From Adolescence to Young Adulthood: The partnership challenge for learning disability services in England

Abstract

The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is acknowledged to be difficult for all young people, but the problems facing those with a learning disability will tend to be greater. This article identifies these additional difficulties, and considers the extent to which new policy requirements and expectations in England can address them. At the heart of this new approach is the need for partnership working between a complex range of agencies and professionals. What is at stake is not only a better system of support for some vulnerable young people, but also—in microcosm—the viability of partnership working as a policy tool for addressing complex issues.