Overview & Scrutiny
Subject: Transition to Adulthood Strategy
Date of meeting: 9th October 2024
Report of: Corporate Director, Health, Care & Wellbeing
Contact Officer: Name: Natalie Sacks-Hammond
Email: natalie.sacks-hammond@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: (All Wards);
Key Decision: No
1.1 People Overview & Scrutiny Committee has identified transition from children and young people to adulthood as a key area of interest and has requested an update on work ongoing to develop a Council Transition Strategy.
1.2 The Transitions Strategy is a work in progress and sets the current state of Transitions to adulthood in the city. Young people with a range of additional needs and challenges in the city are significantly disadvantaged from attaining fulfilling adult lives in respect of their ability to gain suitable accommodation, employment, access to healthcare and support to build meaningful relationships. This strategy is to support the successful transition of these groups of young people with additional needs to adulthood and independence.
1.2 This strategy is a co-produced plan to deliver coordinated support to children and young people with a range of additional and specialist needs transitioning to adulthood. It recognises that a poorly managed transition period leads to poor outcomes for young people and expensive interventions further down the line. It aims to provide an effective and appropriate local offer of combined services to help parents and carers prepare their children and young people into adulthood.
1.3 The strategy aligns with the Council’s Plan outcomes of:
· “A city to be proud of”; aiming to build a stronger and unified city where everyone feels included. This will be achieved through working with partners in the community to support young people with additional needs to thrive and prosper in the city.
· “A fair and inclusive city”; aiming to promote inclusivity, addressing the inequality that many children and young people with additional needs experience. This will be achieved through working collaboratively with young people, their parent carers and a wide community of voluntary and community groups, public and private sector organisations to drive change for the benefit of everyone in the city.
· “A healthy city where people thrive”; aiming to create a ‘better future for children and young people’ who are ‘starting and living well’.
· “A responsive Council with well-run services”; ensuring a whole Council approach to providing support and meeting the needs of young people by working with all relevant Council services and other partners such as the NHS.
1.4 The report includes the methodology of benchmarking that was used to determine the gaps in good transition, the results of the benchmarking and recommendations for the delivery plan. Further information on the development of the Transition Strategy is included as Appendix 1 to this report.
2.1 People Overview & Scrutiny Committee notes the draft strategy for Transition to Adulthood and comments on aspects of the draft strategy.
Local Context
3.1 In Brighton and Hove, until the age of 18 and/or 24, services for children and
young people with additional educational and social needs are commissioned and provided by the Family Children and Learning directorate (FCL). At age post-18, some of these services transfer to the Housing, Wellbeing and Care Directorate under Adult Social Care (ASC). However, eligibility criteria may vary between children and adult services, which generally have a higher threshold for being eligible for support. Children’s social care and education support is free at the point of consumption, whereas Adult Social Care services are subject to a means tested financial assessment and all adult have to pay something towards the cost of their social care support. Some NHS services continue but many post-18 do not receive any support at all. The plans and processes for children and young people transferring to different forms of adult support are complicated and varied.
3.2 The initial self-assessment of provision available to children and young people by the Council’s care services and NHS health services in the city showed that there is a lack of consistency and gaps in planning and providing support. This makes is hard for children and young people and their families to understand the process. This strategy is designed to fill the gaps in provision identified.
3.3 Stakeholders agree that the current start period to plan for children and
young people transitioning to adulthood is often far too late and allows too short a period to prepare young people for proper transitioning to adulthood. Stakeholders agree that planning for this transition should take place when a child is 14 years old at the latest.
Method
3.4 A Transitions Steering Group was set up, working with a wide of range of
stakeholders to develop an understanding of what is needed in the city to meet the needs of children and young peopletransitioning to adulthood and independence. This included members and partners from Amaze, Parents and Carers Council (PaCC), Autism Support Communities (mASCot) and leading practitioners from both Adult and Children’s Directorates, and local NHS leaders.
3.5 Five key care pathways identified for inclusion in this strategy are:
• Learning Disabilities
• Physical Disabilities & Complex Health Needs
• Mental Health needs
• Neurodiversity & people who may also be autistic (with and without disabilities)
• Looked after children (LAC) approaching Leaving Care
3.6 The group used the Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) nationally recognised self-assessment tool to identify the gaps in provision through completing the benchmarking tool, collating feedback, consulting with stakeholders and other local authorities, carrying out a gap analysis and facilitating workshops.
3.7 Consultations were held with parents and carers of children and young people including those with physical disabilities and complex needs, neurodiverse children and young people, and those with social, emotional or mental health needs. Further details can be found in the slides in Appendix 1.
Transition Strategy Standards
3.8 The principles of good transition to adulthood planning are based on on the Preparing for Adulthood standards as identified and produced by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) and Genuine Partnerships - a Community Interest Company co-created by the children and young people, families and practitioners of Rotherham.
