The transition from childhood to adulthood is known as Moving On. The pathway for Moving On explains what should happen between the ages of 14 to 18 years (PDF) and 19 to 25 years (PDF).
If you have an EHCP, you'll start planning to move to adult services when you're 14.
Your school will organise a year nine transition review to help you and your family. They'll give you information and advice on:
Once you're 16, you can access:
If you need more help, your school or social worker will refer you to the Cheviots disability team and help with an early notification form. This will help professionals decide if you need extra support to move to adult services.
If you need extra support, you'll get a transition worker to help you complete a Moving On assessment. This lets us know what you want to achieve as an adult, including good health, education, employment and support needs.
Adult social care will work with Cheviots, so they will know about you and your needs for the future, as you move into adulthood. Not all disabled young people require services from adult social care, so it will depend on your needs.
A personal budget is available for young people over 18 who meet the fair access to care criteria. Money is allocated to meet your needs and help you purchase activities or support.
To find out more, visit adult social care. You should also find out if you’re entitled to any benefits.
It can be a worrying time when young people move from childhood to adulthood. The way they access support and services will change and it is important to be prepared for these changes. They will also be thinking about getting a job, moving into their own home and enjoying activities as a young adult. We aim to provide young people and their families with as much information as possible to ensure they make the right choices about their future. We hold the following yearly events to give you more information:
For more information on upcoming events, see our Moving On information booklet (PDF).
At our Moving On event you can meet providers who offer support for young people and their parents or carers once they become 18. You should talk to as many providers as you can so you know what your options are.
Watch our video to find out more.
Organisations you can meet at the event include:
For more information visit going to college and university, getting a job and living independently.
We will:
Find out what it’s like to attend college by watching our I Learn film below, which shows a day in the life of a young man who attends Barnet and Southgate College:
If you have learning difficulties or disabilities and want to go to college, you should find out what courses your local colleges offer and look at their SEN information report. This will tell you what reasonable adjustments they can make so you can access the course. You should also:
Our local colleges are:
To find out if we can help with travel and transport, see our travel assistance page.
For more information on colleges, courses and qualifications for 14 to 19 year-olds, visit GOV.UK.
As a higher education student living in England, you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you have a disability, including a:
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
If you're aged 16 to 25 and unhappy with the help you get at your school or college for your special educational needs or disability, you can find out how to get more help by visiting Department of Education.
Independent living is when you live in your own home, by yourself or with others. This gives you all the care and support you need to live as independently as possible. If you are eligible for Adult Social Care, we will work with you to make sure you have a safe, appropriate accommodation and a package of care that meets your needs, and where possible is in your local community, giving you access to your family and friends.
The different options to help you live more independently are described below:
This means you will be given the help and support you need to enable you to live independently. For example you could live in a flat on your own or share with others and have 24-hour care, or you could live in a flat and just get some help and support with things like paying your bills and cooking a meal.
An assured tenancy means you have housing rights and this provides you with more security. We will always try as a first option to ensure that any accommodation package includes an assured tenancy.
This scheme places young people leaving home or leaving care who wish to be settled within a family environment. These are usually homeowners who have a room to spare and it is seen as a stepping stone to leaving home and living independently. The APS is designed to meet the needs of young and old people and can consist of a carer who is single, married couple, two partners etc.
If you would like to access social housing you need to put your name on the housing register. There are criteria and you have to be awarded enough points to be able to bid for a suitable property. Your name should firstly be brought before the Accommodation Board to decide if there are any opportunities within local Supported Living placements.
Although private rental is an option it is not always the best option as it is not always possible to get an 'assured tenancy' and you do not always have long-term housing rights.
There are some limited opportunities for shared ownership which can be explored. This is where a person part owns a property and has a mortgage.
Vincent House gives young people aged 19 to 25 the opportunity to experience living independently and find out if it’s something they want. There are twenty 1-bedroom flats, and ten studio flats. There is concierge, and support workers are on site on an 'as required' basis. During your time a Vincent House you will be supported to understand the tenancy agreement and given help with daily living tasks. The tenancy is for two years, during which time you will have regular reviews.
To find out if you will be able to live at Vincent House you will need to undergo an occupational therapy assessment.
All requests for supported living are reviewed by the Accommodation Board. The Board co-ordinates all housing applications and meets every four to six weeks. It looks at the needs and interests of those wishing to live independently and helps to find the best option by creating bespoke packages to meet the needs of young people.
For all young people who are supported to live independently it is important to ensure that their emotional well-being is considered so they do not experience loneliness, isolation or mental health issues. We will support young people to have social networks and friendships to help them to be emotionally well and part of their community.
We provide a disabled facilities grant for young people with special educational needs or disabilities to make changes to your home so you can carry on living independently for as long as possible.
To find out more, contact your Social Worker or Care Co-ordinator, email learning.disabilities@enfield.gov.uk or contact them on 020 8379 5039 (textphone: 020 8379 3100). You can also apply through our at risk of homelessness and need help page. If you need help to fill this in, ask at any of our centres or libraries.
There are changes to how young people with SEND receive their health care services once they become 18.
If your Moving On assessment identifies that you're eligible for support and services from the Integrated Learning Disabilities Service (ILDS), you can email learning.disabilities@enfield.gov.uk or call them on 020 8379 3100 for more information.
Every special school has a care co-ordinator from the ILDS who works with young people and their parents during the transition from childhood to adulthood. They provide information and advice about eligibility for adult social care. Ask your school for more information.
If a young person remains in education and has health needs, these will be identified on their Education, Health and Care Plan. They are likely to be provided by the ILDS which consists of:
If you are eligible for services from the ILDS, the Community Learning Disability Nursing service works with young people who need support to access health services and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
It might be helpful to complete a health action plan which lists your appointments and the health professionals involved in your care. Make sure you have a hospital passport which tells health workers about your health and how to talk and listen to you. If you need help completing the hospital passport, you can contact the ILDS.
If a young person has a physical disability, a self-assessment can be completed to see if they're eligible for support and equipment so they can continue to live independently. If you're receiving any financial assistance from the ILDS, you can access one of the healthy living drop in sessions.
You can also self-refer to Park Avenue Disability Resource Centre which offers a range of therapies, costing £6 for half an hour, including meditation, massage and Reiki.
If a young person is under the care of a consultant or paediatrician, ask them to refer you to a hospital that can continue to meet your young person’s health needs in transition and then in adulthood.
Hospitals are expected to make reasonable adjustments, to make sure disabled young people can get the help they need. This includes:
For more information visit Royal Free London NHS Trust or North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
If you are a young person with SEND, you can view information about how to get ready for work and find employment, training and volunteering opportunities. View more information about getting a job.