Redbridge families are telling us about the move from children's to adult services
Support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been in the national news again in recent weeks. Figures published by the Department for Education in June show that more than one in five pupils in England now have some form of special educational need, and that demand for the highest level of support - an Education, Health and Care plan - has risen sharply again this year. The government has also set out proposals to reform the system, which families and campaigners are following closely.
Most of that national attention has focused on education, and on Education, Health and Care plans. We are looking at something connected but distinct: what happens to a young person's health and social care support as they approach and pass their eighteenth birthday.
This point (usually called transition) matters enormously to families. It can involve new teams, new assessments, new buildings and new rules, often at the same time as a young person is leaving school. Families in Redbridge have told us this is a part of the system they want us to look at, so that is what we are doing.
Over recent weeks our Research and Engagement team has been carrying out one-to-one interviews and focus groups with parents, carers and young people. That work is still underway, and the themes emerging are consistent with what families across the country have been describing, as our report will feature parents describing the long, exhausting effort of trying to get the right help for their children.
We will set out what families have told us, and what we are asking local services to do about it, in a report to be published in September.
We are grateful to every family who has taken the time to talk to us. When children move onto adult services, the right support can make an enormous difference, and when things go wrong, the effects last a long time. Our job is to listen carefully, report honestly, and make sure local services hear directly from the people living with the consequences of how the system works. We will publish what we've heard in September, and we look forward to working with our partners on what comes next.
Cathy Turland, Chief Executive, Healthwatch Redbridge
There is still time to take part
If your family has been through the move from children's to adult services in Redbridge, or you are approaching it now, we would like to hear from you. Your experience will help shape what we say to the NHS, the council and other local partners. You can contact us at info@healthwatchredbridge.co.uk, everything you share with us is treated in confidence.
