Philanthropy can make a big difference to charities that are ‘plugging gaps in government services’ and helping young disabled people to lead more independent lives, according to a new report from philanthropy and charity consultant New Philanthropy Capital (NPC).

The report, Rights of passage, says that many disabled young people who could lead independent lives are being ‘held back’ by a lack of funding. It says that private funding can be particularly useful to organisations that are:

• Supporting specialist transition services
• Championing low-incidence or acquired disabilities
• Supporting overlooked, ‘hidden’ disabilities
• Building the confidence and skills of disabled young people
• Challenging stigma, by campaigning to improve the accessibility of public facilities for disabled people

Clare Yeowart, author of the report said, “Charities like Mencap, Scope and Leonard Cheshire Disability are providing crucial support for families and young people when other publicly-funded services have failed”.

A spokesperson for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), said, it was 'committed’ to improving transition services for young disabled people.

“We recognise that the transition to adulthood can be a difficult time for some disabled people and their families and that is why we are working across government to address the issues raised in this report."

It says it is investing £19m in the Transition Support Programme (TSP) between 2008 and 2011.

“The programme is designed to ensure that all local areas meet minimum standards on transition by the end of the spending period.”

‘Minimum standards’ means that “Agencies supporting a young person’s transition to adulthood should be working closely together to provide more consistent and holistic support to disabled young people and involving them in decisions about their future."

Although there are over 600,000 disabled young people aged 14-25 in the UK, a 2008 survey by the Transition Support Programme found that half of all local areas in England had a transition protocol, which sets out how local agencies will work together to deliver an effective transition service, in place for young people.

The DCSF said, “The remaining half of local areas are now finalising their protocols for this joined-up working and we expect them to have this in place by March 2011 at the latest.”

Charities are ‘leading the way’ in developing innovative schemes to support disabled young people into higher education and employment, the NPC report says.

‘Unless the transition from childhood to adulthood is taken more seriously and the co-ordination between child and adult services improves, then the investment in disabled children made early on in their lives will be lost,' the report warns.

The report is freely available on the NPC website.