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Preparing for Adulthood Pathway Guide for Young People with SEND

Preparing for Adulthood Pathway Guide for Young People with SEND

We know that thinking about the future of our children and young people with 
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can be difficult and the 
move into adulthood can feel daunting and confusing.

Preparing for Adulthood means: 

  • Community Inclusion - participation and inclusion in society, developing friendships, relationships and accessing the community, looking at all aspects of life and understanding the support a young person will need to live life as fully and actively as possible,
  • Employment - preparing for continued education and/or employment, thinking about college and preparing to live a purposeful life, 
  • Developing Independence - Choice and control over ones life, including where to live, looking at all aspects of life and understanding the support a young person will need to live life as fully and actively as possible,
  • Health and Wellbeing - maintaining good physical and mental health and wellbeing, having access to appropriate health services and keeping fit and healthy.
Preparing for Adulthood and EHCP Annual Reviews

The Preparation for Adulthood begins with the Year 9 Annual Review. The Annual Review will be coordinated by the school so that the SEND needs, provision and progress towards Outcomes (Section E) will be reviewed. 

From Year 9 the agreed outcomes should be recorded  under the four headings in the Annual Review: Employment,  Independent Living, Friends, Relationships and Community,  Good Health. This helps keep the EHCP focused on the 
young person’s future goals.

Young people and their parents should fully participate in the Annual Review as this is about the young person.  Education will lead the Annual Review, but where the young  person has had significant social care or health input they will  also be part of the preparing for adulthood planning and will  be invited to contribute by the school.

Things to consider at EHCP Annual Reviews from Year 9 to support Preparation to Adulthood

Preparing for independent living

  • Being able to communicate needs with support, make choices and have control over the decisions that are made about care and support
  • Cooking at school and at home and understanding money 
  • Practice shopping 
  • Moving around the school independently
  • Travel training: transport and road signs, safety on the roads
  • Understanding correspondence and bills
  • Developing useful life skills such as selfcare (bathing, brushing teeth, brushing  hair etc.)
  • Continuing to develop independent living 
  • skills as part of a study programme
  • Sleep-overs and residential trips
  • Understanding consent, what is mental capacity and best interest decision  making, who can help with this
  • Organisational skills and managing time
  • Learning to be safe in the home and in the community
  • Understanding different types of living arrangements 
  • Actively planning for future living  arrangements with family, social care  and housing

Health and Wellbeing 

  • Managing health needs e.g.  asthma, eczema etc
  • Immunisations (starting  puberty, immunisation such  as BCG)
  • Nutrition and healthy eating
  • Articulating pain / health  problems
  • Starting puberty (i.e. menstrual hygiene management)
  • Transition to adult health services
  • Knowing when you need to see the GP and the need for Annual Health Check  with GP if registered with a  learning disability
  • Staying physically active  and healthy
  • Understanding  relationships, including  sexual relationships -  choices, safety and good  sexual health
  • Managing more complex health needs e.g diabetes
  • Mental health and wellbeing

Employment 

  • School to help with a  Vocational Profile from  Year 9, and particularly  important for this to start  early for children with SEN  in special schools
  • Build on strengths and interests highlighted in  Vocational profile
  • Consider potential  apprenticeships
  • Consider Supported  Internships and/or Traineeship
  • Develop skills for applying for jobs such as CV writing  skills and preparing for  interviews 
  • Understanding support from the Council, from the  Council in finding a job and getting work experience
  • Exploring potential  voluntary work and work  experience from Year 11
  • Knowing how to access support from the Job Centre post-education

Community Inclusion 

  • Accessing youth and after-school clubs
  • Knowing the local area
  • Understanding bullying
  • Managing change
  • Making decisions about how to spend free time
  • Managing social media and other technology
  • Online gaming and staying safe
  • Building resilience
  • Developing new friendships and supporting circles of friends in early years settings, schools and colleges.
  • Personal budgets - how could they be spent post 16 to further support preparing for adulthood
  • Keeping safe in the  community and on the streets (being aware of grooming, abuse and exploitation)
  • Knowing where to go for help and how to use the emergency services (police, childline etc)