3.9 The Preparing for adulthood Standards set out what good outcomes look
like for children and young people. These standards are in the areas of:
· Co-production – where children and young people, their parents and carers are involved in producing the transition plan. 67% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include improving the quality of the contact and involvement made with children and young people before services are commissioned and improving the local offer in terms of the website and information on health.
· Information and communication. 60% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include adult social care (ASC) and FCL Services to provide some guidance and support to parents and carers and children and young people to navigate the information available and to make better use of the available resources about mental health.
· Systems and processes to support good outcomes. 33% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include establishing a good quality assurance framework with physical disability and developing other vocational options for young people post-18 to avoid keeping them in education till 25 years as the only option.
· Education. 62.5% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include offering children and young people GCSE post-16 core subject tuition and supporting children and young people leaving care with mental health needs to identify the right educational provision.
· Employment. 50% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include ASC and FCL services to link with Youth Employability Service to establish a clearer planned pathway for children and young people seeking employment.
· Friends and community inclusion. 50% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include maintaining the good knowledge and support for children and young people through the community and voluntary sector.
· Health. 44% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include continued dedicated provision of mental health support for children and young people.
· Independent living. 80% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include supporting parents and carers in their preparation of children and young people for living independently.
· Transitional safeguarding 25% of standards not met. Plans to address the gaps include developing a local framework to meet the local need and reflect the work of commissioners who work with care markets to commission services which are flexible and can respond to children and young people’s changing needs and reduce the risks of harm.
NB: The scores within these standards are not a reflection of the day to day quality of services provided to the young people and/or young adults, but specifically in relation to how those services between pre- and post-18 plan for an effective transition pathway.
Delivery Plan
3.10 The Delivery Plan will set up ASC and FCL services to collaborate to co-ordinate all transition provision and activity in the city. The collaboration will include links with community groups and NHS partners. In collaboration ASC and FCL will ensure early referral from all pathways when children and young people reach 14 years (year 9), so that ASC and other partners have a clear understanding of who the young person is before they are 18. The Plan will be delivered in collaboration with existing teams and delivery groups. ASC and FCL will measure and monitor the improvement in services’ provision annually through the Delivery Plan and services’ self-assessment against the PfA standards.
4.1 None directly for this report
5.1 Members of the community including young people and their families have been widely consulted as part of the development of this strategy as set out in the slides in Appendix 1. The delivery of this strategy will be in collaboration with Council services and existing delivery teams/groups.
6.1 This report indicates Transition to adulthood Strategy, which outline the
approach and action needed to support young people with needs as they move into adulthood. This report focused on planning, assessing needs, identifying resources and setting goal rather than budgeting or financial forecast.
Name of finance officer consulted: Jamiu Ibraheem
Date consulted (dd/mm/yy): 30/09/24
7.1 There is considerable legislation and guidance that governs transition arrangements, planning and joint working involving internal and external partners. This is referred to in the appended presentation to this report.
Name of lawyer consulted: Sandra O’Brien Date consulted 02/10/24
8.1 The strategy aims to advance equality of opportunity for young people who have a range of additional needs and challenges and who are significantly disadvantaged from attaining fulfilling adult lives in respect of their ability to gain suitable accommodation, employment, access to healthcare and support to build meaningful relationships. This strategy is to support the successful transition of these groups of young people with additional needs to adulthood and independence.
8.2 As part of the development of this strategy, those with specific needs and challenges have been consulted to ensure that all groups have been considered such as LGBTQ+, those who are neurodivergent, have learning difficulties, physical disabilities and/or mental health needs, and those who are leaving care. Feedback from these groups have been used to form actions to resolve the issues they face.
8.3 By co-producing this strategy with children and young people, their parent carers and a wide community of voluntary and community groups, public and private sector organisations, the strategy aims to promote inclusivity, addressing the inequality that many children and young people with additional needs experience. The collaborative approach will promote community cohesion through building social and support networks across the city and provide further support to those with caring responsibilities.
9.1 None directly for this report
10. Health and Wellbeing Implications:
10.1 The strategy is focused on ensuring that the Council contributes to a ‘better
future for children and young people’ who are ‘starting and living well’. It will support children and young people to access the health and wellbeing services and information that they need without the feelings of anxiety, stress and uncertainty that the current system has left them with through a lack of clarity on accessing services and interventions. This will benefit children and young people who need extra support when transitioning into adulthood and will have a positive experience on their lives and those of their carers/parents.
11.1 The Committee is asked to note the draft Strategy for Transition to Adulthood and to comment on any aspects of the draft Strategy.
Supporting Documentation
1. Transition to Adulthood Strategy slides – Appendix 1