Transition occurs when a young person leaves compulsory education and moves on to further education. Transition should be considered by education, health and social services professionals when the young person is 14 years, although in many cases a young person will not actually leave school until they are 16.

Adult social services resume responsibility for providing social care services when a young person turns 18, but they should be involved earlier to ensure a smooth handover. Changes of responsibility also occur within the health sector.

A statement of special educational needs should be reviewed every year. In academic year 9 the Connexions Service (or for Wales, Career Wales) should become involved in the review meetings. Connexions’ role at this stage is to co-ordinate the creation of the transition plan.

The transition plan should draw together the opinions of a range of professionals both from within and beyond school in order to plan for a young person’s transition. The plan should be reviewed annually.

In a pupil’s last year of compulsory education the local authority (LA) should arrange for a learning difficulty assessment to take place for students within this category. The assessor should work closely with the young person, the young person’s parents and / or carers and other professionals to ensure that the assessment of their educational and training needs and provision to meet these needs is accurate and evidence based.

Learning difficulty assessments should result in a written report of the person’s educational and training needs and a provision ‘action plan’ required to meet them. Your local authority should act on the recommendations made in the action plan.

Social services also play a role in transition planning. A social worker should attend the year 9 annual review and also contribute to the transition plan. The education authority should liaise with social services to establish whether a young person will need support when leaving school.

If children’s services have conducted adequate assessments with clear care plans in place, adult services may not need to reassess a person’s needs but may simply continue to provide what is already in place.

If clear assessments do not exist then adult services may decide to reassess needs. To ensure a smooth transition and to prevent support provision delay, children’s and adult services are obliged to work together throughout the transition process.

Health professionals should also attend the year 9 annual review and contribute written advice towards transition plans.

Good practice guidance suggests that a health transition plan should also be drawn-up in conjunction with relevant professionals and this plan should form an integral part of the overall transition planning process.

While transition can be a daunting time for many young people and parents, there is a wealth of guidance to smooth the process as agencies anticipate needs and work collaboratively to support a young person completing their school years and moving towards adulthood.

Related Links

Download our guide to participating in the transition planning process, Getting a Result!.

Find out about our transition support package