Transition planning should start at least two years before a young person expects to leave school. All young people with additional support needs have a right to get help with transition planning, but how it happens is down to local services and organisations. So transition plans may look different and have different names depending on where you live.
Some parents report being told their young person doesn’t need a transition plan, or isn’t entitled to one, unless they have multiple and complex needs. However that’s misleading – Scottish Government guidance says a plan is essential for anyone who is at risk of not making a smooth transition to adulthood. If it’s difficult in practice to access formal planning, you can start putting a plan together yourself.
In this article
How transition planning works
Education staff should take the lead and coordinate planning when someone is under 16. They must consult the young person to get their views, and gather information from family members and other relevant people, such as healthcare staff, social services or support workers.
Education staff should arrange meetings to agree what needs to take place to allow the young person to progress towards their goals, and who will be responsible. These should involve you and your young person, and your views must be taken into account. You can ask for anyone who knows the young person well or who is involved in their care and support to be invited to the planning meetings. If they can’t come, they can send their thoughts in a letter or email.
If someone is home schooled, the education service still has a responsibility to be involved in planning and supporting transition.
Some areas have transition planning workers who are members of the social services team. They may be invited to meetings.
Local authorities don’t manage private schools, so they may approach planning differently. Here, parents will have to talk directly with pupil support teachers to agree how planning will take place and who to involve.
National guidelines say:
- Planning should start at least 2 years before a young person would normally finish school.
- Planning meetings should include representatives from all groups currently working with the young person, and those who may provide support in the future.
- Parents/carers should be invited to planning meetings.
- The young person’s own thoughts and ideas MUST be taken into account.
Many parents say they don’t know if a plan exists, or what’s in it. That’s a problem, particularly because:
- Families are usually the main source of ongoing support, through school and beyond. Parents are likely to play an essential role in putting a plan into practice.
- There probably won’t be anyone else to take over responsibility for the plan after someone leaves school. Most families find they need their own plan at some point to make sure young people keep progressing towards their goals.
Who should do what?
Joint responsibilities
Everyone has a role in ensuring young people with additional support needs can achieve their ambitions, desires and potential. No one profession has sole responsibility. Relevant legislation: Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2004, Section 2.
All young people with additional support needs have a right to transition planning. This should start at least two years before a young person expects to leave school.
Usually the school coordinates the process and invites other organisations to become involved as necessary.
If the school doesn’t contact you, ask them about the transition process and your involvement.
When a young person is home schooled, the education service still has a responsibility to be involved in planning and supporting transition.
If transition raises wellbeing concerns for a young person, tailored planning is a legal requirement under the Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) framework. Relevant legislation: The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014), part 5.
Education
Your child’s education setting and local authority…
- Should begin the transition planning process and ensure appropriate agencies are involved. Relevant legislation: Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 part 4 and associated guidance; Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 section 33(1)-(3); Children and Young Peoples (Scotland) Act 2014, regulation 3(2)a; Additional Support for Learning (changes in school education) Scotland Regulations chapter 6 paragraph 6; ASL codes of practice and sections 12 and 13 for post school transitions.
- Should ensure relevant information is available to other agencies at least 1 year before the young person is due to leave school. Relevant legislation: Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act (2004), section 12, codes of practice p.119, chapter 6, paragraph 31.
- Must tell any relevant agencies no later than six months before someone expects to leave school: a) the date they expect to leave; b) about any services the local authority may provide after they leave (for example social work services or housing); and c) any other information that will help agencies provide their services. Relevant guidance: Enquire factsheet “Education and Additional Support after 16″
Social work
- Should explore personal outcome planning with young people who meet the eligibility criteria. Relevant legislation: Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 (GIRFEC guidance)
- Should indicate a budget for services to enable planning. Relevant guidance: Self Directed Support guidance, paragraph 7.12.
- Should comply with requests for assistance to identify adult services (potentially 1 year prior to young person leaving school) if laid out in the Child’s Plan. Relevant legislation: Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, Part 5.
Adult services should assess any young people who already has a social worker by the time they are 18. For more information on needs assessments and agreeing a support package, click here.
