Compass is now freely available to young people, as well as their carers and the professionals who support them
A new digital platform to help young people with a range of additional support needs as they move into adulthood has been launched by a Scottish charity.
The app, called Compass, has been developed over several years by health and social care charity, ARC Scotland, with funding from the Scottish Government.
After a series of successful trials around Scotland, Compass is now freely available to young people, as well as their carers and the professionals who support them.
There are three different versions of Compass aimed at each of these three groups. The key aim of the app is to improve young people's experience of moving into adult life from secondary school.
Whereas for many young people leaving school often means a straightforward move to further or higher education, for young people with disabilities planning for the future can be a very complicated process requiring accessible, appropriate information and a tailored support package.
The charity says transition planning is a huge part of enabling the young people they work with to get the right support when they need it.
The software offers a one-stop shop which guides users through the various steps encountered before and after leaving school.
Alyson Smart is a mother of three from central Scotland. Her two younger children have additional support needs and Alyson and her husband have been making use of Compass as her son moves into sixth year.
“We asked to get involved in the trial of Compass and have already found it invaluable. Trying to find the right information for children like mine as they move towards adulthood is extremely challenging.
“In an ideal world we would know who to speak to and where to go but life with two young people who have additional support needs is busy and with Compass, all the information is in the one place.
“I’ve found myself sitting at midnight being guided towards the right places on Compass. It’s really easy to use. You complete one task and move to the next. My son, who has autism and a moderate learning disability, has used it too and he finds it very straightforward. It’s worded nicely also and there is no negative language.”
James Fletcher, director of ARC Scotland, said: "Young people with additional support needs and their carers face all sorts of challenges as they move towards adulthood.
"Finding the right information at the right time is critical and this is something which we, as an organisation which advocates for people with disabilities, have been working hard to address in the last few years.
"Compass was trialled with young people, as well as their parents and carers. They have helped to create the finished product to make sure it covers the things most important to them.
"Those involved have also used Compass to give feedback to their local authority about their own experiences of transitions and how they can be improved. We believe this is a significant and pioneering resource which will pave the way for other interactive platforms."
As well as supplying essential information for users, the platform also gathers feedback and statistics to enable local authorities to improve practice.
Ensuring young people receive holistic, co-ordinated support tailored to their specific needs and choices form some of the Principles of Good Transitions endorsed by the Scottish Government. However, according to the charity and the experience of those they support, these principles are not always followed.
It is part of a wider programme to improve transitions, led by ARC Scotland, which will enable local authorities to identify any gaps in provision and provide better support to empower young people who require additional assistance to live fulfilled and independent lives.
