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Bridging the Divide at Transition: What Happens for Young People with Learning Difficulties and their Families?

Pauline Heslop, Robina Mallett, Ken Simons and Linda Ward, BILD, £10 ISBN 904082084

Ensuring that young people with learning difficulties have a smooth transition from adolescence to young adulthood is something that has been ascending the policy agendas of social care.

Indeed, if legislation, codes of guidance and models of good practice were observed and implemented, there would be little cause for concern. Unfortunately, this study shows there is a glaring gap between policy and implementation.

Here are the experiences of young people and their carers as they try to find a way through the maze of services in education, social services, housing, employment, social security and elsewhere. For the most part it makes for grim reading. Many young people do not have the statutory transition plan, and those who do seem little better off.

Overall, the report paints a disturbing picture of poor communication, inadequate co-ordination, official complacency and downright poor professional practice. Helpful suggestions for improvement are made, and this report needs to be on the desk of every professional involved in transition work.

Bob Hudson is principal research fellow, Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds