Index

Preparing for adulthood is about taking positive action so that young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can achieve the best possible outcomes in the following areas:

  • Employment
  • Independent living
  • Being part of the local community
  • Being healthy

The National Development Team for Inclusion have a website with information, tools and resources.

Thinking about the future is important. This can happen as early as possible. From Year 9 plans will start to be made for when a young person is an adult. All organisations have to be committed to making sure plans are in place for young people and their families.

Information Advice and Guidance

Young people with an Education Health Care (EHC) Plan have careers advice. This is provided by their school or college. It can help a young person make decisions about their future career and should inform the EHC Plan.

If the young person is not in a school or college and has an EHC Plan, the Council’s Warrington Life Team will provide the careers guidance.

Post 16 education

By December in year 11 young people will have decided on their choice of education for year 12. Young people can visit colleges to find out more about different courses. It is important to know which college offers support with additional needs.

The funding for the course at a college will need to be agreed by the council. By 31 March the EHC Plan will have been amended to name the post-16 provider. Funding is agreed for the duration of the course, normally two or three years.

Study programmes

Further education should help young people to improve their future career prospects and/or prepare them for adulthood.

Education providers offer:

  • Entry level qualifications such as entry level awards, certificates and diplomas, functional skills and skills for life.
  • Level 1 qualifications (GCSE D-G or equivalent)
  • Level 2 qualifications (GCSE A*-C or equivalent)
  • Level 3 qualifications (AS or A levels or equivalent).

In year 12 functional English and Maths will be taught to young people who have not achieved GCSE Grade 4 in English and maths.

Non-accredited programmes can be followed. This happens when an academic or vocational course cannot be followed. This is often due to a person’s particular needs. In this case a preparation for adulthood/RARPA (Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement) programme will be followed. 

A Personal Education Budget can be requested to fund the education provision set out in the EHC Plan. The suitability of this will need to be assessed by the SEND Team.

Post 19 Education

The Department for Education say that most young people with EHC Plans will complete their further education with their peers by the age of 19 years.

SEND: 19- to 25-year-olds’ entitlement to EHC plans - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)]

Some young people may need more time to complete a course of study to help them to move on into adulthood. The permission for having extra time is made by the council’s SEND panel.

Post 19 courses should:

  • Focus on personalisation.
  • Meet individual EHCP outcomes.
  • Provide progression, ideally to a higher level of study than previously attained.
  • Support participation in meaningful work experience/volunteering.

Young people with more severe additional needs may follow life skills courses. They then have option of moving onto services provided by adult social care services or other community services. Plans for this transition will be made in the final year of study.

Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance (CEIAG)

All schools and colleges have a statutory duty to deliver CEIAG to all their students.

The CEIAG offer should be included in a strategic careers plan and be developed in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks. It must provide independent careers advice to learners throughout their secondary education (11- to 18-year-olds) and up to 25 if the learner has an EHC Plan.

Using a wide range of imaginative approaches, schools and colleges should raise the career aspirations of their SEN students and broaden their employment horizons.

Careers leaders may need to adjust their processes to develop personalised support plans. They should be well informed about ways in which adults with SEN or disabilities can be supported in the workplace.

If a learner has an EHC Plan, their Annual Reviews must include a focus on adulthood, including employment, from Year 9.

Warrington Life

The council’s Warrington Life team (known previously as ‘Careers for Young People’) provides independent CEIAG services. Schools and colleges are responsible for developing their own CEIAG offer, and may commission Warrington Life, or another provider, to deliver this.

Warrington Life must keep up-to-date information about the ‘destinations’ of young people in Warrington. This information helps us to identify any young person who may not be accessing opportunities as part of RPA (raising the participation age). This was introduced in 2013 to encourage young people to gain skills, and keep learning, after leaving school.

All Warrington Life CEIAG Advisers are professionally qualified and can support young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), or at risk of becoming NEET. We also have a team of Advisers who are specialists in SEND.

Schools, colleges, alternative education settings and other professionals can refer directly to the service. Young people and families are also able to complete a self-referral.

For further information please visit the web page Warrington Life or contact us by email at [email protected] or by calling 01925 442211.

Support to Get into Work

Supported Internships

Supported internships are one of the most effective routes to employment for young people with EHC plans. They are a structured study programme, based primarily at an employer. They help young people get paid jobs by giving them the skills they need for work.

Supported internships are unpaid and ran by a local college, and usually last a full academic year. Where possible, young people will move into paid employment at the end of the programme. Alongside their time at the employer, young people complete a personalised study programme and are supported by an expert job coach where needed.

Supported internships were designed to help young people with an EHC Plan that, “want to move into employment and need extra support to do so.”

The council oversees supported internships; providing support and guidance to learners, families, employers, and education partners, including hosting a forum which regularly brings these people together.

