Moving into adulthood and Adult Social Care
Moving into adulthood and Adult Social Care is known as a transition. This is a period which can be overwhelming for young people, their families, carers and other professionals and there can be uncertainty around the support which will be offered in the future. Care and support offered is determined on a person's eligibility under the Care Act 2014.
For those young people who are not eligible under the Care Act, the Local Authority have a duty to sign post to universal services that may be appropriate to meet their short and long-term needs.
The duties for the Local Authority are to assess the young person's needs and their careers in line with the Care Act 2014 and carry out a strength-based assessment of the persons needs to enable the Local Authority to identify any unmet needs that may require intervention.
Good preparation and planning will really help to make that transition easier, therefore referrals received as young as 16 years old are welcomed. Good transition planning includes everything that is needed to help a young person to achieve their outcomes and ensure their wellbeing. Ensuring the young person gets the right support at the right time is paramount to their wellbeing.
The young person will always be at the centre of the assessments taking into account their thoughts, feelings, aspirations for the future and wishes and feelings are listened to.
This applies to all young people from age 16 upwards with an Education, Health and Care Plan who are transitioning into Adult Social Care.
Information and advice available to young people, parents, carers and other professionals about the transitions processes and pathways will be provided by the team upon request.
The Transitions Team of social care professionals currently sits within the Community Team for Learning Disability East at the Civic Centre in Castleford. Referrals can be made for a transition assessment by contacting Social Care Direct on 0345 8 503 503, please ensure consent is obtained prior to a referral being made.