Supporting smoother transitions to adult services for young people with learning disabilities in Pembrokeshire

What is the project?

This project aimed to support smoother transitions to adult services for young people with learning disabilities and their families in Pembrokeshire.

It was developed by the IMPACT Centre in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council and combined evidence, collaboration and coproduction to strengthen support for transitions.

It engaged with professionals, young people and their families through a mix of online and face-to-face activities, including one-to-one interviews and a project stakeholder group – known as ‘Transitions Together’.

The council, alongside the young people and their families, also worked with two senior strategic coaches to understand what the key priorities were to support strategic change.

This work led to a number of outputs to support smoother transitions, including measures to encourage ongoing collaboration, steps to make information easier to access and understand, and the creation of new resources for families.

Why was it carried out?

The project was developed in response to Pembrokeshire County Council Adults Services’ commitment to improving the support available to young people with learning disabilities and their families as they prepare for adulthood and transition between services. 

To inform this work, the project drew on national and local evidence gathering, including a literature review carried out by the IMPACT team, as well as interviews with people with lived experience, local and third-sector organisations, services, practice professionals, and other relevant stakeholders. 

The findings highlighted that young people and families often face uncertainty, anxiety and difficulties navigating information and support during this period. 

This alignment between local priorities and the evidence gathered helped shape the project’s focus on improving information, collaboration, co-production and support for young people and families throughout the transition process.

The transition period can raise complex questions about things like: 

• the impact of the Mental Capacity Act
• health and well-being
• education and careers
• friendships and relationships
• financial independence
• future housing. 

Families can struggle to access the advice and information they need on these topics, which can make the journey difficult to navigate.

The project was carried out to improve the experience by ensuring: 

• clearer, more accessible information
• increased knowledge sharing on local service providers
• stronger multi-agency coordination
• sustained coproduction with families. 

It aimed to build confidence, reduce uncertainty and unnecessary anxiety, and provide smoother, more consistent pathways into adulthood.

When and where did the work take place?

The project took place in Pembrokeshire, working directly with Pembrokeshire County Council adult services. The team also worked with young people with learning disabilities and their families, multiple agencies and services, and local and national organisations.

It ran from September 2024 to August 2025.

Who was involved?

The project was funded by the IMPACT Centre, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Health Foundation.

What have they learned?

The project has contributed to improving collaboration, information and coproduction in transitions services.

One of the project’s main outcomes was to create the ‘Transitions Together’ stakeholder group to:

• gather and share knowledge
• build capacity, skills and trusted relationships
• work together in a safe space
• improve understanding of what works and what doesn’t
• increase coproduction and codesign
• create a sustainable, multi-agency approach to transitions from child to adult services.

Other outcomes included:

• creating a more accessible information platform on the council’s website, which was co-designed with young people and their families.
• collaborating with other national partners to deliver National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) webinars and DOSH money advice workshops to a wider audience.
• promoting respite and support options through new ‘service showcase’ sessions and stakeholder engagement activities and events
• creating a short film (‘I Can, I Will’), which was coproduced with young people and families living in Pembrokeshire, highlighting the needs for earlier conversations and the planned inclusive approach to transition. 
• developing new resources to help families self-manage transitions, promote well-being and feel more informed and prepared.

These outcomes have strengthened partnerships, improved knowledge sharing, and set foundations for more inclusive transitions support.