The key providers that deliver supported internships in Warrington are:

  • Warrington & Vale Royal (WVR) College Including DFN Project Search at Warrington Hospital
  • Myerscough College
  • Willow Green

It is proven that supported internships are most effective when completed in the young person’s local community. This helps to gain other important skills, such as independent travel, which will help them with independence. But other colleges outside Warrington also offer supported internships and could be appropriate depending on individual needs.

Supported internships work best when a person’s aspirations and skills are matched to an employer. Good quality careers advice, along with previous work experience, is beneficial. The council support employer engagement and have helped to negotiate work placements in a range of sectors, including within the council.

Who can apply?

You must:

  • be 16 – 24 years of age.
  • have a current EHC Plan.
  • want to work.

What is the application process?

You can apply directly to colleges and training providers. It is a good idea to discuss your options with your family and at your annual review, as early as possible.

You could also get advice from Warrington Life (careers for young people) at Warrington Borough Council.

What are the benefits?

  • Individualised study programme designed to meet the young person’s requirements, needs and aspirations.
  • Opportunity to continue to develop English and maths.
  • Transferable work skills with opportunities to practice in real life situations.
  • A real possibility of paid employment at the end of the Internship.
  • Employer and job coach working closely alongside the learner.

Links

Supported Internship from Warrington & Vale Royal College (wvr.ac.uk)

Supported Internship at Warrington Hospital from Warrington & Vale Royal College (wvr.ac.uk)

Supported Internship Programme from Myerscough College

Supported internships from Willow Green

Connect Yourself

‘Connect Yourself’ supports young people and adults at risk of social exclusion to identify, and link them to, a range of opportunities within Warrington. The service promotes the four main preparation for adulthood outcomes plus:

  • Improved emotional wellbeing.
  • Independent travel training.

The service adopts a person-centred approach, and each intervention will be shaped by the individual choices of the young person. They will be supported by experienced and qualified professionals from Warrington Speak Up.

Eligibility criteria

  • Age 16 to 25
  • Last year(s) of education or have finished education with no agreed destination.
  • Known to the PFA Team, or completing a study programme with an EHC Plan or SEN support.  
  • Referred by a professional with consent of the individual and parent/carer.
  • Must have a confirmed learning disability and/or autism.

Connect Yourself - Warrington Speak Up

Reach Your Potential

Reach your potential is delivered by the council’s Warrington Life team. If a young person is unemployed, economically inactive, or not in education or training, a ‘Skills Worker’ can provide 1 to 1 support.

This service will generally be recommended, if appropriate, following an initial CEIAG (careers) meeting. Please contact the Warrington Life team for more information.

Job Centre Plus

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) offers specialist employment programmes to support people into work. 19- to 25-year-olds who make a benefit claim will be invited to meet a work coach at the Jobcentre.

At the Jobcentre, the work coach will discuss the young person’s needs and any barriers to work. They’ll then agree a plan of action (a ‘claimants’ commitment’) detailing their plans to find work. This may include input from the local Disability Employment Advise (DEA).

Work coaches will also signpost claimants to other local options. An Access to Work grant provides support to those with a disability or health condition who need help to work. Those with a longer-term disability or health condition will have a Work Capability Assessment.

Warrington JobCentre Plus and Jobs in Warrington (jobcentreguide.co.uk)

Preparation for adulthood team

This is a team of social workers based at the council’s main office at Times Square in Warrington. The team telephone number is 01925 446170.

The team work with young people aged 14-25 years who have an EHC Plan and who meet Care Act (2014) eligibility criteria.

Social workers work with young people with SEND and their parents. They work with other organisations to make sure the journey from childhood to adulthood is a smooth one. Social workers use the law (Care Act 2014) to find out what needs a young person has and what support they may need.

An easy read version of the care act is available from .GOV.UK

Social workers will also complete a mental capacity assessment. Information about mental capacity can be found in the ‘decision-making’ section of this document.

Making a referral to the PFA social work team

Referrals can be made by:

  • Young person
  • By a family member
  • Professionals working with the young person.

How are referrals made?

For young people under 18 years of age with a children’s social worker

  • The children’s social worker will make a referral to the PFA team.

For young person under 18 years of age with no children’s social worker

  • Telephone 01925 443322, choose option 1 for social care then 1 for children’s social care.  Request an assessment from the PFA team.

For young person over 18 years of age

  • Telephone 01925 443322. Choose option 1 for social care and then option 2 for adult social care. Request an assessment from the PFA team.

Screening the referrals

Within 2 days of the referral being made:

Social worker will telephone the young person and family. An appointment will be made for a full screening.

Within 2 weeks a social worker will complete a full screening with a young person and family. If the young person’s needs meet Care Act criteria and they have an EHCP the referral will be accepted by the PFA team.

If criteria is not met, the young person and family will be offered advice about other community services. Another referral to the PFA team can be made again if needs change, over time.

