Transition from Children's Services to Adult Services

Roles and responsibilities

This is a list of the main services that may be involved in transition planning. Not all services will be involved for all young people, involvement will be based in the needs of the individual young person.

Education

Schools arrange and lead transition planning meetings and invite people to these such as Health, Social Work, Further Education, Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability, Skills Development Scotland, and other partner agencies. Schools will complete referrals for these agencies as appropriate.
Schools lead the ASN (Additional Support Needs) Transition Forum, which meets twice a year to discuss school leavers who have identified ASN.
Schools should start the transitions process 12 months prior to a young person leaving school or 24 months for young people with the most complex needs.
Schools will share information with future support services 6 months before a young person leaves school (where possible).
Schools will share information in relation to transition. An identified professional from school will support the transition.

Children’s Services (Social Work)

Your child's allocated worker will attend and participate in transition planning meetings.
A representative will participate in the ASN Transition Forum.
Children’s Services will ensure that young people receiving funded supports are highlighted to Adult Services on their 14th birthday.
Children’s Services work in partnership with Education, Adult Services, and other partner agencies in the lead up to transition. They may provide ongoing assessment and support during the transition process where the young person meets eligibility criteria for funded social work services. They work with Adult Services to manage expectations and provide a smooth transition.
Children's Services may introduce and fund adult social care and respite supports prior to leaving school (where appropriate).

Adults Services (Social Work)

A representative from Adult Services will participate in transition planning meetings.
A representative will participate in the ASN Transition Forum.
Adult services have a responsibility to provide an assessment of need for a young people identified as meeting criteria for assessment. An assessment will be completed and an allocated worker will provide ongoing support throughout the transition process. Ensuring that needs are assessed and support provided if required and regularly reviewed.
The Learning Disability Team support young people who have diagnosed learning/intellectual disability and assessed unmet needs.
There may be occasions where the team will work with young people who have no intellectual/learning disability diagnosis, but have an autism diagnosis that creates a significant barrier to daily living and means they have needs that cannot be met through Communities, Lifelong Learning and Employability (CLLE) or third sector supports.
It may be more appropriate for the young person to be referred to another team within social work such as the Mental Health Team or Physical Disabilities and Long-term Conditions Team.

Occupational Therapy Support

Occupational Therapists support young people who have physical needs that mean they require specialist equipment, aids or adaptations in their post-school destination. Where possible, equipment allocated to a young person will transfer with that young person from school to their next destination. The lead professional at school will ensure that the young person is linked with Occupational Therapy support if needed.
An Occupational Therapy assessment will be offered if there are any unmet needs in relation to equipment.

Health Services

Key professionals from Health will attend transition planning meetings for young people with complex health needs as appropriate.
Young people and their families will be offered support and guidance in relation to health needs to support the transition from children’s services to adult services.
Health professionals from children’s services will support the transition to equivalent health care services that will offer post-transition support.
The Community Learning Disability Team provides specialist health care, advice, and treatment to adults with an intellectual/learning disability. This also includes advice and support for families /carers. It supports other health and social care agencies to provide mainstream services to people with learning disabilities that will enable health improvement and reduce barriers when accessing services.
The Community Learning Disability Team nurses also provide a service to under 16s who have a diagnosis of intellectual/learning disability.