Family fear for son as college funding dries up

James has severe learning difficulties but his family say the college education he is getting is making a significant difference to his life

For the first time in his life, 20-year-old James has made friends.

He has been living and studying at a college which supports his complex learning disabilities, but his family worry the progress he has made over the past two years could be lost when funding dries up.

His course at Coleg Elidyr in Carmarthenshire - which provides specialist education for young adults - comes to an end on 15 December.

The Welsh government usually funds a maximum of two years education, and has said it could not comment on individual cases - but it has told the family it would not be making an exception in James's case, and his parents are planning to challenge its decision in the courts.

James's mother Lindsey says that since he has been at college he has gained confidence and become more independent

James's parents Neil and Lindsey Humphries, from Cardiff, said he should be given the chance to reach his potential and move on to a new course.

Seeing James do work experience stacking shelves at a supermarket near the college in Llandovery was beyond what his parents believed was possible when he started his foundation course in January 2023.

"He was so proud," they said.

Since being at Coleg Elidyr he has gained confidence and "purpose to his life", said his mum.

James lives at the college which is an hour and a half away from the family home in Cardiff.

"They go out to the pub and he has a pint of Coke and a packet of crisps and he can chat to his friends," Lindsey said.

"He didn't have any friends but now he has a great social life."

The skills James is learning at college will help him live a more independent life in future, his parents argue

James is autistic and has complex challenges, including high levels of anxiety and reading and numeracy levels equivalent to under five years of age.

But he has come on in "leaps and bounds" at college, according to his family, making more progress in the past two years than at any stage.

He has learned the concept of today, yesterday and tomorrow, says Lindsey.

"Now he can understand if you say ‘we're doing something tomorrow’ and he knows what that means and yesterday, he knows what that means, whereas before he didn't understand that," she said.

"That progress is huge for James because he's starting to make sense of the world and make sense of time."

The family argue the skills he has learned need to be reinforced and that an educational psychologist and independent social worker have come to similar conclusions.

His parents called the situation "heartbreaking" and said they faced a "cliff-edge situation" without an alternative plan in place if he had to leave the college.

"He doesn't know, because we can't tell him because we don't know what's happening," his dad Neil added.

James's parents Lindsey and Neil Humphries say their only option is to challenge the decision in the courts

Welsh government guidance said it generally funded specialist further education placements up to a maximum of two academic years, based on an agreed programme of study.

But lawyers acting on behalf of the family said there was room to challenge decisions about funding for James, and they were applying for a judicial review.

They said delays in rolling out the Additional Learning Needs Act left young people of James's age without the ability to go to a tribunal if they disagreed with decisions about support.

The law started being introduced in 2018, but will not cover young people up to 25 until September 2025.

“A huge volume of the population of the very most needy people in Wales have been left with a very restricted avenue of challenge, which I think is deeply inexcusable and frankly shameful," said Mike Charles from Sinclairs Law.

He argued there should be more flexibility over how long education for young people with complex needs is funded.

"People who have got the most profound difficulties will often require more than two years support - you shouldn't be comparing people with disabilities to the general population," he added.

The next step for James is not clear, but it could be a supported living placement in Cardiff.

His parents are ready to fight for him to carry on in education: "He's really come on and he's got much more to give," said his dad.

The Welsh government said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases.

"We have invested heavily into Additional Learning Needs education to ensure learners are supported in Wales."

Cardiff council also said it could not comment on individual cases but it fully understood the anxiety a family faces when a young person with complex needs finishes further education.

"Where a young person is not eligible for Welsh government further education funding, we will carry out a comprehensive individual wellbeing assessment so that we can identify their needs and put the best care package for them in place," it added.