Young people have a right to a good and positive transition, and this sometimes means navigating a range of resources, legislation and policy. Access to the right information is important and a right for children and young people as well as those with disabilities.
We know that parents and carers do not often have access to the information they need or know about support available to them. Where this information is exists, it is not always in the right format to support young people’s inclusion in the transition process.
With clear and accessible information, young people and their parents and carers feel more informed and aware of their entitlements to ensure their voices are heard and decisions are made with them.
Good practice means:
Young people, parents and carers and siblings should have access to information stating what support they are entitled to and what they can expect during the transition process. This should be presented in a clear and accessible way which is child and person-friendly.
This could be in a transition plan or when meeting with school partners, advocacy or third sector support.
The information provided should also include the options that are available to young people, parents and carers who are dissatisfied with the transition planning process or outcome. This may include complaints processes, legal advice or mediation to ensure that rights are being respected and upheld.
Young people should be able to make informed choices about which services they would like to support them. There will be a range of supports available in local areas which can be collated or mapped to ensure that young people, parents and carers are aware of them. This can be on websites, flyers or information provided at local transition fairs and events. Many local organisations, particularly in the third sector, are keen to be involved in delivering these events and have the capacity to improve the information available to young people and their families.
Services can include therapies, employment support, social groups or third sector organisations, and all practitioners can be involved in signposting young people and their families to these.
It is best practice to provide information in ways that are inclusive of the different communication needs of young people, parents and carers. This may include British Sign Language, alternative audio and video formats, assistive technologies, board maker and Talking Mats, depending on the individual needs of the young person involved. This approach is fundamental when working with people with sensory or impairment or communication support needs.
An essential part of managing transitions is working with other professionals and agencies. Raising awareness and promoting the use of BSL interpreters or accessible formats ensures that all services are inclusive of the deaf and blind community.
It is good practice to ensure that all information is, as far as possible, free from professional jargon. There should be clear definitions of the terms that are shared and agreed across all professional sectors. For example, ‘transition’, 'key worker', 'transitions co-ordinator', 'learning disability', 'disability', 'learning difficulty', 'outcome', 'positive destination' and 'person-centred' can have different meanings depending on the professional background of the person using them. This leads to confusion among young people, parents, carers and professionals.
It is important to find an agreed definition of the terms that professionals and agencies will use to describe level of need and support.
Long-term and sustainable improvements are most likely to be achieved with a joint commitment to improvement between agencies at a local authority level. Strategic leads can shape improvement through the use of data collection which evaluates:
This data can be collected through Compass and local authority reports available if a data sharing agreement is in place.
‘Principles into Practice’ is a programme to help those with strategic responsibility for transitions to design and oversee approaches that improve coordination across services. It has been widely adopted by local authorities in Scotland.
Contact us to discuss the support available.
