Making the transition from child to adult health and social care services?

You’ve come to the right place.

Here at Achieve together, we have over 25 years of experience in supporting young people and their families as they plan the transition from children’s to adult services. This transition happens when a child with a learning disability who’s eligible for social care support reaches the age of 18 and their support is provided by social care services designed for adults.

We’ll help you navigate uncertainty and see all your options

You may be thinking about what happens after education or training? What options does my child have? How can I support them to live and achieve all that they want in their adult life? When do I need to plan for this?

We know that this can come with lots of uncertainty, and there can feel like there are so many decisions and options to choose from. 

While it can be daunting, it’s also an exciting time in planning the next chapter, and that’s where we can help.

How Achieve together can support you

With over 400 homes and services around England and Wales and specialist support for a wide range of conditions, we can always point you in the right direction. By planning in advance and understanding all your options, you’ll feel better prepared and understand the pathway and processes that are there to help you and your family.

Here are just some of the ways we can support you and your family through this transition period and beyond:

• Explaining how adult and social care funding is set up and what you may be eligible for
• Helping you understand the difference between adult and children’s provision in your area
• Showing you what types of accommodation are available
• Finding availability that suits your child’s needs and aspirations
• Giving you information about the different types of services and helping you choose what’s right for your family
• Offering free assessments and referrals service available 7 days a week
• Creating a person-centered support plan for your child to help with planning their next stages
• Supporting you to visit services to understand if they’d be right for you
• Understanding how your child can continue with learning and training until the age of 25 if it’s agreed as an appropriate next step

When should I start thinking about this?

Earlier is better, from our experience.

It is important to start communicating with your child early on, but certainly by around age 14 to understand their wishes and what is the most suitable option for them. We’d encourage you to work with your child to set the outcomes they want to achieve in the future and to talk about this regularly.

We understand how difficult it can be to start those conversations because it often means change which can be stressful, but our expert team here is on-hand to guide you every step of the way.

A good place to start is to have a listen to the vlog opposite with Lucy who offers advice and suggestions to anyone making the transition.

Download the Transitions Guide

Watch the Transitions Guide BSL version video

Thinking about the four main areas for planning

You could also start having the conversation as a family by breaking it into the four main areas and taking one at a time.

By doing this in smaller steps, you’ll help your child to consider their future and feel familiar with adding these ideas to their transition plans over time. It’s then on hand for when you are starting to talk to support workers and providers about your options.

If you are a family member or a professional and want to find out more one of our expert team would be happy to come in and present at your school or forum, or if you just want to discuss in more detail, just let us know at referrals@achievetogether.co.uk.

Health & wellbeing

What needs do I have that I want to be supported with? Are there any particular services I like working with and would like to maintain a relationship with as I transition into adult care?

Education & employment

What do I enjoy doing, and what do I feel capable of achieving? What are my goals? What are my interests now and are there any new interests I’d like to explore?

Community & relationships

What areas of my community do I enjoy participating in? Are there new activities I’d like to explore? How can I be supported to build relationships and with whom?

Housing

Where do I want to live? Who will I live with? How much support do I want? What am I entitled to?

What support is available?

If your child needs support from adult social care services, your local authority must undertake an eligibility assessment before they turn 18 (irrespective of whether an Educational Health and Care Plan is in place). You and your child will be fully involved in this process, and it sets out to determine your child’s needs and eligibility for support.

Your local authority should have an ‘approved providers’ list. These organisations have been assessed as meeting the necessary standard required. You might want to go about doing your own research and having a look at the providers on this list to see what they offer.

If you choose us, we’ll then take time to find out your story. What’s your favourite activity? What type of environment do you feel happiest in? Do you enjoy mixing with others and making friends, or prefer to focus on individual activities?

You’ll also want to discuss the different levels of support available. This can range from a few hours a week, supporting with daily living skills, leisure or money management, or it could be a 24-hour provision with 1:1 or greater assistance. The great news is, we can support you with all of those needs in the environment you will thrive in. Typically, you’ll look at whether that could be residential accommodation, or supported living in your own home, as there are a few key differences.

Residential accommodation

• Long-term accommodation and support in a shared residential home
• Good for people with more complex needs
• Registered with CQC (so you can look at the ratings)
• Accommodation and personal care are included with the fee

Supported living accommodation

• Assistance to live in your own home
• Can be owned by you or a registered private landlord or housing association
• Options to share with housemates or alone
• Support from a few hours a week to 24/7 assistance

Hear how other families managed their child’s transition to adult services

Every child and family is unique which is what makes us all special. But sometimes it can help to meet other families and people who have been through the transition before, to give you an idea of what you can expect. Here are the stories of just a couple of the families we work with here at Achieve together.

Philippa’s story

Philippa and her parents planned her transition with us, and have seen a tremendous difference in Philippa, who has gained her independence, now enjoys greater responsibility, and feels much happier than before she joined us. A huge well done to Philippa and her family, as well as all the team on hand to support. Click below to listen to Philippa’s mum and dad talking about their positive experience as a family.

Read more

Evan’s story

Evan has a very close relationship with his mum and she wanted Evan to live with her forever. However, Evan’s needs were growing and coming to a point where a move to a residential home was inevitable and imminent. The thought of Evan leaving the home was stressful, but it has been a wonderful experience for everyone, especially Evan who has never been happier.

Read more

Want to find out more?

If you are interested in what Achieve together can offer, or simply want to understand more about the process, please give one of our dedicated advisors a call on 03301 755 332. For general updates, you can sign up to Together Now. This is our interactive newsletter about all the fantastic activities that take place within our homes, together with news and updates from around the organisation. If you want to get more of a feel of what Achieve together does, please feel free to sign-up below.

You might also want to download our free transitions guide below.

Download your guide to transitions planning

Talk to our team

Contact our referrals hub for free advice about transitioning to adult services and so much more.

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Find out more about Achieve together at our events, and learn about what’s on and how you and your family can take part.

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