Young people 14 and 15 years of age

Support will be given by the PFA duty social worker. This worker will:

  • Attend EHCP annual reviews.
  • Give information about services for when a young person turns 18 years.

At this stage, if a young person has a children’s social worker or a family support worker they will be the lead professional and will organise any services that are needed.

If the young person does not have children’s social worker or family support worker the SEND case worker and school/college will coordinate any services that are needed.

Young people 16 years of age

At this stage the young person will usually be given a PFA social worker who will:

  • Attend EHCP annual reviews.
  • Talk with the young person about their needs, now and future ones. This conversation will focus on:
  • Being Healthy
  • Being supported to live independently.
  • Being occupied (e.g. day opportunities, work, volunteering,)
  • Being part of their community
  • Talk about services that may be needed once a young person turns 18 years.

At this stage if a young person has a children’s social worker or a family support worker they will be the lead professional and will organise any services that are needed.

If the young person does not have a children’s social worker or family support worker, the SEND case worker and school/college will coordinate any services that are needed.

Young adults 18-25 years

When the young person turns 18 the PFA social worker becomes the lead professional. Children’s social worker or family support will end. For care leavers who turn 18 years a personal adviser from the leaving care team will carry on supporting and will work with the PFA social worker.

The PFA social worker will:

  • Attend EHCP annual review.
  • Confirm the details of the support plan.
  • Arrange support for the young person from the most suitable provider.
  • Provide a copy of the support plan to the young adult.
  • Offer a carer’s assessment for parents of the young adults.
  • Arrange a financial assessment of a young person’s income.
  • Monitor and review the package of support.

Where possible it is best that any support provided is done in Warrington to avoid long journeys to other areas and to give a young adult a chance to get to know their local area.

Care Act advocacy

A statutory service. It supports people who may have substantial difficulty in being involved in making decisions about them and their care and support. This can include:

  • needs assessments and reviews.
  • carer assessments and reviews
  • care and support planning
  • safeguarding processes.

To be eligible for advocacy support a person must also have no one else who is willing and deemed appropriate who could support or represent them through the processes.

Social workers have a duty to arrange for an independent advocate if the person is eligible.

Ceasing of an EHCP

At each EHCP annual review a decision made to either:

  • Maintain the EHCP
  • Amend the EHCP
  • Cease the EHCP

If the plan ceases the involvement from the SEND team will end. If the young adult still has Care Act needs and the support plan is stable, the ongoing reviewing of the support plan will pass to the under 65s adult service and the PFA team involvement will end.

Paying for social care services

Adults who have social care services may have to pay towards the cost of these services.

At 18 years the council will complete a financial assessment to calculate the amount of money a person has to pay towards the cost of the services they receive. The council assess the young adult’s income not the income of the whole family. The young adult will be sent a bill each month requesting payment for this contribution.

Please refer to Eligibility and Paying for Adult Social Care | warrington.gov.uk for detailed information regarding the financial assessment process.

Social Care services that can be arranged for young adults if the Care Act assessment shows that such services are needed. These include:

Short Breaks

At 18 years a young adult can have a short break including overnight support provided by:

Catalyst choices

Honeysuckle bungalow in Warrington; a 5-bedroom bungalow that is ‘like a home away from home’ for a young adult with a learning/physical disability. Catalyst Choices – Innovative Personalised Care

Shared Lives

A shared lives carer can support someone in their own home or in the shared lives carer’s home. This can give respite to families and give an opportunity for the young adult to develop independent living skills. There are opportunities for:

  • Long term placements
  • Short term/respite placements
  • Day Support.

Shared Lives is currently provided by the following provider.

Direct Payments

Direct payments are a way for the council to pay an agreed amount of money directly to a child or and adult to buy and arrange their own services and support.

It can be spent on anything agreed in the social care section in the EHC Plan or a via a Care Act assessment such as:

  • access to local community and groups
  • access to a variety of short breaks
  • personal care
  • day trips/activities in line with the young person’s care and support needs and interests.
  • personal assistants.

Warrington Disability Partnership (WDP) can off practical support associated with having a direct payment.

Day Opportunities are provided by:

Activities in the community which do not require a Care Act assessment beforehand

  • Creative Remedies - Art activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Warrington residents - https://www.warrington.gov.uk/creativeremedies
  • Great Communities - Great Communities from MacIntyre (macintyrecharity.org)
  • Wellbeing Service - Young adults with a learning disability can be referred to the Wellbeing service to pursue interests including music and sports groups.
  • Accessible swimming - Accessible swimming is available at Orford Jubilee Hub and Dallam Hub including a hydro pool, with moving and handling equipment.
  • Youth zone - [email protected]
  • Warrington Wolves - Wheelchair rugby/ youth group

Outreach

Different providers offer outreach support within Warrington. Individuals would be able to receive support including:

  • Accessing the community
  • Support in and around there home
  • Support with medical appointments.

