The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) has published resources aimed at enabling young people to take greater responsibility for managing their own health conditions. This follows a Department for Health-funded research project, Managing My Way, which looked at the problems young people have getting involved with their healthcare provision.
The research identified a lack of continuity in care, particularly linked to changes in healthcare personnel, as a key barrier to young people’s involvement in the process. It also found that professionals were not communicating effectively enough in health consultations, and children and young people were not receiving comprehensive information about their care. Low expectations of young people’s abilities could also cause them to disengage from the process.
The CDC has developed a range of tools aimed at highlighting these issues and helping young people take greater control of their care. They include, an animation summarising what young people involved in the report said about their experiences of health services, and a poster for clinics, designed to encourage young people to get more involved in consultations. There is also a poster for clinicians which is designed to help health professionals consider the issues involved and gauge the level at which a child or young person may be able to participate.
The Managing My Way report and resources can be found at:
www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/resources/cdcs-resources/managing-my-way
