Co-ordinated and individualised transition planning for young people with complex needs

Effective transition services can help young people with long-term conditions, such as cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities to learn to practise self-care and develop healthy behaviours. But transition is complicated if multiple specialist services are required. This study raises awareness of transitional issues and families’ concerns. Young people with cerebral palsy express apprehension about losing the close relationship with children’s care. Research with this population describing their experiences of transition adds to this study. Other concerns described were a lack of communication between providers in advance of transition. Parents and young people describe their feelings of abandonment at the time of transition and adult services’ lack of knowledge about their condition. The diversity in transitional services across health, education and social work for young people with complex needs can only add to their anxieties. It remains to be seen whether National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for transition to adult services will increase the quality and consistency of transitional services (NICE 2016). Variation in transitional pathways across providers is almost inevitable with local adaptations of transition models, differing knowledge and experience of healthcare professionals, and funding availability. We need to know how this variation will affect young people with cerebral palsy moving into adulthood. A priority for improvement should be tackling the variation in transition. Individualised transition planning might improve the consistency of care