Agenda item - Transition to Adulthood Strategy

Report of the Interim Corporate Director, Health, Care & Wellbeing (copy attached)

14.1    Cllr Tristram Burden, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Service Transformation; and Steve Hook, Interim Corporate Director Health and Adult Social Care, presented the paper on the Transition to Adulthood strategy.

14.2    Sally Polanski from Amaze and Fiona England from the Parents and Carers Council also addressed the committee.

14.3    Cllr Meadows asked what had gone wrong with the approaches of the previous strategy to require a refresh and why performance was so patchy. Steve Hook responded that services are being assessed against relatively new standards introduced in 2022. While services have not necessarily performed poorly, these new standards take a much broader approach to transition which requires a different focus for services. The refresh will support Different services to work more closely together. Previous strategies have been focused on children’s or adult social care, but we are now looking at a much wider cohort going into adulthood not just at young people eligible for adult social care services. Cllr Burden added that, with a Labour council and government, there is an opportunity for a reset to focus on a one council approach.

14.4    Cllr Czolak asked questions about engagement with service users, and whether there is a particular focus on mental health, given the rising prevalence of mental and emotional health issues in young people. .Steve Hook responded that, in terms of engaging with adults with lived experience, part of engagement has been with SpeakOut who work with adults who have learning disabilities. Issues around transition have been raised with them. Mental health is a key area of focus, and the council has worked with NHS Sussex on this. The mental health integration board has a lived experience advisory board and we plan to work with them.

14.5    Cllr Shanks asked question about engagement with schools and about streamlined support.Steve Hook responded that in terms of engagement with schools is key.  The ambition is to get coordination right between schools, SCN caseworkers and social workers, and for people with complex health needs, the lead clinician.  In terms of health services, young people with complex health needs are dealt with by a paediatrician who coordinates their care, but as adult they typically have to engage with a number of discrete services. The ambition is to develop a more coordinated approach to supporting adults with complex health needs.

14.6    Cllr Helliwell asked a question about the  ‘neuro divergent with and without disability’ category in the draft strategy. Steve Hook responded  that currently there are clear pathways for some neuro divergent young people, but not for others, and the ambition is to have clear pathways for everyone, including people who will not be eligible for ASC support. 

14.7    Cllr Mcleay asked about The resource implications of the refresh. Steve Hook replied that it is important to recognise that poor transition planning has cost implications: providing crisis services can be much more expensive than planned services. It is unlikely that there will be much, if any, additional funding available, but we know that good planning can save money and deliver better outcomes for people. Examples of what the council is doing already include developing a service in Woodingdean on the site of a former care home to rehouse young people with complex needs who would otherwise have been placed out of the city.

14.8    Cllr Simon asked about best practice at other local authorities. Steve Hook responded that the council has looked at best practice across the country, with a particular focus on Birmingham City Council which has developed a through care service supporting young people from 14 to 24. However, every place is different and what works elsewhere might not work here; we want to preserve what is good here and enhance it. Cllr Burden added that he had recently read a book on transitions in which Brighton was cited as a best practice exemplar, particularly in terms of the work of the  Oasis Project on young people with substance abuse.

14.9    Adam Muirhead said it was good that consideration had been given to children with SEND, mental health needs, neurodiversity, and looked after children; but why not youth offending services and probation?Steve Hook welcomed this challenge, noting that this may be more about the presentation than the contents of the strategy. There have been workstreams that have involved the leaving care team, probation and youth offending. Officers will reflect on how to communicate this important work more effectively.

14.10 Cllr Sheard asked a question about why there are distinct pathways for neurodivergence and learning disabilities. Steve Hook replied that the reason they have been separated is that there is a lot of complexity there.

14.11 Jasmine asked about the extent of which care leavers have been engaged with. Steve Hook said that they had really good representation from care leavers in the steering group and there has been significant input from them.

14.12 Dr Anusree Biswas Sasidharan welcomed the strategy and the sharing of transition strategy standards which will allow meaningful benchmarking. She said that this shows that the council is a learning organisation. She asked about representation form the police. Steve Hook said that the council attempted to be ambitious but needs to take into account resource limitations. In terms of the police we have attempted to engage with them but they haven’t been able to attend the steering group to date.

14.13  RESOLVED – that the Committee notes the Transition Strategy report.