Information for Carers - Moving from Children's to Adult
Services.
Information for parents and other carers of disabled young
people 14 years and over.
This page tells parents and carers of disabled young people what
happens as they move from Children's to Adult Services. Young
people will have permanent and substantial physical or sensory
difficulties, severe learning difficulties, mental health problems
or long term illnesses. The page takes you through the way services
are planned in Children's Services to prepare young people for
adult life. It then says how Social Services assesses the services
the young adult needs and sets out what services are available. It
tells you what other, more detailed information, can be obtained
from Social Care Teams at Social Services
Offices.
For disabled young people the formal transition from school to
adult life begins at the age of 14. This is the stage when Social
Services has to decide which young people with statements of
special educational needs are disabled. The young person and
his/her parents are sent a letter to tell them that they can be
assessed for Adult Services before the young person is 18.
In the meantime the Education Department sets up a Transition
Planning Meeting which produces a Transition plan. The meeting
involves the young person, his/her parents, Children’s Services and
other agencies working with the young person. Social Services will
be represented by someone from a Disabled Children’s Team or the
Cheshire Deafness Support Network. The Transition Plan is then
reviewed each year.
Once the young person becomes 16, Social Services will arrange
for an Adult Services Worker to meet the disabled young person and
his/her parents. S/he will work alongside the Children’s Services
Worker for the next two years. They will liaise with Education,
Connexions and Health Services to plan with the young person and
his/her family. While the young person is 17 the Adult Worker,
either a Social Worker or Community Care Worker, will start talking
to the young person and his/her parents about the kind of help they
need and get information from the Transition Plan. This will
include Children’s Services Assessment, School Reports and Health
Assessment.
An assessment will be completed by the Adult Worker with the
young person and his/her parents. The approach of listening to the
young persons view will continue on from Children’s Services into
Adult's Services but now the Adult Worker must take into account
that the young person has the same rights as any other adult.
Full time education may continue and care services maybe
provided from a variety of sources. The Adult Worker called the
Care Worker will co-ordinate the plans including what happens when
education finishes.
Anytime after the age of 18 a new assessment of the young
person’s needs can be requested. Carers can also have an assessment
of their own needs.
Please see our page on what help social
services can provide for carers of children with
disabilities.
Anyone who looks after someone else regularly is considered to
be a carer. Carers can ask at any stage for an assessment of their
own needs, and for services to help them. Please ask the Care
Manager or contact your local Social
Care Team.
For all young people and their parents involved in Transition
from school, the information here will be discussed in more detail
as planning progresses. For more information you can contact your
local Social Care Team. More information about
how Social Services can help you when you become an adult is
available under Physical Disabilities and Learning
Disabilities.
