Agenda item

25.       Transition in services

25.1     The Director of Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) introduced a report on the Preparing for Adulthood Model. The Model had been jointly developed with CSD to support young people to transition between services and was built on four principles: education and employment; housing; inclusion; and health and wellbeing.

25.2     The Director noted that the transition pathway currently focussed on children supported by the Children’s Disability team, however there were plans to expand this to other children known to CSD with care eligible needs.

25.3     The Director of CSD commented that the transition process would be an area of focus in the upcoming SEND inspection and Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment.

25.4     The Committee asked questions and made comments on the following areas:

• Role of parents – The Committee recognised the benefits of this model for children and asked questions on how parents engaged with this process and their role in supporting their child to transition. In response, the Assistant Director (Operations) ASC noted the role of Link Workers in the Preparing for Adulthood team who had regular conversations with parents to reassure and support them through the process and relationships between parents and children were regularly reviewed.
• Eligibility for Preparing for Adulthood Services – The Committee discussed eligibility for transition support, including for care leavers and children not previously known to CSD. The Director of ASCH noted that the number of young people not known to CSD was very small, but ASCH used a person-centred approach to assess the need for care, including Care Act eligibility and statutory responsibilities, and the best approach for individuals. The Assistant Director Early Help and Social Care commented that most young people presenting to ASCH would be known to CSD through its partnerships with education and health as well as wider partners. The Assistant Director (Operations) ASC noted that work was planned to expand the Preparing for Adulthood panel to ensure a consistent service to all young people who may need support from ASCH. In response to a question about care leavers, the Assistant Director Early Help and Social Care outlined CSD’s specific responsibility to support looked after children up to the age of 25. Looked after children with SEND needs could also be supported through the Preparing for Adulthood pathway. Following further questions about eligibility for children with SEND, including those with an EHCP, the Assistant Director clarified that the pathway was specifically focussed on providing transition support to children from the Children’s Disability Service to ASCH; a child with an EHCP or SEND needs did not necessarily meet the criteria for this service, however there were other support services for children with SEND approaching adulthood. There was a further question about how young people were identified as eligible for support, including young people moving into the county. The Director of ASCH responded that there were multiple roots into support services, including through other local authorities, health partners and schools.
• Staffing – In response to a question about the number of officers employed, the Committee heard that there were 17 staff in the Preparing for Adulthood team.
• Employment and education support – In response to a question about employment support for adults, the Assistant Director (Operations) ASC noted that responsibilities under the Care Act included supporting eligible adults to access the community, including employment. The Committee asked about the relationship with education settings to develop young people’s skills. In response the Director of CSD noted that ambition for all young people was a core principle of the Council and there was support available to access to education, training and employment.

25.5     The Committee RESOLVED to note the report.