The transition to adult services creates vast amounts of anxiety for families with disabled children as they are facing changes, new services, and new people. Diverse Abilities, Dorset’s Disability Charity, is now holding regular advice sessions to guide families through the process. 

Diverse Abilities supports children and adults with disabilities and wants to make the process easier for families interacting with all the services involved in providing their support and care. 

The next session takes place at Colten Care’s Bourne View in Poole on Monday, March 22nd between 10.30am and 12pm. 

The morning will include information from Diverse Abilities’ Advice Team on benefits, as well as advice from Matthew Billingsley at Rutters Solicitors on wills and wills with trusts. 

Rutters Solicitors, based in Shaftesbury, Gillingham (Dorset), and Sturminster Newton, has helped individuals and business clients for more than 180 years. The small firm prides itself on its personal approach and its provision of support and advice alongside legal solutions. 

Matthew Billingsley, Partner at Rutters, commented: “It’s an absolute privilege to support Diverse Abilities, and it’s great to be able to offer advice to families at this crucial time.”

Elaine Ewing, advice team manager at Diverse Abilities added: “It’s great to get out there and meet with families and help them to get the financial support they need. When children reach 18, their families are at a cliff edge, everything they have known in terms of funding and healthcare provisions ends, and the process begins all over again, so we’re here to help make that transition as seamless as possible.”

The advice session will take place at Bourne View Care Home, Langside Avenue, Poole, BH12 5BN. 

Those interested in attending are advised to register their interest by Monday, March 20th at diverseabilities.org.uk/transitionsdropin, where questions can also be submitted ahead of the event.