555 Service
Bespoke support
Our 555 Service offers urgent support to families of disabled young people aged 8 – 19 who are currently out of education.
This may be due to awaiting a suitable school placement, because the young person has been excluded, or because their current school place cannot provide the appropriate support.
We offer a fun, safe space at Challengers during the day where our highly trained staff help young people build their confidence, and prepare them for a successful return to school.
Service details
Challengers provides an environment where young people feel welcome and free to express themselves, and offers a temporary solution for parents in need of respite and support while their child is out of education.
- Young people can access the service for up to three days per week
- Available Monday to Friday (term-time only) for a minimum of 3 hours a session, but sessions can go up to 5 hours per day (9.30am – 2.30pm)
- Runs from Challengers Farnham Youth Centre (St James Avenue, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 9QF)
The length of stay with us is not only determined by the young person’s ability to reintegrate but also how quickly the local authority can find a suitable school placement. As we are not a school, success for Challengers is when a young person returns to an education setting.
Each young person has the staffing levels appropriate to the need to support them and enable them to go out into the community. All of our staff members are trained in behaviour management and managing complex health conditions.
Working with you
We work alongside parents, education providers and social workers to provide a bespoke support plan for each young person, and develop strategies to enable future facilities to appropriately support them.
This helps not only the young person, but also their family, teachers and any others who may be providing support, to feel empowered and create a positive relationship where the young person’s needs are fully understood.
Aside from impacting their learning, being out of school can really affect a disabled young person’s confidence and social skills. They may feel angry, upset or confused by a lack of routine and the social interaction that school provides, and can negatively impact their behaviour making it harder for them to return.
Our 555 service helps young people to maintain a sense of routine, continue to learn valuable life skills, and to feel positive about their return to education – whenever that may be.
Cress Robinson, 555 Service Manager
How to book
If you are a social worker or parent seeking a temporary
placement for a disabled young person,
please contact our team by emailing
555@disability-challengers.org, or call us on 01483 579 390.
