Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership

Transitions: Preparing for Adulthood

The majority of young people successfully transition into adulthood with support from their families, communities, and universal services such as schools.  However, some young people require further support to prepare for adulthood.  For example, this could include support moving from a children’s service into an equivalent adult’s service, or support transitioning from being in the care of the local authority into an independent adulthood.

The transition of young people from children’s to adult’s services has been a key element of both the children and adults safeguarding partnerships, which has led to some significant progress and work to ensure ever more robust and effective transition  arrangements.

Whilst these service improvements for young people with an identified health and/or social care need continue, it is also important to recognise that not all young people who require additional support to transition successfully to adulthood will be eligible for, or require, traditional forms of formal support from adult services. There is therefore an increasing focus, by both the Children and Adult Safeguarding Partnerships, on the importance of how services can work together to support a successful transition into adulthood, for those young people who require some additional support.

In March 2019 the SSCB (now the SCSP) hosted a half day  learning event which aimed to meet some of the Practitioner information needs in relation to support for young people aged 18-25, both in terms of formal support from Adult Services  and newer emerging services that aim to meet a wider need. Below are links to some of the presentations given at this event together with a number of other useful resources. As work in this area continues we will add to the list of resource and information available.

• Sheffield Local Offer for Children and Young People Leaving Care; the support young people can expect from the Local Authority as they move from Care to Independence.

• Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25; statutory guidance for organisations which work with children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities. It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs.

• NICE Guidance, Tools and Resources; support beyond age 16/18 for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

• Transitional Safeguarding: from adolescence to adulthood; Research in Practice Strategic Briefing

• Transitional Safeguarding: Underpinning Legislation, Guidance and Key Concepts; Research in Practice Guidance

• Preparation for Adulthood Team (PAT)

• Preparation for Adulthood Planning Tool 

• Sexual Exploitation & Vulnerable Young Adults age 18-25

Other relevant information can be found on this website here: Information and resources or in the index on the left side of this page.

If you are concerned about a child or young person, follow this link: Referring a safeguarding concern to Children’s Social Care