Context
This protocol has been created to help manage the transition process for young people aged 16 to 17, especially in exceptional cases where usual escalation procedures have not worked.
How this protocol will help you
This protocol helps to alert senior officers to issues in the system, aiming to remove barriers and resolve problems.
Who can use this protocol
This protocol is intended for use by service managers only. You should use this protocol only when you have exhausted all usual escalation routes within your service – it is for exceptional situations only and does not replace standard business processes.
The hope is that you will be able to resolve matters through the use of this protocol without needing recourse to the 16-17 forum. If, however, you do need to refer to the 16-17 forum, please complete the referral form.
Next steps
Once you have completed the form, you will be invited to a meeting with appropriate professionals and senior officers to discuss how to improve the situation. These professionals may include experts from:
- children’s services
- adult services
- education services
- health services
- commissioners
- specialist areas
- relevant providers (if appropriate)
Together, they will discuss options, work on finding solutions and make necessary improvements to support you to better help the young person.
If the issue is a larger systemic gap, it will be discussed at the Transitions Governance Group, which represents the entire transitions system in Devon.
Protocol outcomes
The outcomes of this process should include:
- the correct commissioning or case management pathway being clearly understood and agreed
- provision being in place by 18, or soon after the young person’s 18th birthday
- a risk management plan being agreed upon
- barriers being unlocked.
- commissioning issues being resolved
The protocol
Introduction
This protocol provides a clear, step-by-step approach to planning and managing individual cases. It ensures that every action has a responsible person and that any gaps or issues are addressed.
Process overview
1. Person-led planning (Path or appropriate tool)
- Use a tool such as Path to outline the individual’s needs and goals.
2. Assign action owners
- Ensure each action item has a designated person responsible for it.
- If all actions have owners, proceed with the plan. If not, identify who should take responsibility.
3. Check involvement of services
- Determine if the action involves a service that is already engaged with the individual.
- If yes, speak to the line manager of the involved service to address the action item.
- If no, proceed to the next step to identify the appropriate service or individual to approach.
Referral process
4. Identify the right contact
- Assess if it’s clear who should take ownership of the action.
- If yes, make the referral to the identified service or person.
- If no, escalate the issue to the 16-17 transitions forum by completing the referral form.
5. If you made a referral, was it successful?
- If the referral is successful, update the plan.
- If not, decide who will escalate the issue to the service lead.
Services approach
6. Escalate to service lead
- Move to the next section to escalate the issue to the service lead for resolution.
7. Identify the issue type
- Determine if the issue is due to a gap in services or a capacity constraint.
- If it’s a gap, escalate the issue to the 16-17 transitions forum.
- If it’s a capacity issue, agree on when resources will be available and create a contingency plan.
8. Agreement and plan update
- If an agreement is reached, update the plan.
- If not, escalate the issue to the next level of authority.
Review and escalation
9. Monitor the plan
- Regularly review the plan’s effectiveness.
- If issues persist, escalate the case to the 16-17 transitions forum,
10. Clarify responsibilities
- If unresolved, ask the 16-17 transitions forum to review the situation.
- If options are identified, discuss with the individual and update the plan accordingly.
- If no options are identified, the forum chair will clarify responsibilities.
11. Who is responsible?
- If clear, the 16-17 transitions forum will create an action plan. The service representative will find and present options.
- If unclear, the issue (without personal details) will go to the Transitions Governance Group, and if needed, to the SEND board to find the responsible service.
- After deciding, return to the 16-17 transitions forum for the service representative to find and present options.
- Once options are found, the escalation worker will discuss them with the individual and those involved to help make a decision. Update the person-led plan accordingly.
12. Monitoring
- The Transitions Governance Group will oversee issues until a resolution process is in place, so the 16-17 transitions forum isn’t needed.
- The person-led plan will be reviewed by the individual, family members, and the involved teams throughout the process.