Supporting a visible and active life in the community for young people with a learning disability and autistic young people moving on from children's services- exploring options and good practice - a practical guide for commissioners, practitioners and senior leaders.
Focusing on cohorts who:
- may have fluctuating mental health needs
- have low support needs
- are assessed as not currently eligible for adult social care but with remaining vulnerabilities
- are eligible for adult packages of support at a moderate to high level and who may be at risk of restrictive care packages.
LGA and ADASS are Partners in Care and Health (PCH), supporting councils to improve the way they deliver adult social care services. More information about Partners in Care and Health can be found here.
The guide aims to support council practitioners and senior leaders in supporting young people with a learning disability and young autistic people (rest of the guide young people is used) and their families when they are moving on from children’s services. Some children and young people will move out of children’s services and be eligible under the Care Act for support from adult social care, some may not have eligible needs but may still have vulnerabilities. This guide aims to cover either of these cohorts and offer the following to practitioners:
1. Examples of ways support can be offered and delivered
2. Examples of good practice
3. What barriers there may be and possible ways to address these
4. Where to direct people for other support.
The guide can be applied generically to all young people with a learning disability and autistic young people.
The guide also has a specific focus on young people who:
- may have fluctuating mental health needs
- have low support needs
- are assessed as not currently eligible for adult social care but with remaining vulnerabilities
- are eligible for adult packages of support at a moderate to high level and who may be at risk of restrictive care packages.
The guide covers four questions:
- what council staff can do
- what good practice looks like
- barriers to change and how to address these barriers
- where to direct people for other support.
The guide covers these four questions from the perspective of a young person with a learning disability or a young autistic person. These were devised through two co-production workshops held with over 50 people with lived experience.
These questions cover:
- I have somewhere to live that I can call home
- I have ambitions for my future and know how to get support to achieve them
- I am part of a community that makes sense to me
- I can be myself in relationships and feel loved and safe
- I have access to healthcare support that makes sense to me
- When I need support with my mental health, I know how to get it
- I know where to get support when I want more education or to get a job
- I know where to find advocacy and advice about my rights in my local area.
Why change is needed
The journey into adulthood can be complex for young people, their families, and the professionals supporting them. While this isn't a new challenge, the process can feel disjointed due to organisational structures and system design. A joined-up approach across services is key, but gaps in knowledge and coordination can cause challenges and barriers to a successful move into adulthood.
The guide aims to help council leads make shared decisions with young people and their families. By putting all this information in one place, it is hoped that it will make it easier for council staff, working alongside young people and their families to actively empower young people as they become young adults.