INVITATION TO TENDER
NCBI would like to engage a consultant to undertake an initial piece
of focused research to assist in identifying the future direction of
supports required to ensure more successful and seamless transitions
from compulsory education for students with vision impairment in
Ireland.
The timeline for this research is 3 months and will include the
following
* Literature review on transitions for students with vision
impairment ? on how to promote successful outcomes
* Establish reliable data on the numbers of students transitioning
from 2nd level education across all the touch points
* Identification of the factors that improve a young person?s
chance of successfully transitioning or the barriers that impede it
* Content & qualitative analysis of existing NCBI data and narrative
from students
* Evaluate existing NCBI programmes that support transitioning
BACKGROUND
NCBI has long been concerned about the need for a comprehensive
transitional programme for students with vision impairment to ensure
that each individual student reaches their potential as they move from
compulsory education along their career path. It is now over **Apply
on the website** years ago since NCBI hosted the conference with Dr
Karen Wolffe, the internationally renowned author and researcher on
the skills for success in transitional planning for students with
vision impairment, so while it has been on our agenda for some time,
we have yet to succeed in supporting a comprehensive programme to
improve outcomes for all.
One of the goals of education is to assist students achieve successful
post school transition on a career path of their choice with a
significant number of research papers focusing on the specific
transition support needs for people with a disability and the
different models of delivery.
However, NCBI has a continuing concern about the preparedness of
students with vision impairment and the need for a differentiated
transitional programme as they face one of the biggest transitional
points as young adults. While we all recognise the strong corelation
between levels of education and access to employment, consequently the
continued under representation of students with vision impairment in
3rd level education and the lack of knowledge of representation within
further education, including community education and apprenticeships,
are two significant indicators of the need to look at THE PROCESS OF
TRANSITIONAL PLANNING.
In **Apply on the website** NCBI introduced a specific transition
programme for a small number of TY students based on international
research indicating transition planning for students with special
educational needs should begin as early as **Apply on the website**
years of age (Wagner et al., **Apply on the website**; Newman et al.,
**Apply on the website**). Intensive engagement in the first year (TY)
to support skill, information, and experience deficits specific to
students with VI, is then scaled back to a more individualised career
plan in the remaining two years.
However, for this to be impactful it needs to be scaled to meet the
broad spectrum of need of this student cohort and for that we need to
have reliable data on which to base resources required.
THE QUESTION OR THE ISSUE AT HAND
The lack of adequate preparation for transition from second level by
students who are blind or visually impaired has long been a concern
within NCBI. NCBI has initiated programmes to support change, however
all the research and data would suggest that this issue continues and
is impacting on the students choices and success of transitioning.
WHAT ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMES AND INTERVENTIONS CAN NCBI FOCUS ON TO HELP
BREAK THE CURVE?
The Action
Plot the current position of NCBI Service provision in context of need
and models of practice :
* What are NCBI SU?s facing (currently)
* What have NCBI SU faced and overcome in recent years
* What are the pressures facing NCBI teams from our current cohort
of SU (6th class to 5th year) what are the families asking for?
* What are the models of practice that are showing return nationally
and internationally
* Where does the work NCBI are doing in this space sit against those
models of best practice
OBJECTIVE OF THIS PIECE OF WORK
NCBI are looking for a paper that will map:
* The challenges facing NCBI SU?s who are or will be transitioning
out of 2nd level.
* The impact that can be delivered if NCBI doubled down on current
offering and developed models of best practice
* The impact, if NCBI scaled the current practices of NCBI C&YPT
* The journey NCBI should take to build a database that will
position NCBI for future practice development
TENDERS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO **APPLY ON THE WEBSITE**
THE CLOSING TIME AND DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED TENDERS IS **APPLY
ON THE WEBSITE** NOON ON THE?**APPLY ON THE WEBSITE**TH APRIL **APPLY
ON THE WEBSITE**.
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Type: Permanent
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