Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Shane is 19 and lives at home with his mum who is his full time carer.
As he's now reached school leaving age, he has spent the last year working with Kate,
his Transition Coordinator, to prepare his next steps for the future.
Kate: Shane's name was mentioned particularly as someone to get involved with in transition
because Shane had experienced quite a negative transition really.
He had moved in to the local area from another area
and gone up to the local college and that unfortunately didn't work out for Shane,
and Shane was left really looking for another educational placement.
Then Shane moved in to Crownbridge School which was really successful.
So it was thought that transition planning would be beneficial for Shane
because he'd had that bad experience and no one wanted that to happen again.
When I first got involved with Shane he was at the stage
where he was already thinking about what he wanted to do after school finished,
and he had started to look at residential colleges.
Shane didn't want to look at local college because he had tried that and it had failed for him.
So Shane had looked at some residential colleges with some support from Careers Wales.
Shane had selected the college that he wanted to go to which was Star College,
and he was in the very early process of putting an application into Star College when I first met him.
Voice Over: The transition process is important in helping children and young people plan for their future,
and the process also gives them the opportunity to understand when and why
changes need to happen within their lives.
In a recent focus group, captured on video, Shane provided a really clear insight into why,
at the point of finishing full time education, he wanted to move onto a residential placement.
Kate: What’s your plan for the future?
Shane: Well, I want to go to Star College as well and I'm really looking forward to it
because they work on your living skills and I want to live by myself when I'm older.
And another reason is so I can get more physio to build my strength up a bit more.
Kate: We worked on transition planning with Shane
then we took that transition planning to Shane's annual review in school
where there are lots of other people who could support Shane in transition there at the school:
the Education Department, Careers Wales and obviously the school and Shane's family.
So that's when Shane's plan first came out into the open really.
Voice Over: Having Shane's plan to work to, meant that with Kate's support,
the professionals responsible for his health and wellbeing
could begin work to turn the plan into reality for Shane and his family.
During Shane's final term at school he was offered a place at Star Residential College.
Kate: Shane's had quite a supportive team behind him, supporting his transition plan.
Careers Wales have done a huge piece of work for Shane in getting the funding bid together
because the quality of that bid is really important for Shane to be able to get the funding.
Shane's Social Worker then has had to take the percentage
that Social Services need to pay to a funding panel.
She's had to put quite a lot of work into doing that,
and that was successful obviously as well for Shane to get his funding.
So there's been a lot of professionals in the background
that have worked really *** Shane's behalf.
I think school's played a huge part
and Shane has grown in confidence tremendously since being at that school,
and I think maybe without that support he wouldn't have ever been in the position
to even think about going away from home.
So I think they've done a really good piece of work with Shane as well.
Shane's transition to be a success has really depended upon a lot of people
in the background working towards this for him.
Voice Over: Initially, the main element of the work regarding Shane's plan
involved making sure that the funding was available to pay for the placement.
However, now that's been agreed, work on Shane's transition to residential college still continues.
Kate: Shane's recently seen his O.T. [Occupational Therapist] and she’s assessed Shane’s needs
and feels that he needs a new chair, so she's doing that part of the plan.
I'm also hoping to get some input into the type of Physio that Shane's having now
so all that information can go into the plan and go up to college with him
so people can just pick up with where he is now
and what his aims are for the future in terms of his physical needs.
Voice Over: Recently, Shane spent a week at the college which has proved really successful
in preparing him for the forthcoming move.
Shane: Well when I went there for the week they made me feel really welcome
so I wasn't so nervous and they've explained to me what's going to happen when I go there
and what time we have dinner and stuff like that.
Kate: He came back absolutely thrilled with the experience:
he couldn't wait to go and was really up for it.
I think it really focussed Shane on yes that is what he wanted
and it was the right place for him. That was really nice to see.
Voice Over: Making plans about how he'll stay in touch with those that have helped him make the move,
will also be really important when he gets to college.
Shane: Even though I think I won't be nervous I know I will.
I'll just pretend I’m not nervous so she [Mum] don’t get worried and start crying.
But I'll miss the old lady because she's been there for me all my life.
I'll stay in touch with my mum by texting, phoning and Facebook.
Shane's Mum: Plus I'll go and visit him because you can go there.
Shane: Because she's got to drop my X-Box off
Kate: When Shane goes to college I'm not quite sure how my role will pan out.
It depends upon how much support Shane needs.
I certainly hope to go up to college to see him up there and see him settled.
I know within the first few weeks Shane will have a review to see how that's going,
and I intend to be part of that and really to just keep in touch with Shane
and see how it's going for him and what he needs and what support he thinks I could be to him.
Shane's Mum: We could spend a day together but I'm not going to do that until I'm sure
that he's settled there and he's not going to get upset.
Kate: We're also as a transition project hoping to set up a Facebook page
because lots of young people have told us that's the way they like to communicate.
So I'm hoping perhaps we can keep in touch with Shane through that.
Voice over: Whilst Shane's taster week at Star College was really beneficial
in preparing Shane for what to expect when he gets there,
there is still some work that Shane and Kate will need to do before the move.
Kate: The next piece of work I’ll do with Shane now in preparation for his move up to college
would be trying to focus down on the nitty gritty in his plan:
the little things that can make a difference when he's there.
I've learnt through planning with other people
the things that can go wrong when they go away to residential college:
things like 'is it the right type of food', 'is it the right type of routine';
what are those little things that need to be in place
that are really going to make a difference and make him feel comfortable
and make that transition a smooth one.
Voice over: Transition has been quite a negative issue for Shane in the past,
but it's clear that being supported to make life changing decisions
has been really beneficial for him.
Shane is now looking forward to his move to college,
and the opportunities for improving his skills, confidence and independence.
Kate: I think this transition plan has helped Shane to focus on what he wants
and the different areas [of life], and also helped Shane to understand
who the different people who would need to support him are
in those different areas.
Voice over: Going to college will mean big changes for Shane, and changes for his Mum and family.
It's really important that family members are involved and can see the benefit of the transition plan too.
Shane's Mum: It's nice that you have a period of time
to introduce yourself to what are going to be major changes.
Shane: Whereas before I hadn't even thought about going to college,
transition has really helped me to open my eyes.