Impact of COVID-19 on transition planning for young people with additional support needs – and those who support them

Following our report Impact of COVID-19 on transition planning for young people with additional support needs: views of parents and carers, we consulted with Scottish Transitions Forum members to gather their insights through their own contacts with parents and carers of young people with additional support needs during and after lockdown.

We asked them to share their reflections, experiences and findings about life for young people and their families during the pandemic. We also asked what should be the key priorities and essential actions to ensure young people with additional support needs, and those who support and care for them, are not left behind in the search for the “new normal”.

The supplement bears out the findings of our own survey of parents and carers, in particular:

• disruption to transition planning; 
• impact on current and future finances and on budget allocation; 
• sudden major changes to personal care and support provision; 
• impact on mental and physical health; and 
• restricted access to education for young people with additional support needs.

In addition, it highlights the impact on services and service providers, also explored in ARC Scotland’s new report We’re All in this Together.

Together, these three reports paint a compelling picture of experiences throughout the pandemic, and identify clear actions and opportunities for change as services continue to respond in challenging and ever evolving circumstances.