Moving from Childrens to Adults Social Care

Preparing for adulthood

Children legally become adults at the age of 18. This does not change if you have care and support needs. It’s a time of enormous change for you, your carers and family. Newcastle City Council’s Children and Adult Social Care will work with you and your carers, to help you plan and prepare for your move to adulthood.

From the age of 16, young people may want to be more independent. You may want to have more control over the support you receive for your special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Read more about Preparing for Adulthood from Children and Families Newcastle

When do you move on from Children’s Social Care?

You will start the move to Adult Social Care between the age of 16 and 18. This is known as the transition from Children’s to Adult Services. There is not a set age to move to Adults Social Care. Everybody is different. It will happen at the time that is right for you.

Planning for this move should begin when you are in Year 9 at school, or 13 or 14 years old. This process may start earlier or end later. This is common for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

From the age of 16 you may wish to be more independent. You can communicate directly with support services such as, Colleges, Newcastle City Council and other support services. This will be discussed as part of your move to Adult Social Care.

This is an ongoing process. It’s not one single meeting. It will be tailored to suit your needs.

How to move from Children’s to Adults Social Care

The best time to plan the move to adult services will be different for each person. You may no longer need help from social care as you get older, or you may need more support. To understand more about what you need Children’s and Adult’s Social Care will have regular meetings to help plan ahead for when you are 18 years old. They work with health services to plan the next steps and understand more about what you need.

If you get support from children’s social care services and you still need Social Care support when you are 18 years old: an assessment and support plan will be completed with you and your family. This will be arranged before you are 18 years old.  You will move on to Adult Social Care when your support is in place and is working well. This will happen at the right time for you. It can be from the age of 18 and up to the age of 25. You will then get support from Adult Social Care.

If you no longer need Social Care Support when you are 18 years old: your Social Work Team will support you to prepare to live independently.

If things change at any time you can contact Adult Social Care for more information and support.

Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council can talk to you to find out how are you managing at home. They give information and support adults in Newcastle who find day to day activities difficult. This could include community activities, cooking, washing, or caring for someone. You can contact Adult Social Care before your 18th birthday.

They will have a conversation with you to understand your situation. To find out what’s working well and where they can help. They can put you in touch with local services. If you need one, they can arrange a Needs Assessment, to find out if the council can help you further. This is also be called a Transition Assessment.

Independent advocacy support is available if you need help to take part in your assessment, to get your views heard. Until you are 18 years old your parents and carers are involved in your assessment. Your parents and carers can still be involved when you are 18 years old, if you want.

Some people are eligible for financial help from the Council. If you can’t get financial help, they will tell you about services that could make your life easier.

Contact Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council for an informal chat to find out what kind of support they can offer you.

Read our Introduction to Adult Social Care article on InformationNOW.

Parents and Carers

When you move from children’s to adult’s services the needs of your carer may change too. Your parent or carer can ask for a carers assessment too before you turn 18. This can help to find out what support is available to your carer.

Read more about local support for carers on InformationNOW.

What happens to my care and support services during this time?

You will continue to receive care and support services while your care and support needs are assessed.

After your needs assessment

After your assessment Adult Social Care will explain if you’re eligible for further support from the Council, or not. They can still give you information and advice to help you.

What is eligibility?

The Care Act sets out the criteria to decide if you can receive support or money from Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council.

It’s described as having eligible care needs or that you are eligible for support if you meet this criteria. This is decided when you have a Needs Assessment.

If you’re eligible for support

After your Needs Assessment Adult Social Care will work with you to:

• create your personal care and support plan. This plan will set out how your support needs may be met and what services you are eligible for from the Council. You can be involved in creating your plan

• arrange a Financial Assessment to find out how much support you can get. You may still have to pay towards some of your care costs

• give you a Personal Budget that will be used to pay for your care and support .

NHS.UK lists what will be included in your care plan.

If your needs or situation changes: Speak to Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council. They can review your care needs or support plan if needed.

If you’re not eligible for support

You can still get information and advice from Adult Social Care. They can put you in touch with local services who can help.

If you’re not happy with your Needs Assessment

Speak to your social worker or the person who you spoke to in Adult Social Care. You can ask to speak to their manager if this doesn’t help.

You can complain to Adult Social Careif you are still not happy.

