More than somewhere to go.
Somewhere to belong.
For too many disabled young adults, the end of education can mean fewer choices, fewer opportunities and a shrinking sense of connection. The Collective is being built to create something different — a future shaped around belonging, purpose, participation and possibility.
Education ends.
Opportunity shouldn’t.
The transition out of education can change almost everything at once — routine, friendships, familiar support and the opportunities that make life feel full. For young adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities and significant physical support needs, the options available afterwards can be especially limited.
17.3%
Disabled young people who were not in education, employment or training moved into employment at 17.3%, compared with 44.6% of non-disabled young people.
Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Employment of disabled people 2025
401 vs 318
Milton Keynes City Council projects demand for secondary-age Communication and Interaction specialist places to reach 401 by 2030/31, compared with planned capacity of 318.
Projected gap by 2030/31: 83 places
This is a school-age specialist provision statistic, not a direct measure of adult day provision — shown here as evidence of growing local specialist-support pressure.
Source: Milton Keynes City Council, Specialist Provision Forward View 2024–25
94%
Of working-age adults receiving long-term learning-disability support where employment status was known, 94% were not in paid employment in 2024/25.
6% in paid employment
Source: Department of Health and Social Care, Adult social care activity report 2024–25
View sources & context
The employment of disabled people 2025
Measures the proportion of disabled and non-disabled young people who moved from being not in education, employment or training (NEET) into employment.
Read the full statistics (opens in a new tab)Specialist Provision Forward View 2024–25
Council projections of demand for, and planned capacity of, specialist school places in Milton Keynes by category of need. This is a school-age (not adult) provision measure, included here only as evidence of wider local specialist-support pressure.
Read the full report (PDF) (opens in a new tab)Adult social care activity report 2024–25
Reports the employment status of working-age adults receiving long-term learning-disability support in England, where that status was recorded.
Read the full commentary (opens in a new tab)Relationships
Friendships and familiar social networks can become harder to maintain.
Purpose
Days can quickly become centred around care rather than meaningful activity, contribution and choice.
Opportunity
Families can be left trying to fit the person into what already exists, rather than finding something designed around who they are.
The Collective exists because adulthood should open up new possibilities, not close them down.
Built around the person, not the system.
Our starting point is young adults who need a level of support that too often narrows the opportunities available to them.
Our first provision is being developed for young adults aged 19–25 with profound and multiple learning disabilities and significant physical support needs.
The aim is not simply to provide somewhere to spend the day, but to create a place where people can build relationships, make choices, take part and have meaningful things to do.
What specialist provision means here
Belong
Build friendships, relationships and a genuine sense of being part of something.
Create
Make, explore and express yourself through experiences that feel worthwhile.
Participate
Have real choices, contribute and take an active part in community life.
Be supported
Have the physical, personal and communication support needed to make all of that possible.
Specialist support should make more of life possible — not become the whole of it.
The first provision is where we begin.
It isn’t where the idea ends.
The wider ambition is to create more opportunities for disabled people to connect, contribute, create and live fuller lives — with support designed around the person rather than limiting what is possible.
Create
Opportunities to make, explore and express.
Connect
Friendships, relationships and community.
Contribute
Purposeful roles, skills and meaningful employment where appropriate.
Live well
Accessible support that enables people to take part in more of life.
For now, our focus is getting the first specialist day provision right. The wider vision will be shared as the work develops.
We’re building it now.
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1
Developing the model
Shaping what the first provision needs to be and how it should work.
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2
Building partnerships
Connecting with people and organisations who can strengthen the work.
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3
Establishing the organisation
Putting the right governance, safeguarding and foundations in place.
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4
Working towards the first provision
Turning the vision into something practical, sustainable and deliverable.
The Collective is currently in development. The specialist day provision is not yet operating and we are not currently accepting placements or referrals.