Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of vast physiological, psychological, social and contextual changes. Young people with service and care needs during this period need to move from child to adult systems and those with complex needs may have to repeat this move across multiple services. This process is often referred to as "transitions."
Transitions are not synonymous with the transfer between child and adult services, but is a multi-dimensional concept. Transitions have been defined as an ongoing process of psychological, social and educational adaptation, which occurs over time, due to changes in context, interpersonal relationships and identity. This process can be both exciting and worrying and requires ongoing support. 1Jindal-Snape, D. (2018). Transitions from Early Years to Primary and Primary to Secondary Schools in Scotland. In T. Bryce, W. Humes, D. Gillies, & A. Kennedy (Eds.), Scottish Education. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Evidence suggests that this can be a difficult process for young people and their families. Barriers to successful transitions, reported in evidence, include lack of support from adult services, poor co-ordination between services, inadequate planning and confusion around who is responsible for planning, lack of information on available options, and young people's voices not being heard. Furthermore, support for transitions seems to vary considerably between local areas.
Policy reviews and research studies offer various recommendations to improve the transition process for young people. Recurring themes include the following:
Co-ordination and collaboration between services;
Person-centred focus, involving the young person and their parents in decision making;
Starting the transitions planning process early;
Young people and their parents having a single point of contact;
Increased information about available options;
More support for families;
Dedicated transitions staff; and
Appropriate training for staff.
Policies and legislation in the areas of education, health and social care reflect the above recommendations to some extent. However, recent evidence suggests that there still remain gaps between policy and practice in transitions between child and adult services.
Much of the available evidence, as well as policies, emphasise the value of the Scottish Government Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach and the Principles of Good Transitions, produced by ARC Scotland, in supporting young people's transitions to adulthood. Both encourage a person-centred approach to planning, co-ordination between those involved in supporting young people, listening to the voices of the young people, and proactive strategies to support planning.