Corseford College is awaiting a funding decision
A unique charity-run college in Scotland has warned it has fears over its ability to stay open amid questions over future funding.
Corseford College is the only facility in Scotland dedicated to young adults with complex needs and disabilities.
Opened by Capability Scotland at a site in Renfrewshire in 2022, is aimed at those aged 18 to 25.
But now the chief executive of Capability Scotland has said Corseford should be brought into line as a fundable body, like all other further education colleges - supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
Brian told the Scotsman newspaper the charity has had to refuse applicants as a result of a person’s location, and that applications are already in for the next year.
He said that there is already demand for “satellite” sites, but that this could not be considered until Corseford’s future is secure.
Ministers initially agreed initially a two-year pilot programme, which was then extended by a further year.
Corseford gets by through a mixed funding model, which includes local authority support for those using the services.
But a Scottish Government grant of £346,000 per year has been frozen, leaving Corseford to plug the gaps themselves.
This shortfall is one of the reasons Mr Logan advocates moving to making Corseford a fundable boy.
He told the Scotsman: “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.
“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.
“I am deeply worried about the future of the college.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson told the Scotsman: “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.”