Health services
- Should work with social work and social care staff to ensure information is shared subject to consent from parents or the young person. Relevant legislation: Education (Additional Support for Learning) Scotland Act (2004) and the National Institute for Care Excellence Guidelines; Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. NB: duties relating to information sharing are currently being reviewed.
- Health representatives should attend transitions planning meetings following an invitation from education. Relevant legislation: Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act (2004), sections 12 and 13.
- Should respond to a request for help to involve adult health services if asked (one year prior to young person leaving school). Relevant legislation: Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (section.40 (1) – (6))
Where to start?
Planning starts with helping the young person work out their likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. There’s no one way to do this. But it should make it as easy as possible for them to be involved. It should also include the chance to try things out by visits or work experience, to help with decision making.
Good planning
Good planning could include:
- A series of short meetings rather than one long one.
- Tailored career information, advice and guidance.
- Bridging programmes to familiarise them with college or training, e.g. day release from school. This can help establish what support they may need.
- Visits to career fairs and university/college open days.
- Work placements to get practical experience in different sectors.
- Referring to adult social work services for an assessment if they might require social work support after school.
- Involving other organisations such as charities for advice or to gather information
- Inviting staff from college or university to attend transition planning meetings
- Involving an advocacy service to make sure the views of parents and young people are properly represented.
If the school doesn’t arrange an opportunity to try something, you can reach out to organisations directly and request a visit or tour.
For college or university, phone and ask for the office that supports disabled students.
For work experience or volunteering, try asking people you know if your young person can shadow them or help out. Remember they may not be aware of the young person’s needs or know how to support them, so it will be up to you to make sure they have any information they need and maybe be on hand or on call just in case.
Many employers don’t know they can get help if they employ or train people with disabilities. You can find out what’s available on our Support into Work page.
Person-centred planning
This is the name of a very particular type of planning that is visual, colourful and looks at the whole of a young person’s life. You can find out more about it, and people who can work on a plan with your young person, by visiting the PCP Network Scotland
There is also a special grant available from ILF Scotland to pay for this kind of person centred planning.
Making a transition plan
What should a plan include?
What a transition plan looks like can vary a lot. Some regions use quite official looking forms. Others have colourful booklets with lots of pictures and simple language. Parents can ask to see the plan and be involved in the planning process.
Whatever a plan looks like, it should include:
- A profile of the young person – information about them and how their condition affects them, their likes and dislikes, maybe with input from key family members and friends.
- Any thoughts, plans or ideas they may have for the future
- Their skills, abilities and achievements
- The skills, abilities or qualifications they still need to get
- The support they receive now and where/who it comes from
- The support they will need, looking ahead
- A clear plan detailing next steps and who will be responsible for each one
- Timescales for actions, and for reviewing the plan.
It’s important to make sure your young person’s views are heard and taken into account, even if they seem unrealistic or you don’t agree with them. You can also ask anyone who knows them well, or who is involved in their care and support, for their views.
Things to consider
Lots of young people don’t know what they want to do in the future, so don’t worry.
- Start by focusing on who your young person is and what they want or need in life. What do they like? What can they do now, and how you can build on that when school isn’t there any more? Think about how they will spend their time, day by day.
- That could include college or training. But it could also be helping friends or neighbours, for example with shopping or gardening or looking after pets. It could be volunteering – people can sometimes volunteer for as little as half an hour and build up gradually. It might include an activity like swimming or painting. Think outside the box and make the plan about them, not someone else.
- Look for ways to develop their confidence and ability over time. Small steps are still progress! Keep encouraging them to do as much for themselves as they can.
- Social skills are important, so make sure the plan includes chances to develop those, too.
- Include any support they’ll need. Transport? Special equipment? A carer or befriender? It can take time to get the right support structure but it’s essential for the plan to work well.
- Don’t forget things can change! Maybe your young person tries something and it’s not for them. Perhaps you discover a new option. Or something just doesn’t work out. If the main focus of the plan is on the young person and how they connect with the world around them, it should be possible to change it over time without life falling apart.
