At the age of 16 a young person who has a disability, and who may already have an EHC plan in place, may start to be supported by the council's transition team if they have social care needs and are eligible for council support in meeting these needs.
In Kensington and Chelsea the transition team work both with young people with learning disabilities, and with young people with physical disabilities.
In Westminster, the team work only with young people with learning disabilities. Young people with physical disabilities may be supported by Adult Social Care team.
The transition teams aim to support a young person with their transition into adulthood by exploring their needs, wishes and circumstances, and helping them to plan for their future. The young person, their family and their carers are encouraged to take an active role throughout this process to ensure they are properly listened to, and are at the centre of planning and decision-making.
The transition service or team is usually made up of both health professionals (such as nurses, psychologists or therapists) and social care professionals (such as social workers and support workers). The team bridges the gap between your council's Children's Services and their Adult Services departments.
The transition team will first complete an assessment with the young person and their family which will determine whether they have social care needs, and whether they meet the local council's eligibility criteria to receive support - you can find out more about the assessment process on our Requesting as assessment page.
If the young person is eligible for support following the assessment then the transition team will work with them to try to achieve positive outcomes in up to 4 different areas:-
- Health
- Employment
- Community Inclusion (meaning getting out and about and having the chance for an active social life)
- Independent living
The young person may be supported to achieve these outcomes in different ways, including through provision of the following types of support:-
- accommodation
- day opportunities
- employment pathways
- further educational support
- respite and other support for the young person's family or others who help to look after the young person
- benefits / financial support
- equipment
- signposting (information about other services which might be useful)
- re-ablement (support to become more independent)
The transition team can continue to work with the young person up until they reach the age of 25 (sometimes even longer), but will end their involvement earlier if the young person's care arrangements are settled.
