A commissioner’s view

By Ann Nursey, Transitions Change Manager, Oxfordshire County Council 

SCIE has been working with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to support them to understand and develop co-production.

Ann Nursey (centre)

Recently, some members of our Moving into Adulthood – Working Together group met with the Directors of Children’s and Adult Services at Oxfordshire County Council. The Council had asked us to help them improve support for young people with disabilities moving into adulthood. Our Working Together group of parents, young people and front line staff met 8 times in the last year, and we also talked with other people who couldn’t come to the group. We put together a presentation about what we think needs to change. 

We are recommending that the Council develops an all age pathway for people with disabilities in Oxfordshire, which focuses on developing independence and self-esteem across a lifetime. There should be a children’s disability team, a young adults team and an adult disability team. There should be information officers in the young adults team who link with schools and colleges. We would like there to be a team of staff who work short-term with people to help them become more independent in specific areas of their lives. We think health, education and social care should work more closely together, and move towards integrated health and social care services. 

Our ideas came from young people, family members, and staff who got to know each other in the group and talked openly about their different experiences. We all wanted to make services for young people better, so there was a strong sense of shared motivation, and learning from each other.

The Directors said they liked what we were recommending and they are now looking at further details, like what changes would need to happen and what it would cost. They will tell the Working Together group what they decide, and how the group can stay in touch with the future work.