This document, published by the Welsh Assembly, gives guidance on special educational needs. Early years settings, schools and LEAs must have regard to it when considering a child’s special needs.

Introduction

Many parents feel anxious at this time, predicting poor services or a possible lack of choice for their children. The support they may have enjoyed through local parents' groups or local children's services may seem about to fade away. For these reasons, it is vital that parents and their children plan for transition as early as possible. It may be the case that you, as a parent, take the lead role in coordinating services and planning for the future, ensuring that you receive all information including minutes from meetings. This fact sheet aims to help by bringing together some of the main issues that parents and young people need to think about. It is written for parents and their children aged 13 and over, as 13-14 is the age when the transition process should begin.

Starting to think about transition

Leaving school and moving into adulthood is a challenging time for young people and their parents. What kind of choices exist and will they help the young person lead a fulfilling life?

In school year 9, the year in which young people turn 14, the Education Department will write to you informing you of a forthcoming review. This review will include the drawing up of a Transition Plan.

1. What is the Transition Plan?

'A Transition Plan should draw together information from a range of individuals within and beyond school in order to plan coherently for the young person's transition to adult life. Transition plans when they are first drawn up in year 9 are not simply about post-school arrangements, they should plan for on-going school provision, under the Statement of SEN as overseen by the LEA.' (Special Educational Needs Codes of Practice 9:51).

The Education Act 1996 states that the Local Education Authority (LEA) must include a Transition Plan in the first review after age 14. The Connexions Service in England or Careers Wales must be invited to attend this meeting. Both services are responsible for ensuring delivery of the Transition Plan. Social Services must also be involved so that any parallel assessment can be made. A Transition Plan should build on the conclusions reached and targets set at the previous annual reviews of a child's Statement of Educational Needs.

The process starts with a first review meeting, co-ordinated by the LEA, to which parents are invited on equal terms with professional staff.

2. The Transition Plan review meeting

All the local services must be invited to the review meeting:

• Social Services to ensure that the parallel assessments under the Disabled Persons Act 1986, the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 are carried out if appropriate.
• The relevant health authority staff
• Relevant education services
• The Connexions Service in England or Careers Wales.
• And, of course, parents, the young person and any of their friends or advisers.

Parents have the right to present additional and independent evidence at the meeting.  Ideally, all participants, including the parents, should have a copy of all the written reports beforehand and must know who is actually attending.

What the law says

All schools have a duty under the Education Act 1996 to have Special Educational Needs Policies, which take account of Transition Plan arrangements. The policies must name the relevant local professionals - for example the local health and social services should both have designated officers to take responsibility for statutory assessments.

The SEN Codes of Practice covering England and Wales make it clear that transition planning must include:

• What a young person needs to become more independent and confident
• What practical help or adaptations may be needed at home
• What special health needs require on-going support
• What the young person and family actually wants

3. Contributions to the Transition Plan

a) How parents can contribute

Parents have a vital role in collecting relevant information because they know all the important people and activities in their child's life. They also know what they may be able to do to help in the future and to understand some of the choices available.

It is helpful to make a checklist of everyone who has been working with the young person and who has information that will be important in the review meeting. Not everyone who is invited will be able to come to the meeting and so positive written information from professionals who know the young person well is vital in devising the Transition Plan. It is also helpful to think about your input as a parent and carer. How can you contribute to your child's personal and social development? Will your child's care needs changes, as s/he gets older? How do you see your child's future?