This page provides information for young people and their parents/carers about the process of changing from Children's services to Adult Social Care.
Transition: What is it?
Growing up can be complicated for anyone. This is also the time when you and those who care for you decide what hopes and ambitions you all have for your future.
If you use children's health and social care services, you may also move (transit) from Children's Services to Adult Social Care.
To make sure you have choice and control over your life, your supporting services need to plan. In some ways Adult Social Care and Children's Services are very different, and therefore your services need to pay particular attention to you as you move to Adult Social Care (when you are in transition).
To help you understand what happens when you are in transition from Children's Services to Adult Social Care, we have put together a year-by-year overview of the planning that you can be involved in as well as where you can get further information.
Transitions support from the Transitions Team
Transition workers work closely alongside social workers, education providers, Connexions, health professionals, and a wide range of voluntary and independent sector providers to develop future needs plans. These plans are built around the your needs and look at all aspects of your life, care and support needs.
Further information on the Transitions Team can be found in the Transitions Team leaflet (available to download / read on the right of this page)
What happens when?
Year 9 (age 13/14)
The first part of transition is the planning stage, which aims to bring together the different services who are supporting you.
Your school, health, social care and connexions services will work with you to identify your aims and aspirations for the future, the options and support that may be available to you as you prepare to leave school and when you have left school.
Children and Young People's Social Care may be able to offer you support with your transition to Adult Social Care. If you are not already in touch with Children and Young People's Social Care, your NHS or Education worker should refer you to them following your annual review in year 9.
Year 10 (Age 14/15)
You will be involved in a review of your education /careers and Social Care Plans. A specialist Transitions worker from the council might work with your support services to help them manage the transitions process.
Year 11 (Age 15/16)
All your service plans should be reviewed again this year to make sure they are still right for you (This will happen every year until you are 18). Your Children and Young People's Social Care social worker and transitions worker will work with you to develop your Future Needs Plan where we identify what services you might need as an adult.
Year 12 (Age 16/17)
If you have left school, your college or post-16 education provider should continue to review your education plans with you.
When you are 16, your money situation may change in a number of ways depending on your circumstances. Your service providers should make sure that you are getting the correct benefits.
So that adult services are ready when you turn 18, your social worker will work with you to draft an Adult Social Care or Support Plan and work out how much your care package might cost. They will also begin to help you decide if you want to manage your own budget when you are 18.
Year 13 (Age 17/18)
If your transition to Adult Social Care is very complicated, a member of the council's Transitions Team may take over from your social worker until your transition is complete or you reach the age of 25.
Your social worker/transition worker will work with you to complete your Adult Social Care ASC) Care Plan/Support Plan and make a referral to the relevant Adult Team. Your Adult Social Care worker will also talk with your parents/carers to find out what support needs they might have. If you have decided to use Self Directed Support your draft support plan and budget will be confirmed.
Adult Social Care will take over from Children's Services on your 18th Birthday.
Year 14 (Age 18/19)
All your service plans should be reviewed again this year to make sure they are still right for you. If you have left school your college or post 16 education provider should continue to review your education Plans. Workers from Adult Social Care will go with you to your final Education review.
Age 18 – 25
You might stay at school until you are 19.
If you are being supported by a Transitions worker they will let Adult Social Care know that you will be going to them a year before you go. After you have been using Adult Social Care for three months, we will check to see if these services are right for you. Adult Social Care will then check your services once year.
Further contacts for support and advice:
For further details of organisations that can provide you with support and advice please read the Transitions leaflet that is available on the right hand side of this page.