Compass – Interim report published

Improving the experiences of young people with additional support needs of all kinds who are making the transition to young adult life.

ARC Scotland’s vision is to achieve real change that puts people with a learning disability, autism or other additional support needs at the centre of decision making, and in the heart of their communities. We believe this depends on everyone working together, sharing ideas and experiences, and learning from each other.

The Scottish Transitions Forum is part of ARC Scotland. It exists to improve the experiences of young people with additional support needs of all kinds who are making the transition to young adult life. 

About transition

“Transition” is the time during which young people (age 14-25) become young adults. It takes place over several years and involves significant changes and new experiences in every area of life. The transition to adult life can be especially tricky for young people with additional support needs and their families. 

We believe this transition should be as straightforward as possible, with young people and families at the centre of decisions that affect their lives. Principles into Practice is a framework to improve the experiences of young people aged 14-25 who need additional support to make the transition to young adult life, and their parents and carers. It helps everyone involved in supporting young people and their families to implement Principles of Good Transitions 3, which is Scotland’s national benchmark for excellent practice. It was tested in 10 local authority areas in Scotland over 2 years from 2021 to 2023. Information and reports on the trial are on the Principles into Practice website.

Compass helps young people, parents and carers, and professionals understand the transitions process better, and find useful information at the right time. It is free of charge and can be used in all areas of Scotland to help prepare and plan for transitions.

There are three versions of Compass – one for young people, one for parents and carers, and one for professionals. Each one provides information tailored to the individual user, based on their responses to questions asked within the tool. It also collects peoples’ views about transitions anonymously, to help make the process better.

You can find out more about the three versions and how to use them on the Compass webpage.

In this Interim Report, ARC Scotland shares early findings from the parent and carer tool as a taster of the information Compass will provide as user numbers grow, to inform discussions and practice development.

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