Fund will help ease young disabled Scots transition to adulthood says James Fletcher

Public health minister Aileen Campbell and social security minister Jeane Freeman launched an important new £5 million fund aimed to help young people with disabilities to become active and included in their communities this week.

The Independent Living Fund (ILF) will provide short-term awards for young people between the ages of 16 to 21. This award is the latest development aimed at improving the help and support available to young disabled people who are making the transition to young adult life.

Many of these changes are being informed and led by The Scottish Transitions Forum, a national network of over 850 professionals, young people, parents and carers that is run by ARC Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government. The forum connects the experiences of young people and their families with those responsible for planning, practice and policy.

For young people with additional needs, such as disability, autism and mental health problems- and their families- the transition from child to young adulthood can be an uncertain and challenging time. This is not a single event, like leaving school, but a growing up process that unfolds over several years and involves many significant changes and young people gradually assume greater responsibility in their lives.

Despite the importance of this formative and (hopefully) exciting life stage, many young disabled people will experience a sharp reduction in the help and support available to them as they move from school or college or the transfer from child to adult services. This is particularly true as the funds available for health and social care services continue to be reduced as a result of austerity measures.

This has impacted on the eligibility criteria set by local authorities to determine who can receive funded support within adult services and what it can be used for. Many young people with additional needs, for example those with autism, will not meet the eligibility criteria to receive formal support.

As a result, the experience of transition is often described by young disabled people and their families as like ‘falling off a cliff’ or a ‘black hole’. Where support is available, practitioners from different sectors, such as health, education, employability and services often struggle to effectively coordinate and plan their efforts in a timely manner and partnership with young people and their families.

Young disabled people will experience a sharp reduction in the help and support available to them as they move from school or college

The good news is that the solutions to these challenges are known and set out in the ‘Principles of Good Transitions 3’, published by the Scottish Transitions Forum in January this year. These principles have been adopted by agencies across Scotland, including within a range of Scottish Government policy agendas and are starting to make a real difference.

The new ILF fund is a good example of this- we have been working closely with the Scottish Government, ILF Scotland and other partners to help shape the new award. Now it has been launched, we will be involving young people in the design, testing and evaluation of the award.

A recent national survey of young disabled people and their carers carried out by the Scottish Transitions Forum (Facing the Future Together: ARC Scotland) highlighted the additional challenges that many parents and carers of young disabled people experience as they support and observe their child growing up, and the grave concerns that many have for their future. More work is now required to address this.

However it also highlighted the high degree of optimism that most young disabled people have for their future and the contributions they can make to the world. Most are keen to venture into the next stage of their lives and, while some will require long-term input from health and social care services, others require only a small amount of well-targeted extra help to do this.

I hope that young people embrace the opportunities that the new ILF fund provides when it becomes live and that they use it in exiting and creative ways to achieve the things that are important to them and that it makes a lasting difference to their lives.

James Fletcher is director of ARC Scotland