Transition Reviews

In personal terms, the transition process towards adulthood is similar for both disabled and non-disabled young people. However, one key difference is that disabled young people go through a very public and bureaucratic decision making process. Barnet professionals should be aware of this and adapt their approach to make the process more sensitive to the needs of the young person and their family. 

School head teachers are responsible for organising the annual review meeting and drawing up the transition plan. This responsibility is usually delegated to the school special educational needs coordinator (Senco). The main purpose of the annual review meeting is to check whether the support required by the statement is continuing to meet the learning needs of the young person. If it is not, then the statement may need to be changed.

A well managed transition review should clearly describe the wishes and aspirations of the young person and outline the support they need to enable them to achieve their objectives. This information forms the basis of a transition plan that sets out the commitment each agency has made and how and when the support will be delivered. The young person, their family and professionals can then use the plan to keep track of what can be a complex process.

When carried out well, the transition review process can help provide young people with the support they need, when they need it, so they can achieve their personal objectives and gain more independence as adults.

It is crucial that professionals understand their role in transition review meetings and how they can work with other agencies to support young people as they plan for their future.

Preparation for review meetings should be centred on young people's needs and how they will be supported to fully participate in the review process. Ideally, the meeting coordinator should find out where and when the young person would like to meet, who they would like to be present and how they would like to communicate their views. For families, the meeting format, style and timing need to be organised so they feel confident about contributing. Transition reviews need to be carried out in a person-centred way to make best use of this opportunity.

Schools can be creative in using a variety of communication techniques to enable disabled young people to get their views across.  Mapledown School uses a range of communication frameworks, including multimedia equipment, to record the views and wishes of students to be shown at their transition review meeting. Such methods are often used with young people who have complex communication needs and can also be used to support young people who are more able to put their views across. The transition review can be a daunting experience for any young person so preparation is the key to having a rewarding experience that stimulates further progress. If young people are enabled to think about what they want to say in advance and pre-record their views, having them played at the meeting can act as a springboard to a more fruitful discussion.

Creating a multimedia profile can encourage disabled young people to record areas of importance in their lives. Young people can make videos of their lives, everything they like doing, people who are important to them and so on, which can played in transition review meetings. 

 Year 9

The annual review of a statement of special educational needs (SEN) in Year 9 includes a transition review and starts the formal planning part of the transition process for young people with a statement of SEN. This annual transition review process will continue until they leave school.

A Y-gen adviser will attend the Year 9 review on behalf of the Connexions service and will draw up the transition plan with the young person. The Y-gen adviser will meet with the young person at the school before the review meeting takes place to discuss their plans for the future.  This meeting can be organised individually or with a group.

Transition review meetings need to cover a wide range of issues including practical considerations for continuing education after leaving school, employment or other options. Professionals at the meeting also need to listen to the wishes of the young person which may include anything ranging from using local leisure activities to finding housing or travelling the world.

Year 9 Actions

• Ensure work is undertaken to support the young person in preparing for the review.
• School sends letters to all people involved with young person who may contribute to the Transition Plan x months before review (x months for Health Service).
• School collates information and sends it out at least x weeks before the meeting.
• All Year 9 annual reviews should take place early enough to ensure discussion of KS4 options.
• The meeting must include a review of the statement and draw up a transition plan.
• Documentation is sent to all concerned [xx] working days after the meeting.

Who will be invited?

• Young person
• Parents/Carers
• SENCO
• Y-gen Advisor
• Transitions (Adult Social Care and Health) Coordinator
• Relevant School Staff
• Local Authority Representative
• Anyone specified by the Local Authority

Who may be invited - according to individual circumstances?

• Friend or other family member of the young person's choice
• Young person's social worker
• Short break provider
• Youth Offending Team
• Education Welfare Service
• Community/School nurse
• Specialist Nurse (Diabetes, Epilepsy)
• Physiotherapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech and Language Therapist
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Parent Partnership Service
• Advocate
• Relevant Voluntary Organisations

The transition review should cover topics the young person thinks are important and be based on their individual goals rather than simply focusing on existing services. The review should cover at least the following areas:

• ideas, aspirations and concerns about the future, including friendship and social activities;
• progress at school including achievements, plans to further develop skills and changing support needs (including physical and mental health, transport and preparing for independent living);
• SMART objectives for the following year (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound); and
• starting to plan how they may achieve their aspirations and the support they will need to do this.

A representative from children's social care services should attend the Year

9 review if the young person is in receipt of services. If it is likely they will need support in future from either children's or adult social care services, the service should be informed.

Many young people are likely to be receiving services from a range of health professionals. This could include a paediatrician, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, GP and physiotherapist. These health professionals have a key role in the transition planning process. This includes providing information on current health needs and possible future health support. They are required to submit written information to the Year 9 review and attend if necessary.

Taking part in the Year 9 review provides an opportunity for health services to start thinking about the transfer to adult healthcare services with the young person and their family. Ideally, these preparations need to be phased over a period of time to allow young people to adjust. They also need to be part of the formal transition review to ensure the process is joined up. The GP or paediatric and adult health services representatives need to be involved, either directly or indirectly.

Health action plans (or health plans) can provide a useful focus to bring together planning for all aspects of support from a range of health services. This too should be part of the main transition review process.

As a result of the transition review meeting in Year 9, actions should be agreed between the young person, their family, the school and other relevant agencies. On the basis of this, the head teacher has responsibility for drawing up a plan that clearly defines who is responsible for what and when actions should be taken. Y-gen holds responsibility for overseeing the delivery of this transition plan. This plan must be reviewed and updated each year, in consultation with the disabled young person and their family.