Preparing for Adulthood Transition Guide
Transitions planning
Transition planning can involve lots of different things, and no two families' plans will look the same. This section can be used as a guide as to what you can expect to happen year on year, what you need to plan for and who can help you at each stage. It can help shape the Preparing for Adulthood section of your child's EHC plan and it will help identify what you need to explore and plan together to help your child reach their goals.
Although Preparing for Adulthood becomes a part of a child's EHC plan at the age of 13 or 14 it's never too early to start talking about independence.
A vision board is a good way to collate some goals and aspirations for your child.
What you need to think about and when
Stage: Year 9
Key stage 4 - options planning
Year 9: what to plan and think about
- What things are important to your child? What do they want to do when they grow up?
- Think about developing realistic aspirations with your child. Support them to understand how they can achieve these.
- What education and qualifications will they need to achieve their aspirations?
- What are the best options that will support them in getting the qualifications they need?
- Does an alternative Key Stage 4 offer need to be explored?
- Transport and travel training.
- Meaningful work experience and volunteering opportunities.
- Review meetings and revise your child's EHC plan if they have one.
- Transitions planning to be person-centred.
- Ask questions about when transitions into adult social care and mental health service begin, and what you can expect.
- Building skills for independent living.
Stage: Year 10
- Review of key stage 4 progress
- School nurse offers health review for those with EHC plans
- Transition to adult health and/or mental health services
Year 10: what to plan and think about
- Review the transition plan.
- Review meetings and revise your child's EHC plan, particularly if their needs are changing.
- Post-16 education and training opportunities.
- Meaningful work experience and opportunities.
- For those with a learning disability (LD), speak to your GP about being added to the LD Register.
- Mental health assessment of needs and care plan.
- Promoting independence in the home and building skills for independent living. Get your child to do jobs around the house and learn life skills such as budgeting and cooking.
- Friendships, relationships and opportunities for socialising.
- Transport and travel training.
Stage: Year 11
- Post-16 applications
- Transition to adult health and/or mental health services
- Transition to adult social care may begin
Year 11: what to plan and think about
- Review the transition plan.
- Review meetings and revise your child's EHC plan, particularly if their needs are changing.
- If a child/young person is changing settings, the EHC plan needs to reflect that. This is to ensure there is as much support as possible for independence and daily living skills.
- Post-16 education and training opportunities.
- Meaningful work experience and opportunities.
- Transport and travel training.
- Access to work applications.
- Health and/or mental health transition.
- Building skills for independent living.
Stage: Year 12
- Review of post-16 progress
- Transition to adult health and/or mental health
Year 12: what to plan and think about
- Review the transition plan.
- Review meetings and revise your child's EHC plan, particularly if their needs are changing.
- Post-18 planning. Exploring options and arranging visits/taster days.
- Access to work applications or review of support.
- Assessment for eligibility for adult social care.
- Independent living and daily living - exploring options and talking about the future.
- Building skills for independent living.
- Transport and travel training.
Stage: Year 13
- Transition to post-18 occupation or programme.
- Oversight of health care moved from paediatrician to GP.
Year 13: what to plan and think about
- University applications, Student Finance and Disabled Student Allowance (DSA).
- DSA assessment.
- Review access to work support.
- Independent and daily living where possible.
- Transport and travel training.
- Health and welfare deputyship, power of attorney (POA) and appointeeship.
Stage: Post-18
- Post-18 education and occupation
Post-18: what to plan and think about
- Review levels of support each year.
- Work with support services and wider agencies to adjust.