Teens+ – Transitional Education Extra Needs Support

About Us

TEENS+ is an Edinburgh-based, full time, transitional education project for young adults aged 17 to their 20s, with complex and severe communication needs, such as autism, who have left school and are entering adulthood.

We have over 30 fully trained staff members and one of the leading facilities in our field. We’re split over two centres in Edinburgh, Ravenscroft and Liberton brae which tailor to different groups.

The project runs for 4.5 days a week, Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 4.45 pm and on a Friday 9 am to 1 pm

TEENS+ is a unique service which provides further education, life and social skills, offer work placement support, transition to ownership of tenancies and lifelong learning, to young people who, due to their needs, would ordinarily be excluded from accessing any form of further education once they have left school. Our main philosophy is everyone is entitled to lifelong learning regardless of challenges.

How You Can Help

Donate

TEENS+ is a charity and we rely on the goodwill and donations of others to continue to offer the high standard service that we provide at the moment.

Find out more

Volunteer

TEENS+ relies on the good work and will of volunteers and we’re always looking for people to lend a helping hand.

Find out more

Our Services

Lifelong Learning

At TEENS+ we provide a service for young people with complex communication needs, autism & it’s complexities, and behaviours that challenge traditional services. One of our primary goals is to help individuals with complex needs to achieve their full potential through gentle, lifelong learning.

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Transitional Education

Our Transitional Education service at TEENS+ is designed to assist young adults who are not quite ready to take the step into post school education, work or to a new home. We employ a person-centered education plan that aligns with the needs and aspirations of our students, and provide the compassion to help see it through.

Befriending

Our Befriending service provides a continuation of the TEENS+ support out with the normal hours of our service operation. The service is tailor made and structured to each individual student and the family’s needs. From 24 hour support to 3 hour at the weekend we’re here to be flexible to your family’s needs.

Latest Updates

JUNE

97.3km Tour de Forth Cycling Challenge for TEENS+

Conor Dempsey, a friend of TEENS+ is taking on the challenge of the Tour de Forth to raise funds for TEENS+. Taking place on Sunday 2nd June 2019, this cycling event raises vital funds for locally based charities. Conor is taking part in ‘The Classic’, a 97.3km route that goes around the River Forth via the Forth Road and Kincardine bridges and finishes at Ingliston in Edinburgh.

Conor said “At 97.3km it will be by far the longest cycle I’ve ever done so please give generously using the Donate Now button to support the amazing work being done at Teens+. My work will be matching the donation amount up to £200 so everything donated up to that amount will be doubled! Please help us reach the target, as every little helps.”

If you’d like to support Conor in his challenge, you can donate via the link below;

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/conordempsey1?page=2#donationsList

Everyone at TEENS+ wishes Conor the very best of luck – and some kind Scottish weather!

Community Coffee Morning to benefit TEENS+

Thank you to Reid Memorial Church, West Saville Terrace, Edinburgh who are holding a fundraising Community Coffee Morning on Saturday 15th June 2019 10am to 12 noon. Admission is £2.50 and includes coffee or tea, cakes and scones. Everyone is welcome and funds raised will go towards purchasing resources for TEENS+.

MAY

We celebrate World Sleep Day with a presentation from CEO Jane Ansell

World Sleep Day is an annual celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. Getting the right amount of sleep is as important as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Jane used this day as an opportunity to present a lesson to our students & staff, highlighting the critical elements of sleep and how we can increase the quality of our sleep.

Research has linked poor sleep quality and lack of sleep to obesity, depression and impaired learning. This is particularly relevant at Teens+, as we place a huge focus on creating opportunity for our young people to learn everyday. Many people are falling far short of the amount of sleep they need each night which can have a truly detrimental effect on their physical and mental health. The Mental Health Foundation has stated that “sleep deprivation is a seriously neglected health issue in our population”.

To read more about the importance of sleep, and how to promote healthy sleep in children and young people, please see our sister website Sleep Scotland.

A Fantastic February Fundraiser at Pumpherston Bowling Club

On the 10th February 2019, there was a fundraiser held at Pumpherston Bowling Club in order to raise funds for Teens+. Professional singers gave their free time to sing at the event to raise funds, and a great time was had by many. The club committee & committee members gave up their free time also to come along and make this a fantastic event. We had many raffle prizes on the day and successfully raised the grand sum of £1700 which will be used for great things in our charity.

At Teens+ we recognise the importance of keeping in touch with the local community. Having a sense of belonging in our lives significantly increases happiness and well-being. This is something we implement in our workplace, and strive to promote with both our staff and students.

A Sincere Thank You to all ~120 people who attended. We hope to see more at our next fundraisers!