Council opening hours throughout Christmas
Some Westmorland and Furness Council offices will be closed over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays. Read the full list of Council opening hours during the festive period.
Moving from children's to adult services
This guide explains how young people move from children’s services to adult services and what support is available during the transition.
Transition describes the process of:
- preparing
- planning
- moving from children to adult services
It is a gradual process that gives young people, and everyone involved in their care, time to prepare for the move.
Transition
During their last few years at school, young people will be encouraged to start to think about their future.
The time when they move from school into adult life is called transition.
It is important to:
- listen to the young person and their family’s voice
- carefully plan any decisions about their futures
- make sure they feel comfortable in their local community so they can contribute to their local area
- make sure they have access to support from organisations that can help
Support for your family with transition
The Children with Disabilities (CWD) Team in the Local Authority (LA) will support young people from the age of 14 to 18 years.
The Transition Team also support young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or Special Education Needs and/or Disability (SEND).
If they are likely to need support from Adult Social Care when they are 18 years, the Transition Team can be invited to the young person's Annual Reviews from Year 9 onwards.
It is the responsibility of the school to invite a member of the transitions team to the Year 9 review.
The focus will be to ensure a smooth transition to:
- Adult Social Care
- new education providers
- employers
Making transition successful
Making transition planning successful for a young person, includes:
- the young person and their families being fully involved
- an assessment of the young person's needs
- regular monitoring/reviewing of the young person’s EHCP
- a range of services working together:
- from when the young person is 14 years (up to 25 years)
- to make sure the young person’s transition process is successful
Transition planning should be started early for young people who are in out-of-authority settings
The annual review at transition
The review is a meeting involving:
- the young person - some young people will need a lot of support and SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) can help with this
- their parents or carers
- the educational providers
- Children or Adult Services
- any other services that the family invite
The young person's school should arrange this review and a transition worker from Adult Social Care should attend the review from year 9 onwards, if required.
An action plan will be drawn up to make sure everyone knows what needs to happen to make sure the transition plan is successful. Action plans will be different for every young person.
If a young person is being educated at home, parents should contact Elective Home Education
The meeting should review all areas of need for the young person, including:
- education
- health and/or care support needs
- finance and benefit checks and/or support
- legal responsibilities
- supported employment
- social activities
- future transport needs
- housing
- long-term plans
The meeting may identify if specialist learning provision is needed.
The transition part of the EHCP records who has agreed to each action and when it will be done
The young person should be given:
- information
- advice
- guidance on sport and leisure activities
Health should identify whether the young person is likely to continue to have health care needs when they leave school or turn 18 years.
If the young person is Cared For in Year 11, then the Leaving Care Team will be involved. A Housing Officer should also attend.
The transition worker should:
- provide information about the young person to other adult services
- signpost to finance/benefit checks and make a pre-referral if eligible
When the young person is 17 years, they should be given information on post-18 opportunities and options appropriate to their identified needs.
After the meeting
The Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Team should get the information about the young person's needs from their school. If amendments to the EHCP are recommended, they will be considered.
If alternative options to education have been agreed, funding applications will be made in time.
Any referrals for respite should be made by the Social Worker or through a Team Around the Child (TAC) meeting (if the young person has a high level of need).
If the young person is over 18 years and working with Adult Social Care, they will continue to work together to complete the recommendations for the young person from transition reviews.