Learn more about how we provide safe, quality care and the best experience for children moving to adult servicecs as part of the Local Account Summary.
Moving from children to adults’ services is a big step in someone’s life and we are committed to making this as seamless as possible for people. We have already made significant progress to improve the way people move from services and our new transitions panel, which was created in September 2021, is helping us to deliver this change. Our weekly multi-agency panel includes key representatives from children’s services, the adult transitions team, health and education.
The panel considers referrals for children aged 14 to 17 who are:
Young people who are supported by the children with disabilities team are automatically considered by the panel.
The panel oversees transition planning in the following areas:
The panel also provides consistent managerial oversight of the allocation of personal advisors when children are 15 years and 9 months. This is to allow for a personal advisor to be co-allocated, and for relationship-building and information gathering to take place at a much earlier point than it has historically, to help young people transition from cared for to care experienced.
The panel also provides a way to identify and track parent and carers who may need extra support while the child moves services. This is shared with the adult transitions team to ensure the parent or carer receives appropriate support when the child becomes an adult. A parent/carer consent form has been created for a transition pack and resource guide. Easy-read sheets outlining the key factors in relation to transition are also sent to parents and carers when the child turns 16 and this is co-ordinated through the panel.
Feedback about the panel from adult social care is positive, with one colleague saying it has had a very positive impact on communication between services, focussing on preparing people for adulthood. Carers are identified much earlier, ensuring more timely referrals.
The joint transitions protocol has been designed with partners and children and young people to ensure children’s and adult social care are joined up and there is a continuity of care.
A young person’s guide to transition has also been created, alongside a transitions guide and resource pack for the teams that support children (see appendix 2).
A preparation for independence strategy is in place which focuses on the importance of transition, preparing for adulthood outcomes and how social workers can reflect this in assessment and planning through a child’s life, regardless of their legal status.
The care planning pathway procedure has been updated to ensure that Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are included in the transition process.
During the next 12 months we are aiming to continue improving our support by:
jointly agreeing a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) in respect of transition performance
ongoing engagement in the becoming an adult steering group being led by adult services as part of the written statement of action response
renewed focus on mental capacity and best interests training for the children’s workforce
finalise our children’s DOLS workforce development plan
revision of the preparation for independence strategy in line with the work aligned to the written statement of action response
create a transitions guide for parents and carers
Talk to us about transition, and not when it’s too late!
What would make the experience better is that we are informed fully and clearly about what we should aim to do, what opportunities are there for people in our position and how we can achieve this.
A better planned transition between being a child and becoming an adult is important. [It is good] to have things planned in advance rather than be rushed.
Improving the range of opportunities and choice for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) when they reach 16 or transition to adulthood is a key area of our improvement journey.
An Internships Work project is funded by the Department for Education and will double the current supported internship provision in England. It is designed to support more young people with additional needs to have greater choice and control over their future, opening up opportunities that prepare them for adult life and independent living.
Supported interns are enrolled and supported by their school or college, but spend most of their learning time in a workplace as part of their course. Every young person is supported in the work placement by a trained job coach, put in place by their education provider, who provides in-work support that tapers off, if appropriate, as the supported intern becomes familiar with their role. Job coaches also work with employers, increasing their confidence in employing individuals with additional needs and helping them to create and support a diverse workforce. Internships are a great way to support people to learn a job and gain hands-on experience, while supported in their studies.
Internships work is a collaboration between the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), DFN Project SEARCH and BASE.
Torbay Council has been awarded a grant to support the development of a SEND employment forum and will work with local employers to increase the number of Supported Internship opportunities in Torbay. Using our baseline survey, we now have a Torbay local area action plan in place to deliver on the requirement of the grant and are working closely with our regional neighbouring local authorities in Devon, Plymouth and Cornwall on joint initiatives and good practice. We will be able to report on progress in the local account summary 2022/23.