Found in Transition

ABSTRACT

The journey to adulthood is complex and multi-dimensional. Young people may be independent in some spheres of their lives, but dependent in others. For young people with a disability, long-term condition, or mental health problem there are additional hurdles. As they move between health and social care services, they will find significant differences in expectations, delivery, and culture. At the same time, their own needs will be evolving. Despite a great deal of guidance on effective transition support, in 2014, England’s Care Quality Commission highlighted a shortfall between policy and practice. The result is confusion and frustration for young people, their families, and the staff caring for them. Seamless transition to adult services is by no means a universal experience. Here the authors offer two case studies that triangulate inter-related perspectives: those of young people, parents and carers, and the professionals involved in successful models of transition support. The case studies illustrate how the challenge of transitioning to adult services is actually experienced and how, despite some concerns held by young people, parents, and carers, well-planned and coordinated transitions can have positive outcomes for the families involved.

KEYWORDS:

• Disability
• long term condition
• mental health
• transition
• young people

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of the practitioners, professionals, and partners of the service improvement group focusing on children and young people with long-term conditions and disabilities at the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Clinical Network (now the North West Coast Strategic Clinical Network) who contributed to this project. In particular, we acknowledge the young people and families who generously and honestly shared their experiences in the hope that the project would contribute to the continuing improvement of transition support for young people with long-term conditions, mental health difficulties, and disabilities.