Service use among school leavers with severe learning difficulties: the views of carers

School leaving is a time when difficult decisions have to be taken. Difficulties are likely to be particularly complex when the school leaver has severe learning difficulties. Carers of 61 young people living in one East London Health District were interviewed about their child's experience of service use at around the time of school leaving. The timing of school leaving appears to have been well handled, and the experience of those who went on to further education was positive. The school social work service was greatly appreciated. On the debit side, many informants were critical of the quality of short-term residential care. The commonest concern was for the prompt availability of day care. As in the few other studies of this subject, the impression that services appeared uncoordinated was given by carers.