Enablement Scheme
The Assist Enablement Scheme – September 2026 to August 2027:
for young people with learning disabilities aged between 18 and 25
The Assist Enablement Scheme is a fully funded, fixed term programme running for a period of one year. It is aimed at supporting young people with learning disabilities aged between 18 and 25 to become more independent in their own lives and in their own communities.
Individuals accessing the scheme will attend Assist in Norwich for 3 days a week (Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 8.30am to 3.30pm) from September 2026 to August 2027, barring individual holidays, bank holidays and training days and a week’s closure of Assist between Christmas and New Year.
Note: Assist does not provide transport to attend.
Individuals attending the course will be supported to carry out a baseline assessment initially, which will involve the participation of family / support network members, as well as a visit to the family home or home of the individual and an assessment of the local community.
For this pilot scheme period, Assist can only accommodate 6 to 8 individuals onto the project. If successful, the scheme may be expanded in future years.
Eligibility Criteria
The Assist Enablement Scheme is suitable for young people with learning disabilities aged between 18 and 25 who:
a). Have the potential to travel more independently and/or be able to access work placements by the end of the 1-year enablement scheme,
b). Have the full support of families or carers – who are willing to work positively with the individual and with Assist in order to support the person towards greater independence,
c). Live within a 15 mile radius of the City of Norwich.
The Five Key Aspects of the Assist Enablement Scheme
The baseline and subsequent assessments will focus on 5 key aspects of the individual’s life, as follows:
1). Taking care of myself
2). Making friends and getting on with others
3). Taking care of my home
4). Getting around my community
5). Work, volunteering and learning
The assessments will consider specific aspects under each of these 5 main headings, in order to understand how much support that person needs in that particular area (ranging from full support to little or no support).
Person centred and strength-based programmes
Each individual attending the scheme will then be supported to engage in a wide variety of activities and groups at Assist and in the community, in order to build on their strengths and develop the skills they need to become more independent. The timetable will change 3 times over the course of the year they attend, to ensure that all aspects involved are covered.
Final report and recommendations
At the end of the year, individuals will contribute towards their own final report which will detail:
- Progress made under the five key areas
- Strengths that the individual has demonstrated over the year
- Potential for further progress in each of the five key areas
- Suggestions and recommendations for gaining greater independence in the future
Referrals
If you have someone that you think fits the criteria for the scheme please fill in the Enablement Scheme referral form attached and send to office@assist-trust.co.uk marked as “Enablement Scheme referral”.
Assist Enablement Scheme referral form
Assist can only accommodate 6 to 8 individuals onto the 2026 pilot scheme, so make sure all sections are filled in fully, giving the individual the best chance of being accepted.
Referrals deadline
The deadline for referrals for the September 2026 Assist Enablement Scheme is 5pm 30th June 2026.
Please note: Assist reserves the right to close the application process early if the scheme is over-subscribed before this date. A notice will be put on this website page and on all Assist social media platforms if that is the case.
GDPR Statement
The Assist Trust General Data Protection Regulations policy gives details on the ways that information is processed and stored at the charity correctly, according to the 6 main principles of GDPR:
- Information is stored in a fair and legal way.
- Information is only used for the reason it was collected – and those reasons need to be made clear.
- Only relevant and required information is collected
- Collected information needs to be correct and up to date
- Information is not kept for any longer than necessary
- Information is processed securely
Information that is gathered in order to safely carry out the Assist Enablement Scheme will be managed according to these principles. Copies of the full Assist GDPR policy can be found on the Assist website www.assist-trust.co.uk
