Healthwatch Tower Hamlets is carrying out a research project looking into local services supporting young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing or have low vision to transition to adult services and prepare them for adulthood.

What do we mean by transition?
According to the NHS website, young people between the ages of 16 and 18 with SEND, will start a “transition” to adult services.
This includes services in -

• Health and Social Care
• Mental Health
• Education
• Financial benefits for the young person and their family
• Work
• Housing

Planning for this transition should begin in Year 9 at school (14 years old) at the latest. The transition should be an ongoing process rather than a single event and tailored to suit the child's needs. The transition process may in some cases with complex needs last up to the age of 25 for young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.

The aim of the project
The project will collect feedback from young people aged 14-25 with SEND who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing or have low vision who have either started planning, are going through or have completed their transition from children’s services to adult services.
We are also looking to collect feedback from parents and carers of young people aged 14-25 with SEND who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing or have low vision. We will ask questions about:

• Planning for adulthood
• Accessing further education opportunities of their choice
• Transitioning from children’s to adult services
• Finding and accessing employment opportunities
• Preparing to live independently

This will help us understand young people’s and their parents and carers' experiences of the support they have received – what the services have done well and what could be improved.

The feedback will be used to make recommendations to improve the services to ensure young people with SEND who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing or have low vision are equipped to live as independently as possible and provided with the same skills and opportunities as their peers.

It is 100% confidential and anonymous and you do not have to answer any questions if you do not wish. If you have any questions about this survey, you can contact us by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0800 145 5343.

Healthwatch Tower Hamlets is your local health and social care champion. From Bethnal Green to Isle of Dogs and everywhere in between, we make sure National Health Service (NHS) leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. If you want to find out more about the work we do, please visit Healthwatch website.