Children with Disabilities Team Social Care transition pathway
When a young person reaches 18 years old, they start to receive help from adult social care instead of children's services. This change of services is called transition. The information below shows what happens from age 14 to 18. You can also view the process in a visual `routemap'. Download the routemap here.
Age 14:
Young people likely to need support as adults should be flagged on to the tracking list and discussed at the regular meetings with Adult Social Care, the purpose of which is to ensure that that key pieces of work are completed and that they are on the right pathway for their needs.
Young people who meet children's social care Children with Disabilities Team (CWD) criteria are opened to the team at 14 years old and allocated to a worker to start transition planning. This will involve completing a person-centered Transition Plan and One Page Profile. There are four main areas to consider when preparing for adulthood:
- employment and education
- independent living
- community inclusion
- health
The plan will include what's important for the young person, their aspirations and wishes for the future.
Once the Transition Plan has been completed the young person will close to the CWD Team until they are 16 years old when the Transition Plan will be reviewed. If the young person accesses a care package via the CWD Team this continues to be reviewed annually by the Resource Allocation Panel (RAP).
Age 15:
Tracking meetings continue between the relevant teams on a regular basis. Young people can be flagged and added at any point.
Care packages continue to be reviewed annually by the Resource Allocation Panel (RAP)
Age 16:
Young people are re-opened to the CWD Team and allocated to a worker for Transition Planning up to their 18th birthday.
At 16 years and 6 months, referrals are made to Adult Social Care for young people already identified to CWD Team on the tracker to request a Care Act Assessment which will identify any care and support needs into their adulthood. It may be appropriate for some people with complex needs to be referred at an earlier stage, this will be decided at the tracking meetings.
The Transition plans are updated every six months with the young person and the care package of support continues to be reviewed annually.
Age 17:
Young people will be allocated to a named worker from Adult Social Care at 17 years old. It may be appropriate for some people with more complex needs to be allocated to an Adult Worker at an earlier stage, this will be decided at the tracking meetings.
The allocated worker from CWD Team and Adult Social Care will start joint working to support a smooth transition. This is to ensure that all the right people work together and information is shared.
At 17 years and 6 months, the worker from Adult Social Care will complete a Care Act Assessment. The young person's care package will be ready and in place prior to turning 18 years old. If the young person is in receipt of Health Continuing Care funding then the CWD worker will work closely with the lead professionals in Health and Adult Social Care.
Age 18:
A successful transition to adult care and support services are in place to provide on-going support into adulthood. The CWD worker will close the young person to children's services on their 18th birthday.
If there is a delay in the transition to Adult Care, support from Children's Services should continue to ensure continuity. If the transition pathway is followed, this should not be necessary. The adult care and support package starts on the young person's 18th birthday, taking into account the young person's strengths, abilities and wishes.
Children Looked After:
At 18 years of age most young people in care are supported by the 16 plus Leaving Care Team. All young people are supported by the 16 plus Leaving Care Team at Southend-on-Sea City Council until the age up to age 25 (if in education/training).
Once the young person turns 16, the Leaving Care Team will provide the young person with a Personal Advisor (PA) up to the age of 25. This role provides information and advice. Adult and Community Services (ACS) will adopt and be responsible for any primary social care needs or safeguarding of the young person.