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Additional needs

Preparing for adulthood

Planning for the future and gaining the skills and knowledge necessary for achieving your aspirations can be an exciting yet daunting prospect for many young people. If you have additional needs and receive support from social care, education and health services it can also be a time of exploring many options, planning and agreeing on a future direction. For many children who require additional support this process can start from the age of 14.

If you have any questions about making a referral to the Preparing for Adulthood team, the services we provide, or wider questions about Adult Social Care please call 01392 381 291 or email preparingforadulthoodsecure-mailbox@devon.gov.uk for an informal chat.

What does the team do?

The primary aim of the Preparing for Adulthood team is to implement Devon’s Preparing for Adulthood Strategy which supports young people who are likely to require care and support that continues into adulthood. We do not commission services or hold case responsibility for young people, this remains with the children’s agencies until the age of 18.

The Preparing for Adulthood team aims to engage with young people, families, carers and supporting agencies in order to help young people to capitalise on every opportunity and become as independent, self-reliant and confident as possible.

What support can be provided?

The local authority and its partners have a responsibility for young people who are likely to continue to need care and support into their adult lives. Devon County Council’s SEND Strategy aims to identify the young people who are likely to require additional support and explain how the council and its partners intend to meet national requirements for support.

  • Education, training and employment- this might include support, getting help from employment agencies, apprenticeships and voluntary work programmes, self-employment or further       education.
  • Independent living –the ways in which you can have a choice and control over where you wish to live and your living arrangements.
  • Participating in society – this includes help in creating supportive relationships and contributing to life in the local community.
  • Health and wellbeing – we want you to be as healthy as possible in adult life, so we aim to your physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing.
  • Support for carers and families.

How do I get support from the team?

You do not automatically get support from the Preparing for Adulthood team.

If you are a young person between the ages of 12 and 18, a carer/ parent or a professional seeking support from the Preparing for Adulthood team, then please complete the referral form below. If you have already given consent and are known to the team already, then there is no need to fill in the form again. If you aren’t sure if you have, then please fill in the form.

You can complete the online referral form here: http://devon.cc/pfa-opt-in

Who can access adult social care services?

Below are two links that provide information about who is eligible for Adult Social Care.

Helpful Tools

With the advice of Education, Health and Social Care professionals, the team has created a series of helpful documents and an ‘independence toolkit’ to help young people and their families begin to think about their future.

  • The Independence Toolkit is aimed to help you think about what you need to do in order to prepare for adulthood. It will also help you to navigate the transitions between services. This could mean moving from school to college, moving between social care and health services or even finding you own place to live. Although it does not cover all eventualities it can certainly help on your journey to adulthood. The Toolkit will help you to record skills that you have gained as well as keep track of progress on achieving personal goals. As with all things in life some skills and activities prove to be more of a challenge to some than to others and the toolkit can help encourage you to practice those that you may find more challenging. Not all the issues detailed in the toolkit apply to everyone so feel free to ignore any aspects that do not apply to you.
  • Independence Toolkit- PDFs to download and print
  • The Preparing for Adulthood Core Handout provides a summary of things that you need to consider as you prepare to move into adulthood. These will also be handed out to you by Adulthood Social Workers at review meetings.
  • The Developing Independence Checklist leaflet uses widget symbols to explain the skills young people need to develop as they prepare for adulthood.
  • Devon Young Carers is part of an organisation called Devon Carers that has a specialist team who work with young carers, addressing the needs of young people providing care and support to other family members, primarily a parent or a sibling.
  • Preparing for Adulthood is an organisation that works to ensure that young people with SEND achieve paid employment, independent living, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion.
  • CSW Group can help you find out about the post-16 education options in your area and how you can make the right choice.

If you are concerned that a child is being abused please call

0345 155 1071

or email mash@devon.gov.uk.

If it’s an emergency call 999


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