ALLIANCE response to the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill

The Bill aims to improve experiences of disabled children and young people in their transition to adulthood.

The ALLIANCE has submitted a response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s call for views on the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill (this link will take you away from our website).

The Bill sets out three key provisions to improve outcomes and quality of life for disabled children and young people across Scotland as they navigate these changes. These would require:

• the Scottish Government to introduce a National Transitions Strategy explaining how they are going to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people
• that a Scottish Government Minister would be in charge of improving opportunities for disabled children and young people moving into adulthood
• that local authorities implement a transitions plan for every disabled child and young person as they move into adulthood.

The ALLIANCE welcomes the overall aims of the Bill to improve experiences of disabled children and young people in their transition to adulthood and support the realisation of their right to independent living. We have heard repeatedly that children and young people’s experiences of transitions to adult services are inconsistent and can have a significant impact on the care and support that children and young people receive at a time of profound change and adjustment.

Our response makes recommendations to ensure effective implementation of the Bill. These include:

• that the Bill is underpinned explicitly by human rights and a rights based approach
• that adequate resource is allocated to ensure the duties outlined in the Bill are fulfilled by the relevant bodies and the rights of disabled children and young people are progressively realised
• placing a duty on Scottish Ministers to fully co-produce the National Transitions Strategy with the groups listed under section 2(3) at the outset (rather than consulting on a draft) and to work collaboratively to take views into account at the earliest opportunity
• that relevant experts – including BSL and language interpreters – are involved at the earliest opportunity to ensure communication and information provision is inclusive for all
• that the Scottish Government ensures robust and fully transparent national data collection patterns to monitor and evidence impact of changes to the transition process
• that the Bill should create a duty for systematic and robust data gathering by local and national public bodies, disaggregated by all protected characteristics, as well as other relevant socio-economic information
• that the introduction of a local authority transition plan should consider integrated information and data sharing between health and social care services, including third sector organisations, followed by principles of data protection.

You can read our full response via the link below.

Find out more about the Bill on the Scottish Parliament website (this link will take you away from our website). 

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