Young people in East Lothian have a 'Big Plan' for the future

Young disabled people in East Lothian have been offered a ‘Big Plan’ to help them make the move from school into adult life.

Capability is working with Edinburgh Development Group (EDG) and East Lothian Council to pilot a new group approach to person centred planning, known as the Big Plan, with eight young people in the area.

Originating in New York, the Big Plan brings together young people who are preparing to leave school and supports them to form a ‘team’ or ‘circle’ of family and friends who they think can help them plan for a good life after school.

East Lothian Transition Co-ordinator, Catherine Dempsey, explains more: “Moving from childhood to adult life is always difficult but if you have a disability it can be even trickier. There are often a lot of different agencies to deal with and sometimes the young person and their family can feel quite overwhelmed by the process.
"The idea behind the Big Plan is that rather than planning in isolation, the young people are actually tapping into the skills and energy of the people who care for them most, and then sharing this with their peers, to help them all to think together about their future.

“Over a series of six sessions each young person works with their team exploring what they would like to do in their life. The sessions are activity based and fun, and support the person to explore opportunities which reflect their interests, dreams and individual talents and gifts. The family ’teams’ then share their ideas with the wider group, making connections and often building supportive relationships with each other.

“At the end of the programme each young person should have an action plan and be clear about how everyone in their team is going to support them to take their first steps towards their desired future.”

One of the young people participating in the Big Plan, Simon Simpson, explained what it meant for him: “The Big Plan has made me feel over the moon. It’s inspiring; we just express ourselves and people listen. We are with our friends.”

Mr Simpson, Simon's dad, said: "It's been a fantastic sharing of ideas to make these kids confident for the future."

Another young person, Fraser Pike, said: “Taking part in the Big Plan has been enjoyable for my family. It’s helped me to think about what I’m good at, I understand why I like doing things and why I do them.”

His mum added: “It’s been really nice to meet other people in the same situation as us. It’s good to know that we’re not alone. My son is getting to know other young people he can socialise with. The kids enjoyed using flipcharts and drawing, it’s all been positive and has made them feel involved in their future.”

Another Mum, Mrs Davidson, said: “The Big Plan has opened my eyes. It has made me see what my daughter is good at, and how she could use that in the future"
This is the first time the Big Plan for young people has been tried in East Lothian, however, it has been successfully introduced in other areas of the UK. The current participants will complete their sessions in February. Watch this space to find out how successful the pilot was.