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Contents

1. Purpose of the Procedure
2. Definitions
3. Process
4. Guidance for Reports

1. Purpose of the Procedure

1. Every young person who is fourteen and over will have a transition plan in place that is relevant to their needs and that reflects the contribution of all relevant agencies;
2. The Department will make an annual return for performance purposes of the number of disabled young people who are in receipt of Social Care Services and who have a transition plan.

2. Definitions

1. This procedure includes disabled young people who have a learning, physical or sensory disability or a learning difficulty. The Department's annual return will initially focus on those children who have had an Initial Assessment or a Core Assessment and are in receipt of a Social Care Service because of their disability from the Children Complex Health or Disability Team, the Shared Care or Respite Care Services;
2. Social Care Services are defined as a resource contracted as a result of an assessment of need where there is any potential for that service to be in place at the young person's eighteenth birthday. Social Care Services will include home care, Inclusion, respite, direct payments or the provision of a social work service following the conclusion of the assessment process;
3. The annual return will identify all those receiving Social Care Services as of 31 March of any one year.

3. Process

1. The transition plan will be evidenced through Social Care contributing to every annual education review for young people fourteen years and over.  Where no such review is planned to take place over a 12 month period the plan will be evidenced through a meeting which is chaired and organised by Social Care which will consider and agree a transition plan;
2. The Care Manager/Unit Manager will check with the young person's school as to when their educational review will take place so as to ensure that a Social Care contribution can be made;
3. The Care Manager/ Unit Manager will as part of their preparation for the Education review liaise with the Transition Worker from the Community Team Learning Disabilities (when the young person meets the criteria for that service) and with the Connexions Worker to ensure that there is a shared understanding of the key needs of young people prior to the review;
4. A report will be drawn from the database at the end of March each year by local admin services, to clarify how many of the eligible young people have a transition plan in place;
5. Prior to 31st March 2008 it will be the role of the Care Manager/ Unit Manager to provide information to admin colleagues as to those young people who have a transition plan in place as a result of an education review or social care meeting/review;
6. In order to facilitate accurate data Senior Care Managers/ Unit Managers will be given a list of all those young people who are allocated to a Care Manager/ appropriate worker in the Unit and therefore could be eligible for a transition plan.  It will be the role of the Senior Care Manager/ Unit Manager along with the Care Manager/ appropriate worker in the Unit to track those young people who may fall within the indicator in the period up to the 31st March of each year.  This is particularly important as new assessments will be started throughout the year on young people within the 14 plus cohort that may or may not conclude with an outcome that includes the provision of social care services;
7. Care Managers /Unit Managers will be asked to complete a proforma which will be given to admin in order that the electronic record can be updated.  The Proforma will confirm that a transition plan is in place and that there is evidence that social care has had involvement in a review with education or a social care planning or review meeting which has considered transition issues. The minimum evidence for this will be a report from Social Care that has identified the transition issues from a social care prospective;
8. For those young people who receive a service, where there is no care management involvement, then the Unit Manager will ensure that the transition plan is incorporated on an annual basis into the overall plan for the young person.

4. Guidance for Reports

1. Transition is deemed to include not just the services that a young person will require when they move into adulthood, but the actual key changes that the young person wishes to achieve during the period from 14 to 18. Therefore the report will encompass the key planning around the 5 ECM outcomes;
   1. Enjoy and Achieve;
   2. Staying Safe;
   3. Being Healthy;
   4. Making a positive contribution;
   5. Economic Wellbeing.
2. The West Midlands Transition Pathway, currently being used by Connexions and the Transition Worker from the Community Team Learning Disabilities, provides key indicators. These are examples of the areas that could be considered for inclusion in transition planning, this does not necessarily indicate that all these areas need to be included:
   1. How I communicate - How should people communicate with you, creative communication methods, clear instructions more time;
   2. Things that are important to me - Friends and family, religion, cultural needs, what must happen to make a good day, dreams;
   3. Keeping safe and healthy - health needs, medication, diet, personal safety, support, personal care, feeling good, short breaks, sex education, health action plan, any worries;
   4. My family - what do parents want now and in the future, how can they help, what do they need to know, short breaks;
   5. School / College - Curriculum needs, where I am now, what do I need to learn, local specialist, residential colleges, which course, any support needs, travel, any funding needed;
   6. Transport / Travel - Independent travel, travel training, funding, support;
   7. Money - Coping with money, budgeting, opening a bank account, direct payments, independent living fund, education maintenance allowance, student loans, other benefits;
   8. Having Fun - Leisure, hobbies, holidays, where to go, who to contact, support needs, how to get there;
   9. Friends - friends and Special friends, who are they, how to keep in touch, who can help, making friends;
   10. Work / Training Day Time Activities - What you want to do, interests types of work, supported employment, work experience, support in day and community activities;
   11. How I want to live - Where and how you live, who you live with, how you are supported, who will support you, funding;
   12. Anything else? - Do the young people and parents need more information, independent advocacy, Assessments.
3. There will be a transition aspect to every review and planning meeting that takes place with young people from the age of 14 to 18. Therefore reports to planning meetings and reviews will identify key transition planning as defined within this procedure.

End