Your education

Your school or college, will start the conversation with you about moving to adults services. This can be anytime from the age of 13. Your school or college will work with Newcastle City Council Children’s Social Care to arrange your Needs or  Transition assessment. This will help them to plan ahead and update your Education, Health and Care Plan.

Your Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

People who need more specialist support can ask for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment, which might lead to an EHC plan. This means you and your family can get a personal budget, so you can have more control over the type of support you get.

Speak to your education provider or social work team, if you think you need an Education, Health and Care Plan. A request can be made for an EHC plan before you are 25 years old.

Health services

When you turn 18, you will also move from children’s to adults health services. This means people who attend regular hospital appointments will see a different team.

You shouldn’t be discharged from children’s health services until your support have been arranged with adult health services.

Meeting a new team

Change can be scary. You may feel worried about moving to a new health and social care support service. Especially when you know the staff who help you. It’s important that everyone involved understands the process. So you feel ready for the move to Adults Services.

To make the move easier there should be a detailed exchange of information between the children’s and adult’s teams before this takes place.

Mental health

You may move to adults mental health service at the age of 16, 18 or older. This depends on where you live.

NHS Children and Young People’s service (CYPS) will work with you to support your move to adult mental health services.

Read more from the NHS on moving on to adult mental health services.

Read more on local mental health support, groups and services on InformationNOW

Learning disability and autism

Adult Learning Disability and Autism Team is part of Newcastle Adult Social Care. They help adults with a learning disability and their carers. You will be referred to this team by Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council if you need this support.

Read more on InformationNOW about local support for

• adults with learning disabilities
• autistic people

How to report abuse or neglect

In an emergency or if someone’s life is at risk call 999.

You might be worried that a child or young person is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse and neglect. Until you are 18 years old, any concerns should be reported to Children’s Social Care.

If you are told about or witness an incident of abuse, are the victim of abuse or think abuse may be happening you can:

• phone to report your concerns for a child or young person
• report abuse or neglect online
• speak to Adult Social Care at Newcastle City Council
• contact someone you trust, such as a GP, nurse, police officer or care worker. They will pass on your concerns to the safeguarding agencies.

To help with your move from Children’s to Adults Social Care, there is a Safeguarding Transition Process. This means When a young person is aged over 17.5 years old (17 and a half years old) Children’s Social Care will speak to the Safeguarding Adults Unit, to share information. They will decide if a safeguarding adults referral is needed. The Safeguarding Adults Unit will then decide if a safeguarding adults enquiry is needed.

A safeguarding adults enquiries are used when someone 18 years old and over, who has care and support needs, is at risk of, or experiencing, abuse and neglect and who cannot always protect themselves from harm.

Find out more about Adult abuse on Information Now

Supported housing

When you are 18, you may want to move into your own home.

Supported housing is available in Newcastle for people with a learning disability or autism. This can give you the flexible care options and support so you can live independently. The range of services includes:

• independent supported living
• personal care at home (home care)
• live in care (residential care)
• short breaks (respite care)
• education services

It’s a good idea to visit the supported housing scheme you’re interested in, before you decide to apply. Speak to staff and other people who live there to find out if you like it.

Read more about supported housing options on InformationNOW.

Benefits advice

Parents and carers who care for a child with complex needs can claim benefits until they reach the age of 16. From the September after your child’s 16th birthday, you can only get payments for if they’re in full-time education or on an approved training course. When your child is 16 years old, they may be able to claim some benefits themselves. This might change your household income. Some benefits will reduce if your child is no longer classed as a dependant. Speak to a local benefits advice service for help to understand which benefits you can apply for.

Young people who cannot manage their own benefit payments will need an appointee to help them. This is usually a parent or carer. Speak to a local benefits advice service for help to understand which benefits you can apply for.

Where to get benefits advice in Newcastle

You can speak with someone about the benefits you may be entitled to. A local independent advice service can help guide you through the process such as:

Newcastle Welfare Rights Service gives benefits advice and have useful benefits information on their website

Newcastle City Council Housing gives council tenants benefits and debt advice.

Citizens Advice Newcastle (CAN) give free, confidential and independent advice to people who live, work or study in Newcastle.

Search Newcastle gives benefits advice to older people in the West of Newcastle

Read more on where to get benefits advice services in Newcastle.

Benefits

Read more on InformationNOW about some of the benefits that may be useful to you:

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Attendance allowance
• Carer’s Allowance

Support to prepare for work