be moving to an EHC Plan which should also include detailed and specific provision for her care needs. At or before age 16 they should start begin planning for her transition to adulthood, which should include the process of transferring her to a care plan under the Care Act 2014, and a full carer's assessment for you. You might like to investigate residential colleges for her to move to post 16 - the LA won't like it, but there is a lot of emphasis in the Code of Practice on preparing for adulthood, and for a child like your DD that might include moving her to supported housing where she can learn to be more independent and possibly be helped to get a job. If you tell the LA that is what you want, they may view a residential college much more favourably because the cost of supported housing plus the cost of a day placement may well be comparable to the cost of a boarding placement.