Transform: Exploring Pathways and Barriers for Young People with Disabilities.
Research ReportAbstract
This mixed-methods study, funded by EPIC Futures NI, set out to explore the challenges and issues facing young people with special educational needs (SEN) as they transition from full-time school education into further education, training, employment or day-care provision. The study set out to explore the following key research objectives:
- To identify what provisions are available to young people with special educational needs (SEN) as they transition from full-time school education
- To critically examine the main challenges, gaps and barriers in the current transition process and the impacts this has on young people and their parents/carers
- To draw lessons and offer insights to policymakers and service providers to support the development of more coherent, equitable and effective pathways for young people with SEN as they move into adult life.
The findings from this study highlight the urgent need for change within the current post-19 transition process for young people with special educational needs (SEN) in Northern Ireland, as they transition from full-time school education into further education, training, employment or day-care provision. Across all strands of research within this study, young people with SEN, their families, and the professionals who work with them described a transition system that is fragmented, inconsistent and frequently unable to meet even the most basic expectations of clarity, continuity and access to meaningful opportunities. The evidence from the current study underscores the need to work towards transformational progress in how post-19 pathways are planned, delivered and evaluated. Overall, the findings from this study offer a clear insight into the diverse realities, challenges and barriers faced by young people with SEN and their families, and points towards the need to create a coherent and equitable transition system that genuinely enables all young people to thrive and achieve meaningful outcomes as they move into adult life.
The report also sets out 5 key recommendations:
- The need for a single, live, centralised mapping system
- The need for legislative reform and a statutory duty beyond 19
- The need for investment in the capacity of existing services
- The need for joined-up planning between government departments and agencies
- The need to listen to the voices of young people
