First Published Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Disabled young people may face more challenges than their non-disabled peers during their transition from childhood to adulthood. They, and their families and carers, will require intensive support and person-centred planning around issues such as further education, housing, employment and leisure.
The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) has been awarded the contract to deliver the national support element of the transition support programme for Aiming High for Disabled Children.
The national transition support team, led by CDC, will work in partnership with relevant Government departments, local authorities, primary care trusts (PCTs) and regional advisors from a range of agencies to support the effective delivery of the programme. It will also support change at a local level through a combination of direct grants and regional adviser activity.
NAS Policy Manager Beth Reid said:
“I’m delighted to tell you that the NAS is part of the coalition that has won the tender to provide national support for the Government’s Transition Support Programme.
The Transition Information Network (TIN) coalition, which is co-ordinated by the Council for Disabled Children and of which we are a founding member, was awarded the contract.
The Transition Support Programme, part of Aiming High for Disabled Children, has £19million over three years to help local authorities improve their transition planning for young disabled people, working with a number of authorities in England to bring them to statutory minimum standards, and with others to develop best practice.
We lobbied the Government to get a specific focus on autism in this programme, and I’m pleased to say that this is now the case. We will be working with TIN to look at developing good practice on autism as part of the overall programme, particularly focusing on personalised planning and support.
Next steps include a survey of local authorities to identify those that will benefit from support through the programme, and support will begin in the new year.”
For more information visit:
The Transition Support Programme’s website: www.transitionsupportprogramme.org.uk/
Every Child Matters website: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/socialcare/ahdc/transition/
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