CYP Now - Opinion: Soapbox - Disabled young people need help to be heard

Social inclusion and person-centred planning are concepts of good care practice we should all aim for. But for one group of people this is still an unreal expectation. Young learning disabled people in transition, from 14- to 25-years-old, are too often not included in their planning and review meetings.

The transition period of any young person's life is a time of manychanges.

In a transition meeting a young person needs to be able to freelyexpress what they want.

Department for Education and Skills guidance requires that a transitionplan must help the young person prepare for the transition to adultlife.

The process should be "participative - involving the young person in ameaningful way".

But from feedback we have received at the Sounds Good Network meetings,it is evident that many young people do not attend planning meetings.And even when they do, the culture of the professional meeting is seldomaltered to accommodate them and make them feel comfortable enough tocontribute. This is clearly wrong.

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