Hear from Hannah Lewis, SEND Employment Support Officer, about how the council is making sure young people don’t fall through the cracks when the placement finishes.
Learn about Aidas Macijauskas’ journey through a supported internship and how he’s now being supported by Shadia Abdullah from the Ways to Work team as he continues to build his career.
In Liverpool, as in all local authorities, the aim is clear: support young people into meaningful paid employment. The city offers a range of post-16 pathways tailored to different needs, and supported internships are a key part of that offer. These internships combine structured workplace experience with personalised support for young people aged 16–24 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The Liverpool City Council team design these internships around each individual.
“We provide tailored, focused placement opportunities for young people to develop in the workplace,” Hannah says. “We ensure each placement is a suitable environment with the right mentoring, using tools like Vocational Profiling and Empowerment Passports.”
Every intern receives one-to-one support from a dedicated job coach, with that support gradually tapered as their confidence and independence grow. Beyond the day-to-day, Hannah and her team look closely at trends from learner feedback — identifying common barriers and layering in wraparound support where needed.
Sometimes, an internship might not lead directly to a job, whether because no roles are available, or the young person needs more time to build their readiness. To bridge that gap, Liverpool City Council has integrated its Ways to Work team into the supported internship journey. Ways to Work is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region as the Lead Authority.
“This is a relatively new initiative,” says Hannah. “It emerged from our pilot programme for non-EHCP learners. As their programme is shorter, we recognised some learners required additional support and longer programme support.”
Now, Ways to Work coaches begin engaging with interns while they are still on placement, particularly where work coaches feel that continued development is needed. They explore career interests, build employability skills like communication and interview techniques, and help bridge the gap between internship and employment.
Once the internship ends, interns can access weekly support from the Ways to Work team and apply for roles including ringfenced Young Persons Grant Vacancies which are roles created with part-funding from the local authority to improve access to sustainable jobs.
One young person’s journey
Shadia Abdullah, an employability tutor in the Ways to Work team, first met Aidas Macijauskas while he was based at Liverpool City Council completing his supported internship as an admin assistant — a role he really enjoyed. Recognising that Aidas would benefit from additional employability support, she began meeting with him towards the end of his internship.
With a background in teaching and real-world experience as both an interviewer and an interviewee, Shadia’s role is to support young people build confidence and navigate the pathway to paid employment through understanding their disability and emotional needs.
She began working with Aidas while he was still on placement, offering tailored support to help him prepare for life after the internship. Since completing his internship, Aidas has applied for multiple paid roles and secured several interviews.
Aidas is actively looking for the right opportunity, and Shadia is confident that when the right job comes along, he’ll thrive. As she puts it, he’s well on his way — and it’s only a matter of time before someone “snaps him up.”
Joining up services
“Working in collaboration allows more resource and time being afforded to each learner. It also joins up services across the LA, working together to reduce NEET percentages across Liverpool.” – Hannah Lewis, SEND Employment Support Officer, Liverpool City Council.
One challenge Liverpool has had to overcome has been managing transitions sensitively between internship job coaches and Ways to Work staff.
“Trust and honest relationships take time with our learners, and our coaches spend a lot of time building these with our learners. A handover to Ways to Work, however person-centred, can feel like starting again and learners can disengage as a result. To counter that, we keep communication lines open, and coaches can attend more than one joint coach visit if the learner prefers this.”
The commitment to listening runs through every part of Liverpool’s supported internship offer. From regular parent voice sessions to learner feedback tools like the Outcome Star and Empowerment Passport, evaluation is built into the structure.
Looking ahead, Hannah sees further growth and localisation on the horizon.
“As local authorities become more confident in the model, I expect we’ll see more tailoring based on local partnership development relating to local growth sectors. I also expect an increase in numbers with growing awareness and local demand.”
Hannah offers two pieces of advice:
- “Building relationships with local authority and community partners can support our young people in a joined up approach across the city.”
- “Invest in follow-on coaches where possible, that can support learners progress beyond programme and maintain sustainable employment.”
Call to action for local authorities:
What happens after a supported internship ends is just as important as what happens during it. Liverpool’s approach is a timely reminder that post-internship support must be part of the plan.
Ask yourself:
- Do young people in your area know what happens next after their internship?
- Is there a clear pathway to support young people that are at risk of becoming NEET?
- Are local employment teams, colleges, and coaches working together to keep young people moving forward?
If not, this is the moment to act.
Raise the conversation in your SEND Employment Forum. Start exploring how follow-on support can be built or strengthened in your local area. Even small steps — like better handovers or shared coaching visits — can make a big difference.
Because the goal isn’t just a placement — it’s paid employment. And every young person deserves the support to keep going.
