Introduction
‘The more opportunities we have to make decisions in our lives, the more confident we will become. By making our own decisions we can accept challenges, understand risk and learn from mistakes. This is okay!’
I am Kiah Durham and I have worked with other people to help professionals understand what transitions mean to us and the young people we represent.
We believe it is important for young people to make their own decisions and think about the future, and be at the forefront of the decision-making process.
As we become older the decisions become bigger and potentially life-changing.
If families and practitioners support us, we will become more resilient. If we have a knock-back in life, it is important for us to keep motivating ourselves to achieve and succeed.
Transitions are often a difficult word for many young people to understand and relate to. Young people told us that they wanted to explore opportunities and it was important that this happened near where they lived. So, we designed a concept called “Choices for Life.” You can read more in our Choices for Life Strategy.
We felt that transition should challenge the people who work with us and support us so that we understand our opportunities. This should be a partnership between all of us. To help us progress into adult life and reach our goals, we want to challenge you to think about your future lives around these questions.
- How can I choose my next school or college?
- How can I find and keep a job?
- How can I live more independently?
- How can I find things to do in my spare time?
- How can I stay safe and healthy?
- How do I get help with housing?
- How do I get help with finances?
We have designed this section of the website to cover these things. My Important Stuff was developed by Harry Tavare, Young Person’s Champion, to be a place for you to add and save information about the people and support that is important to you without having to use the internet.
Update in progress
Alice Crockett, Young Person’s Champion is currently reviewing and updating this section.
If you have any suggestions use the feedback link at the bottom of the page or email localoffer@somerset.gov.uk.