Young people want to have full lives with control and choices about their future. Our transitions team work with young people (14-25) who have complex needs and a range of disabilities, and their carers, to support them as they become adults.
You will need to make choices about your future and the support you may need, including; finding a job, where you might live, healthcare, and opportunities to become part of your community and make friends. We will work with you to help you as you move into adulthood with full details on services and how to access them.
The Care Act 2014 recognises that transition from Children to Adult Services comes at a time of significant change in a young person’s life, you can find out more on the GOV.UK website.
We provide effective, person centred transition planning including the provision of advice, information and support, to help you/your child to prepare for becoming an adult and to ensure they can reach their full potential and achieve their aspirations.
This usually begins from age 14 years old (School Year 9) but can differ.
Please note: Under the Children and Families Act 2014, children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) must start in year nine.
We can help with:
• support to access employment
• achieving a healthy life
• opportunities for further education and training
• details, guidance and advice on independent living (including choice and control over your life and housing options)
• Friends, relationships and involvement in local communities
• empowerment to help you reach your full potential
To achieve these outcomes we co-operate and engage with families, friends and the wider community and work together to achieve the best outcomes for young people, parents and carers.
All young people want to have full lives with control of their support and choices about their futures. This could include wanting to stay in your family home, or moving away to a new location to continue to develop your education.
The PfA programme work in partnership with Local Authorities to implement best practice from the earliest years for better outcomes for young people with SEND. There are three key strands of work:
We work in partnership with local agencies, schools and colleges to help and support you in finding employment.
Facilitated through Dudley Hub via Dudley College. The aim of the Talent match service is to provide young people with support via various activities to increase self-confidence, instil optimism and encourage growth.
Connexions offer a wide range of support for young people and their families with regard to accessing education/employment and developing necessary skills to support this.
You can read more on Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Health Care plans on the GOV.UK website, or further information on Preparing for Adulthood on the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).
Many young people will have health needs that require specialist support so when completing transition assessment social workers are encouraged to involve health in the assessment process. This can include: GP's, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapists and clinicians.
Further support:
The BCPFT's vision is to improve health and wellbeing for people of all ages across the Black Country. They provide a range of specialist health services for people with learning disabilities in Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.
NHS 'Continuing Healthcare' is the name given to a package of care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals who are not in hospital and have been assessed as having a "primary health need".
For more information about the Continuing Healthcare process please visit the Dudley NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). You can also access the National Framework for Continuing Healthcare.
There are a range of housing options, adaptions services, support and advice available to all Dudley residents. These include adapted and purpose built homes for disability needs and support living apartments for people with specific or complex needs. Our housing options advice is free of charge and we have a number of specialist services such as a Youth Hub for people under the age of 25 years old.
We are dedicated to helping you to be independent. Find out more about Housing options or contact Dudley Council Plus directly for support and details on how to apply for housing services.
If a young person/adult has been assessed as not having mental capacity to manage their own finances support can be considered to ensure that their finances are well managed.
You can find out more information on finance and money on the GOV.UK website or via our pages - direct payments and paying for care.
For local information contact Dudley CCG or find out more information on the NHS website on Personal Health Budgets.
You may also find our benefits pages useful for information on support and funding available for higher education and additional benefits, grants and schemes.
The NDTI (National Development Team for Inclusion) is a national organisation that support and promote the Preparing for Adulthood outcomes. It is a programme put together as part of the Delivering Better Outcomes Together consortium and aims to support young people to gain skills in order to support their transition into adulthood.
The NDTI Preparing for Adulthood organisation offer a range of programmes. One of which is Preparing for Adulthood, a useful resource for more information on person centred planning.
We will be continuing to work with the Department for Education and its partners to ensure that young people with SEND achieve paid employment, independent living and housing options, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion as they move into adulthood. View more on SEND Code of practice: 0-25 years.
Dudley Transitions Team
Ladies Walk Health and Social Care Centre,
Complex and Inclusion Service,
Ladies Walk,
Sedgley,
Dudley,
DY3 3UA
Telephone: 01384 813252
Dudley CCG, Continuing Healthcare Team
Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre,
Venture Way,
Brierley Hill,
West Midlands,
DY5 1RU
Telephone: 01384 322777
Email: contact@dudleyccg.nhs.uk
