Information for parents and carers
Moving from children’s to adult services, and into adult life more widely, is one of the biggest changes a young person with cerebral palsy will go through. It can also be one of the hardest to prepare for, for young people and for the parents and carers supporting them.
Free to join. Built with families like yours.
UP has secured funding from the National Lottery to develop a UK transition programme. It is inspired by iGNiTiON, a transition programme developed by clinicians and researchers in Ireland, and is being reshaped for a UK audience with input from adults with cerebral palsy who have been through the transition themselves.
We are now looking for young people and their parents or carers to take part in the first run of the programme, completely free of charge.
What the programme covers
Young people take part in online group sessions covering the practical and emotional sides of transition, including:
- • Moving from children’s to adult health and care services
- • Understanding and managing their own health and support needs
- • Rights, entitlements and self-advocacy
- • Coping with worries about the future and managing emotional wellbeing
- • Building social connections and planning next steps
Alongside this, parents and carers have their own dedicated online sessions, giving you space to think through your changing role, ask questions, and connect with other parents going through the same transition.
Sessions are delivered by trained facilitators, including people with lived experience of cerebral palsy, with clinical oversight from a Clinical Psychologist throughout.
How it works
- • Delivered online, so you can take part from home
- • Weekly evening sessions, typically between 5.00pm and 7.00pm
- • Cycle One: September/October 2026 – January 2027
- • Cycle Two: February – April 2027
- • Separate groups for young people and for parents/carers, running alongside each other
Why we’re asking for your feedback
This first run is a pilot. We want to test the programme properly before we roll it out more widely, which means listening closely to the families who take part. In return for joining free of charge, we’ll ask you and your young person to share honest feedback as you go, through short questionnaires and conversations about what’s working and what isn’t.
Your feedback will directly shape the programme. If this pilot goes well, we hope to develop it into an ongoing service, which may involve a fee for future participants. Families who take part now will help build something that works, and will do so at no cost, in exchange for helping us get it right.
Why take part
- • Free access to a programme designed specifically for the transition to adulthood with cerebral palsy
- • Support for you as a parent or carer, not just for your young person
- • A genuine say in how this programme develops for families across the UK
- • The chance to connect with other parents and carers facing the same transition
Interested in taking part?
We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to find out more or to register your interest, and we’ll talk you through what’s involved and answer any questions.
Email: transition@upmovement.org.uk