A Transition Guide for All Services - Transition Information Network

Ministerial forewordThe report Aiming high for disabled children: better support for families(DfES/HMT 2007) emphasized the Government’s commitment to improvingthe life chances of disabled children and young people, whose needs areoften complex, not well met or overlooked altogether. This guide providesan overarching view of all the services that need to work together to makesure that disabled young people get the support they require as they movefrom child, to young person, to adult. In many instances their transition intoadulthood will require careful preparation and intricate packages of supportput in place to help them.Our expectation is that this guide, together with Transition: getting it rightfor young people, which we published in 2006 and the specific guidancebeing published for health professionals and their partners, will provide acomprehensive map of the requirements, expectations and current goodpractice on transition at local level. Existing practices need to be built uponto make transition for disabled children and young people a fulfillingexperience. Getting transition right for disabled children and young peoplehas positive benefits not just for them but their family and friends too.We urge local service providers to take advantage of the momentum beingprovided by the Aiming high initiatives and the Transition SupportProgramme in particular, which is being developed and rolled out across thecountry between 2008 and 2011 to work efficiently and effectivelytogether.We owe it to all young people to enable them, with appropriate assistanceand support, to move along their particular path, towards adulthood andfuture independent living.Andrew AdonisIvan Lewisv