Exclusive:Charity boss 'deeply worried' about future of Scotland's first college for people with complex needs

A key figure behind the establishment of Corseford College has told The Scotsman he is “deeply worried” about its survival.

The facility for young people aged 18 to 25, mainly school leavers, was opened by the charity Capability Scotland in Renfrewshire in 2022.

Brian Logan, chief executive of Capability Scotland, said it had followed “various attempts” in the past to address a major gap in provision in Scotland.

Previously, he said day care had been the only destination available after school for young adults with complex needs, unless they were able to travel to one of the more than 100 specialist colleges in England.

“We had identified that there was a gap there in the Scottish education system, for those individuals with the most complex needs,” Mr Logan said.

“In 2020 we started work really putting together a business case, working with the Scottish Government and officials within the Scottish Government, to make the case for a further education college - the first of its kind in Scotland for young people with complex needs.

“It took a couple of years to put that together and finally the Scottish Government agreed to fund a pilot programme for us at our site at Corseford near Johnstone.”

The college currently has 36 students across three year groups, and they come from around eight local authority areas.

Many of them have a combination of needs, with several using wheelchairs, some having learning disabilities, communications challenges, while there are students who have autism, some with challenging behaviour, and a significant number are non-verbal.

A total of 39 teaching and care and support staff are employed at the college, which is now located at a converted rubber and tyre factory in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire.

The Scottish Government agreed initially to a two-year pilot programme, and then extended it by a further year.

Mr Logan said there has been “significant demand” for places at the college.

“We’ve had applications from Fife, which unfortunately we’ve had to turn down because the travel distance for those individuals is just too great,” he said.

“We continue to receive applications for future years. I mean already, without any marketing whatsoever, we’ve had 17 applications in for a cohort for 2025/26.”

He said there had been discussions internally and with other organisations about developing other “satellite” sites for the college in different parts of Scotland, but these can not progress until the future of Corseford is secured.

The college receives a combination of funding, with young people funded by local authorities through care and support packages, and payments made to the college effectively covering care and support element.

Then there is a grant from the Scottish Government to pay for the education side, which has been in region of £346,000 per year, although the amount has been frozen, meaning Capability Scotland has had to use its own reserves to plug the gap.

Mr Logan said the best way to secure sustainability would be to make the college a fundable body like all other further education colleges, to be supported by the Scottish Funding Council.

He added: “If that is not possible, and I recognise that that would require a change in legislation in order to have our specialist provision recognised as a fundable body, then for it to be funded and for the Scottish Government to commit to funding on a long-term basis, whether that is coming from the education budget or other Scottish Government departmental budgets.

“In many respects, I don’t mind where the money comes from, as long as we are able to say to the students that are currently there, the future cohorts that are clearly there to come into Corseford College, and to our staff group, that there is a long term future for this kind of provision.”

Asked what will happen if new funding is not agreed, Mr Logan said: “We wouldn’t be able to continue to fund the college longer term. We have already invested nearly £600,000 of our own resources into the college over the three years.

“I personally don’t think it’s right that charities should be funding education provision, I believe that is a responsibility of Government, so there is certainly a question there about making sure that the funding is coming from the right source, for what is effectively a fundamental human right, that right to continuing education.

“So if that is not forthcoming from Government then unfortunately the college will have to close.

“We don’t want to return to a situation where Scotland is once again without any kind of specialist further education provision. We’re in the 21st century.

“The First Minister talks about every young person that leaves school having the right to a positive destination, whether that is employment, training or continuing education.

“We believe that there is a cohort there of young people that would be denied that opportunity, those with the most complex needs, arguably some of the most vulnerable people in the country. We shouldn’t be in that position.”

He added: “I am deeply worried about the future of the college.”

Unless new funding is found the college will run out of resources in June next year.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is vital that young people with disabilities and those with long-term medical conditions or additional support needs are supported as they leave school towards further study.

“Over the past three years, more than £1m has been provided to Capability Scotland to support the Corseford pilot for young people with complex additional support needs, delivering bespoke learning, physical therapies and life-skills development.

“An independent evaluation of the pilot will allow us to explore a sustainable approach to specialist provision going forward.”