Guidance

Providing supported internships for young people with an EHC plan

Guidance on how to provide supported internships for young people with special educational needs and an education, health and care (EHC) plan.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 18 October 2013
• Last updated: 21 October 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 21 October 2025

     Revised the guidance to reflect recent changes, including the Education and Skills Funding Agency's closure, with activity moving to the Department for Education, and the update to study programme hours. Added learning from delivery, drawing on the experiences of local authorities, providers and employers that have been running successful supported internships programmes.

  2. 6 January 2025

     We have clarified, in the 'Access to Work' section, when funding for assistance to travel to work may be available to supported interns through the Access to Work scheme.

  3. 1 February 2022

     Updated the guidance on supported internships. There are no significant policy changes, but the updated guidance draws on the experiences of local authorities and providers who have been running successful supported internships programmes, and the 2020 Cooper Gibson research on supported internships.

  4. 21 June 2017

     Extended review date: DfE has reviewed and republished this guidance and confirmed it is up to date.

  5. 26 June 2015

     Added a link to the Access for Work website.

  6. 18 December 2014

     Updated document with EFA funding information.

  7. 2 June 2014

     Document updated to incorporate ideas and good practice identified from the supported internship pilot.

  8. 18 October 2013

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Supported internships

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Details

This guidance is about creating study programmes for young people with:

• an education, health and care plan
• a learning difficulty assessment or statement of special educational needs issued before September 2014

It also includes information about applying for Access to Work funding.

The guidance applies to:

• local-authority-maintained schools
• local authorities
• academies and free schools
• independent schools
• sixth-form colleges
• further education colleges

It will also be of interest to:

• local authorities as they determine their Local Offer, as required by the Children and Families Act
• other bodies, such as supported employment agencies, that may be working with a learning provider as a key partner