A Transition Guide for All Services - Transition Information Network

• lack of time or support to communicate (non-verbal)• no easy-to-read or accessible information is available.This means that the views of disabled young people are often notrepresented within these structures. Local authorities and partner agenciesneed to give further consideration to promoting the participation of allchildren and young people.Individual support to participate – advocacy‘For disabled young people with needs such as significant cognitive orcommunication impairments, the role of an advocate can be reallyimportant as the transition [to adulthood] can often mean change awayfrom those who know the young person and having to face unfamiliarpeople all at once.’ 39It is important for disabled young people to have a voice that is separatefrom that of their family. Advocacy support can often provide them with thehelp they need to independently communicate their thoughts andaspirations throughout and make the transition process less daunting.Chapter 3: Participation and further supportParticipation – young peopleEffective practiceA number of areas have set up specific projects to help disabled youngpeople to participate more fully in local community activity and specifically,in their transition planning. Advocacy services are used to support this workin a number of areas.Sunderland: City EqualsSunderland Youth Development Group is committed to workingwith disabled young people to ensure they can be activelyinvolved in decisions that affect them. City Equals is a group ofyoung disabled people who advocate for other young people,enabling their voices to be heard, understood and responded towithin the wider community, by linking into Sunderland YouthParliament, which in turn informs the Council’s work. All theyoung people in the group are going through the transitionprocess and much of the work they do helps them think aboutgrowing up and next steps. The group are also regularly asked bythe council to be involved in consultations about new services.39 ‘Moving intoadulthood: Youngdisabled people movinginto adulthood’,Foundations, Ref 512,Joseph RowntreeFoundation, June 2002Cambridge: Young People Speaking Up (YPSU)This service runs projects, campaigns and courses with 11–25 yearolds making the transition from school to college or work.Disabled young people are supported to explore their aspirationsand the options available to them, and then make some of thoseaspirations a reality. These aspirations and options are also fed48