A Transition Guide for All Services - Transition Information Network

The Connexions PA should seek the agreement of young peopleand their families to share information with the YPT group.For those young people known to Westminster Children andCommunity Services and placed in schools out of borough, theallocated social worker will ensure that the appropriate links arein place for planning the young person’s continuing supportservices once they leave school.Chapter 1: The transition processTransition reviewsPerson-centred approaches in transition reviewsIn using a person-centred approach in transition planning, professionals cansupport disabled young people to express what they would like to happenin their future, on their terms. For the purposes of the formal transitionreview process, this means putting the disabled young person at the centreof the process. They should not only be invited to the meeting, but theirplans, ambitions and worries should form the focal point of it. More onperson-centred approaches can be found on page 20.‘And they listened …’ Family views about doing transitionreviews the person-centred wayYoung disabled people and their families taking part in a pilot ofperson-centred transition reviews in Calderdale all agreed that theperson-centred format was a big improvement on traditionalreviews. Families found the review very positive, open andtransparent. They felt more confident with an independentfacilitator keeping the focus, making it easier for them to contribute.Meeting the facilitator and the Connexions personal adviser beforethe review helped everyone to prepare. One parent found it easier towrite things down than to speak in front of everyone.‘I felt the school had a different picture of Felix because of thereview. They listened to him saying what he wants to do andseemed more motivated to support him to achieve his ambitions.’ParentUsing the action plan as the focus of the review helped keepeveryone on track. Parents stressed that implementation of theaction plan was the real key to making a difference to their son ordaughter’s life.A recurring request from families was to have a key workerresponsible for coordinating the many changes that occur asyoung people plan to leave school and beyond.For further information: www.valuingpeople.gov.ukFurther examples of effective practice are available fromwww.transitioninfonetwork.org.uk14