By Wyn and Nikki Evans, Angharad’s parents
Background, the challenge ahead.
This year our daughter Angharad (also known as ACE) moved up to Year 13 and set forth upon her final year at secondary school. This is the academic year in which she will turn 18; the year in which she applies to College; the year in which both her independence and her ability to work with others in a team will be tested in the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme Gold Award. Preparation for work will extend her focus to the post-school world.
In short, she’s now entering the finishing straight of her childhood. How prepared is she for adulthood, independence and work? How prepared are we, her parents, to let go of the reins and watch as she steers her own ship (to maul my metaphors)?
I propose to consider some of the ways that preparation for adulthood is being handled by us, her parents; by the school; and by voluntary organisations.
Parental roles
It is wisely stated that a parent’s main function is to prepare their child successfully to leave the nest. In that respect the whole of the past eighteen years have been a preparation for the changes about to face ACE. So let me limit this section to two new emphases that have landed in our parental in-tray.
LPAs
Helping ACE make and register a lasting power of attorney (LPA): for financial decisions; and for health and care decisions. The former would include running bank and savings accounts, making or selling investments, paying bills, and buying or selling her house. The latter include what medical treatment she receives such as life-saving treatment, where she lives, day to day matters such as diet, dress or daily routine. There are clearly going to be some areas where she has sufficient mental capacity to make decisions, others where she will need help and support. Now that she is turning 18, Angharad’s life is too important to be left to strangers to make decisions on her behalf. Too important also to be left in the hands of her parents alone. The LPA process goes some way to guaranteeing her all necessary advice and agency.
Driving and public transportation
For all sorts of reasons, it would be great if ACE never had to worry about driving and that all her needs could be dealt with through fast and reliable public transportation. Whitchurch High School run travel training – pupils have been on various trips (e.g. to Cardiff Bay and Bristol) to develop their confidence and proficiency in using public transport. This has been supported through Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway. But for those times when public transport is either unavailable or unreliable, we have placed ACE with ‘Young Driver’, an organisation offering hour-long driver training on private land. She has had three hour-long lessons so far and loves it. We think that it will take longer for her to learn the Highway Code than it takes her to learn to drive.
School roles
Angharad’s school (Whitchurch High School) runs many activities to help its young people prepare for adulthood and work. These include:
- The Year 13 Leavers’ Ball/6th Form Prom, which ties a bow around the school years and launches them out into a more adult world, one in which greater independence of thought and action will be required. All Year 13 pupils attend the Prom in Cardiff City Stadium.
- Craft fair – pupils use their practical skills to make various craft items, e.g. candles and costume jewellery, which is later sold at an event in the local church in order to raise funds for the school. This is a very successful event and involves collaboration with the local community. The pupils also develop their communication and money skills through working on the stalls.
- DFN project SEARCH Transition to Work Programme. This provides real work experience combined with training in employability and independent living skills delivered in a business setting to help young people make successful transitions to productive adult life. It is a partnership between a host business, education provider, and professional adult-supported employment provider. The goal is to provide full-time paid work for interns in an integrated setting. The project currently runs in the University Hospital of Wales and has seen past pupils gaining permanent jobs within the organisation.
- Work experience in the The Margaret Whittaker Coffee Lounge, where pupils gain valuable work experience through developing skills in money, stock-taking, cleaning and customer service.
- Insole Court – pupils gain valuable work experience at this local stately home through gardening, site maintenance and stock checking in the library.
- Panto – pupils have performed in Snow White and Aladdin on the stage in front of a large audience which developed their presentation, communication and teamwork skills.
Voluntary sector role.
The 21 Plus charity has been a mainstay of ACE’s recent development to being the happy, well-rounded young woman she is today. There are two specific groups run by 21 Plus that will continue to help ACE (and her parents) as she transitions to adulthood:
- Talk About is a youth group for young people with Down’s syndrome aged from 11-19. These sessions currently run fortnightly. During these sessions there is an hour of communication-focused activities, run by ‘Symbol’ trained co-workers.
- The Residential Camp for young people, aged 12-20, is an annual event. The camp offers intensive, specialist speech and language input from Symbol UK combined with a range of activities, including sports and drama, and the opportunity for the young people to spend time away from home in a safe environment.
Summing-up.
These are some of the ways that we shall be supporting ACE through the transition to adulthood and work experience. We recognise that other parents and guardians will have other priorities to ours and different ways of delivering them but we hope this has been of interest to you.
