What is 'Preparation for Adulthood'?
Preparation for adulthood for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) focuses on support in four outcome areas:
- Education, training and employment
- Independence
- Community inclusion
- Being as healthy as possible.
Preparation for adulthood should start as early as possible, ideally in the early years. The focus for young children should be on building independence skills, supporting communication and interaction skills, and promoting things like making choices and expressing wants and needs.
Good preparation for adulthood should focus on the child or young person’s aspirations, interests and strengths. All professionals working with children and young people with SEND should work together to ensure that they are supported to achieve their goals and ambitions.
Transition to Adulthood
Transition to adulthood involves the many changes that occur as a young person moves through their teenage years and into adult life. These changes may include things like the transition from school into further education, moving on from education, and involve thinking about and planning for higher education and/or employment, housing, good health and accessing things in the community.
Discussions about long term goals needs to start as early as possible. Whilst transition to adulthood planning starts at year 9, preparing for adulthood should begin before this and the future aspirations of children and young people should be captured as early as possible, and in every review meeting.
Professionals across education, health and social care should work together to support children and young people with SEND to progress towards ordinary life outcomes such as:
- Paid employment
- Having positive friendships and relationships
- Living independently
- Being as healthy as possible.
Support should focus on enabling a young person to form realistic views about their future aspirations, interests and needs.
Derbyshire's Preparation for Adulthood Pathway outlines the actions that should be taken at different stages of a child or young person's life to ensure they are supported on their journey to adulthood. You can find a copy of this document in the Related Documents section at the bottom of this page.
Derbyshire County Council are committed to removing barriers for children and young people with SEND and supporting successful progression into adulthood.
We are also proud to embrace the national Preparation for Adulthood programme and work towards the outcomes that young people say are important to them.
Support and Useful Resources
There are lots of resources available to support young people and their families as they prepare for their adult life.
You can find links to useful websites throughout our Local Offer pages. We have also added lots of links to videos and easy-read guides.
You can also find helpful documents and resources on each webpage.
The following 'Community Updates' link can be used to find lots of useful information and support available in your local area and across the county relating to:
- Education
- Employment and training
- LGBT+ support
- Welfare benefits
- Housing
- Volunteering
- and much more.