Time to Talk - Learning from the evaluation so far

Time to Talk is a six-month project (October 2020-March 2021) offering young people aged 16-25 in England with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) free, strength-based support online to counter social isolation and provide motivation to make plans for the future. The project is delivered by NDTi and CONTACT. The project was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is felt to have caused higher levels of anxiety and uncertainty for young people with SEND and their families, than many other populations. The project is funded by the Government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund.

This short evaluation report highlights impacts for young people and their families and professionals in the past 6 months. Based on the learning captured in the evaluation to date, it is evident that Time to Talk offers invaluable support to young people with SEND, their families and carers. It fills a gap in statutory provision, by providing responsive values-based support to young people that starts from what matters to them rather than critical need. As a result, Time to Talk offers young people flexible person-centered support where they have the time and space to talk about their situations, collaboratively find solutions and make plans in a way that matters to them, rather than a set of criteria.