Chailey Heritage at Transition to Adult Services Conference
14 March 2024
‘Elevate your Transition Pathways from Paediatric to Adult Services’ was the title of the conference organised by SBK Healthcare which took place at Etc Venues in Manchester on 12th March 2024.
The focus was on national practical approaches to enhancing services and exploring models for seamless healthcare transition.
The speakers at the event included:
- Jacqui Rogers, Transition Lead Nurse from Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust,
- Debra Stevens, Transition Lead from Birmingham Community NHS Healthcare,
- Dr Reza Zaidi, the Hon. National Advisor for Transition for NHS England,
- Paula Marten, Assistant Headteacher at Chailey Heritage.
Paula gave a presentation about overcoming the barriers of transitioning from NHS Continuing Care to Continuing Healthcare.
At Chailey Heritage, the service has developed due to our increasing awareness of the importance of CC/CHC funding for CYP. At CHF, we are ready to meet requests for CC/CHC assessments and a fast, efficient system is in place. Information is shared across services, with parents’ consent, and key members of the YP’s Chailey team are invited to contribute at the assessment itself. Guidance, advice, and information is made available to parents from the outset.
Assessing for eligibility for Continuing Healthcare is just one important aspect of transition to adult services. Judging by the discussion that followed Paula’s presentation in Manchester, Transition Leads from NHS Foundation Trusts around the UK have little contact with special schools in relation to this, although many do work with CYP who have complex healthcare needs. They welcomed the idea of receiving comprehensive information – written and verbal – to support an assessment, as is the practice at CHF and were impressed by the Foundation’s approach.
All professionals attending the conference agreed on the key components of practice to support a successful transition.
- Effective communication is essential – Jacqui Rogers mentioned that parents value a prompt response.
- An early start is advisable, allowing time for planning and readiness.
- One consistent point of contact for the family throughout the process helps enormously.
Overall, practitioners need to use their ‘professional curiosity’ to find out what individuals need, through times of change – transition cannot be supported with a ‘one size fits all’ model. As Dr Reza Zaidi explained, ‘emerging adults’ between the ages of 15 and 25 experience change in every aspect of their inner and outer lives. It is the role of professionals working for them to continue developing ways to help both them and their families meet the challenges that these changes present.
P.Marten
13.03.2024