How to make a plan
We have created some downloadable resources to help you with preparing a plan.
- Preparing yourself – a checklist of what to do, who to ask, and when to do it.
- Focusing on the right questions – a guide to questions for your young person to answer.
- Making your plan – a list of key points to consider.
- Setting goals template – help your young person set goals.
- Action plan template – a simple action plan template to help you make a start.
Tips for writing the plan
When creating a transitions plan, it can also be helpful to think about the following:
Write down short, medium, and longer term goals. These will be different for everyone, but a short term goal might be something like making own lunches or doing physio, medium might be learning to manage travel, and long term could be anything from trying a new activity to moving into their own home.
Focus on one goal at a time and work out what is needed to make it happen. Does the young person need to learn any new skills first? What support or equipment might they need? Does anyone else need to be involved? If so, who?
Think about a timescale for the short term goals. These will be steps on the way to achieving the others. Of course you can set timescales for those too, but that’s a personal thing – for some people that’s helpful, others find it overwhelming.
Write everything down. Check out life planning templates online or planning apps to find one that works for you – or use the downloads on the right, if they’re helpful. The important thing is to have something to refer back to.
Turn it into action. Write down who will do what to reach the goal, and when you’ll review progress. Don’t be discouraged. If you don’t progress as fast as you thought, just work out what held you up and plan for that next time.
Breaking large tasks into smaller chunks makes things more manageable and can stop you feeling swamped. It’s a good idea to introduce your young person to planning in a structured way where possible too, as a useful life skill.
Be flexible. Ideas change, new opportunities come up and sometimes things just don’t work out. That’s life. You can revise the plan as often as necessary to make sure it’s complete and up to date.
Plans you may come across
Coordinated Support Plan (CSP)
This is a legal document which specifies someone’s needs, their goals and the support they will receive. The school usually manages the CSP and everyone in it has a legal duty to provide the support specified. A young person doesn’t require one to be eligible for transition planning, but in practice it can help. Parents can ask their local authority for a CSP if their child is eligible. Criteria include:
- The education authority is mostly responsible for the young person (so they aren’t privately educated).
- Complex or multiple additional support needs are likely to last at least 12 months and they need high levels of learning support.
- Support needs are significant and can only be met at least two agencies (e.g. the education service and health or social work or another education authority).
Individualised Education Plan (IEP)
This is a non-legal document which helps identify the support someone needs to be able to learn effectively in school.
Child’s Plan
This may combine a CSP and an IEP.
Transition Plan
These may have different names, or form part of the CSP or IEP, meaning it can be difficult for parents to recognise them. Some names currently in use include “A Passport Workbook”, “PATHfinder” (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope), “Adult Care and Support Plan” and “Additional Support Plan”. There are many others.
Transitions timeline – who does what, when?
Laws and guidance from the Scottish Government sets out what should happen.
Under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, everyone who supports young people through the transition to adulthood must have the young person’s wellbeing at the centre, both during the process and in any decisions.
See a timeline that shows how the process should work if these duties are being met.
Compass
Compass is a digital tool ARC Scotland has created. It supports young people to explore what matters to them and share their thoughts with people they trust. It gives parents and carers a transitions timeline that shows where they are in the process and points them to key actions at each stage. The professional tool has guidance on the statutory duties that apply to transitions, and clarifies responsibilities. All three versions link to the best sources of information currently available, and are specific to Scotland.
Compass is free. Anyone who has additional support needs or who supports someone who does can use it.
Sign up to the right version for you.
Case study
Read how Mum, Kate, made sure that everyone who meets her daughter has the right information to support her properly. Case study: ‘making sure Laura’s voice is heard’.
Related information
Legal matters
How to support and protect the interests of your young person into adulthood.
Read more
Rights & responsibilities
The rights and responsibilities of everyone involved in transition planning for young people, covering legal duties, guidance, and best practices.
Read more
Health and social care transitions
Differences in service structures, legal requirements for consent and guardianship, and the importance of early planning.
Read more
Talking about Tomorrow
The key topics to think about as your child moves into adulthood.
