Enabling Dominic's voice and participation through the cocreation of an ‘I am’ Digital Story for supporting his post-19 transition from special school to adult social care

Abstract

Background: Transitions into adult services for young people with complex communication needs are often experienced as challenging and rarely include the voices of young people. Methods: We piloted a person-centred method to enable one young person's (Dominic) voice to be included in his transition to adult services. An ‘I am’ Digital Story is a short video (c.6 min) that provides a strengths-based representation of a young person that is designed to be shared with and between settings. The process and outcomes of story cocreation were evaluated through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Findings: The process of story creation was evaluated very positively by key stakeholders. The information about Dominic's strengths and preferences helped the new setting to prepare for Dominic's arrival. Conclusions: The ‘I am’ Digital Story method provides a powerful and accessible method for including the voices of young people with complex communication needs in their transitions.