27th August 2026
Our NHS Supported Internship Pathway, winner of the 2025 Golden Apple Award for Best Inclusion Initiative, is helping young people build the skills and confidence to move into employment – against a national backdrop where fewer than 5% of people with a learning disability known to local authorities are in paid work.
At Kendal College, we believe every young person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, develop their independence and build a future they can be proud of.
Our award-winning NHS Supported Internship Pathway is helping make that possible for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), giving them the skills, confidence and real-world experience they need to move successfully from education into meaningful employment.
Delivered in partnership with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Westmorland and Furness Council and DFN Project SEARCH, the programme supports young people aged 17 to 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Learning in a real workplace
Rather than learning about employment solely in the classroom, interns spend an academic year immersed in real NHS working environments.
With support from specialist tutors, workplace mentors and job coaches, they undertake structured rotations across areas including reception, pharmacy, catering, portering, patient support services, medical records, sterile services, facilities management, retail and laundry.
This gives each intern the opportunity to develop practical workplace skills alongside greater confidence, independence and communication skills.
The impact of the programme was recognised with the 2025 Golden Apple Award for Best Inclusion Initiative, celebrating its success in helping young people overcome barriers and progress towards employment.
“Too often, conversations around young people with SEND focus on the barriers they face rather than the contribution they can make. These outcomes show what becomes possible when education, employers and specialist partners work together with a shared ambition. “Our Supported Internship Pathway isn’t simply preparing young people for work. It’s helping them build confidence, independence and careers that have real meaning. “Every young person deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and we’re incredibly proud to work alongside our NHS colleagues, DFN Project SEARCH and our wider partners to create opportunities that genuinely change lives.”
Kendal College Principal and CEO Jason Turton
Delivering stronger employment outcomes
The programme is particularly important when considered against the national picture.
Fewer than 5% of people with a learning disability known to local authorities in England are currently in paid employment.
By comparison, during the 2023/24 academic year, 57% of interns across the DFN Project SEARCH network progressed into paid employment, while 90% successfully completed their supported internship.
Across the North of England, 259 young people took part in DFN Project SEARCH supported internships, with 54% progressing into employment and 88% successfully completing the programme. Healthcare was the largest employment sector for graduates in the region.
Kendal College Principal and CEO Jason Turton said:
“Too often, conversations around young people with SEND focus on the barriers they face rather than the contribution they can make. These outcomes show what becomes possible when education, employers and specialist partners work together with a shared ambition.
“Our Supported Internship Pathway isn’t simply preparing young people for work. It’s helping them build confidence, independence and careers that have real meaning.
“Every young person deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and we’re incredibly proud to work alongside our NHS colleagues, DFN Project SEARCH and our wider partners to create opportunities that genuinely change lives.”
Strong partnerships, shared ambition
Our Supported Internship Pathway reflects many of the strengths highlighted in Kendal College’s recent positive Ofsted inspection, including our supportive learning environment, strong employer partnerships and the work our staff do to help learners overcome barriers and achieve their goals.
Kirsty Matthews, CEO of DFN Project SEARCH, said:
“We are delighted that our partnership programme with Kendal College, the NHS and Westmorland and Furness Council continues to go from strength to strength.
“We know that supported internships not only offer young people valuable employment opportunities and the chance to utilise their talents but help transform businesses and workplaces for the better. The evidence of our model is clear, our structured job coaching and support with employability and life skills has helped around 4,000 young people graduate from DFN Project SEARCH programmes so far.
“We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Kendal College, Westmorland and Furness Council and their local NHS Foundation Trusts, that proves what is possible when we invest in the potential of our young people.”
Steve Williamson, Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, added:
“We are absolutely delighted to see the continued success of DFN Project SEARCH at Kendal College and the life-changing opportunities it is creating for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. As an NHS organisation, we know that everyone deserves the chance to achieve their potential and enjoy the confidence, independence and sense of purpose that meaningful employment can bring.
“Through our work at Westmorland General Hospital, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital, we have seen young people develop new skills, grow in confidence and progress into paid employment, while making a valued contribution to our hospital teams and developing our own staff.
“What makes this partnership so powerful is the way it brings together education, health and local authority organisations with a shared commitment to creating opportunities and removing barriers. Their success stories show that, when people are given the opportunity to thrive, everyone benefits.”
Tim Farron MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale said:
“Everyone deserves the chance to build a career, contribute to their community and enjoy the independence that meaningful employment can bring.
“Programmes like this show what can be achieved when education, healthcare and local organisations work together with a shared commitment to removing barriers.
“I’m delighted to see Kendal College leading the way with this partnership. It is opening doors for young people across Cumbria while helping employers access talented individuals who have so much to offer.”
Creating more opportunities
As we prepare to welcome our next cohort onto the NHS Supported Internship Pathway, we are proud to continue working with our partners to create more opportunities for young people with SEND to develop their skills, realise their ambitions and build brighter futures.
DFN Project SEARCH is working towards an ambition of supporting 10,000 young people into paid employment by 2030, and we’re proud to play our part in helping more young people move confidently from education into meaningful careers.
Find out more about supported internships at Kendal College