Deciding where to live

At 18 years many young people decide to stay in their family home. Some people want to live in a different house to their family. Reasons for this decision include:

  • having their own front door
  • choosing where they want to live.
  • doing what they like to do.
  • choosing who they see
  • deciding how they want to live and be supported.

When a young person lives away from family, they may need support with:

  • cleaning
  • paying bills
  • cooking
  • personal care
  • cooking
  • finding a job
  • making new friends
  • finding new things to do where you live.

Your home could be:

  • Shared accommodation 2-10 individuals
  • You could live alone with staff to support you
  • Flat within a block where there is background support on site
  • Flat within a block where there is support at agreed times
  • Support throughout the day with a concierge service over night

It is a good idea to be able to have a look at some of the schemes where support can be offered. This could mean visiting somewhere that other people already live so your PFA social worker would need to see if they can arrange this for you.

Some people receive help for just a few hours a week, while others have 24-hour support. This will depend on the support plan which is agreed following the assessment.

To begin this process, it would be useful to have a discussion with the PFA social worker about your wishes.

Travel and Transport

Under the Care Act 2014, the council has a general duty to arrange care and support for those who are eligible following the assessment of need.  Transport is not a service in its own right but is a way to access services and support. Transport will be provided by the council if it is the only reasonable means of ensuring that a service user can safely travel to activities and services as part of an agreed support plan. Transport is chargeable to all individuals at a fixed rate per journey.  In some circumstances it may be more cost effective for the individual to arrange their own taxi or for a carer to receive mileage allowance.     

The council will only support transport for individuals where all other options have been explored.  These options could include:

  • independent travel on community or public transport
  • support from family and friends
  • vehicle funded through PIP or DLA or sharing transport with other young adults.

Transport will not be provided to services outside of Warrington if there is an alternative service within Warrington that meets the need.

Decision making

As we go through life there are lots of decisions we must make; some small for example, deciding what to eat for lunch and some much bigger, for example deciding where to live.

Having choice, control and dignity when making those decisions is an essential part of being a human being and ensuring those rights are looked after is hugely important.

As we grow older, we start to make more and more decisions about our lives. As we all develop capacity to make decisions at different ages our parents/carers make decisions on our behalf or support us to make decisions from the moment we are born and for many years afterwards.

The decision-making ability of a young person should be discussed on a regular basis as they are growing up, so it is not an unusual topic of conversation. It needs to be discussed in school, at EHC Plan Annual Reviews, during social care assessment and when receiving health services.

Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005

The MCA applies to anyone over 16 years of age. It is there protect people who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions about their care and treatment. It has 5 principles:

  • Principle 1: Assume a person has capacity unless proven otherwise.
  • Principle 2: Do not treat a person as incapable of making a decision unless all practical steps have been taken to help the person to make that decision.
  • Principle 3: A person should not be treated as incapable of making a decision just because the decision they make is considered an unwise one. We all make unwise decisions at times.
  • Principle 4: Always make decisions for people who lack capacity in their “best Interests”.
  • Principle 5: Before doing something to someone or making a decision on their behalf always consider whether what we want to achieve could be delivered in a less restrictive way.

Under the MCA people who are over 16 are presumed to have mental capacity to decide on such things as deciding e.g., whether to go to college or get a job. They have the right to make these decisions even if other people, in their lives, disagree and/or feel they are making unwise decisions.

When someone is judged not to have the capacity to make a specific decision, any decision taken for them must be in their best interests.

The process of making a best-interest decision should be led by the person who requires the decision to be made, such as a doctor who requires consent before carrying out treatment or a social worker who is arranging care and support.

Family members have to be consulted when a best interest decision is being made. The young person has to be at the centre of the decision making. Some decisions related to mental capacity may need to go to the Court of Protection. This is a court that specifically makes decisions in this area.

If a person is unable to make a specific decision it is imperative to gain their view and promote their participation in decision. An advocate can support a young person through the decision making.

Advocacy

Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy is a statutory service provided under the Mental Capacity Act (2005). A referral for an advocate can be made when:

  • The person is aged 16 or over.
  • A decision needs to be made in the person’s best interests about either a long-term change in accommodation or serious medical treatment.
  • The person to be referred has been assessed as lacking capacity to make that specific decision at the time it needs to be made.
  • The person does not have a family member or friend who is ‘appropriate to consult’.
  • The person has not executed a Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare
  • There is no Court of Protection appointed Deputy who continues to act on the person’s behalf in relation to health and welfare.

Carers

Services for carers, including parent carers

The carers hub, managed by Ncompass, provides a range of advice and information services along with community-based support services to connect parent carers and provide a support network.

Contact details

The Gateway, 89 Sankey Street, Warrington, WA1 1SR

Email: [email protected]

Tel:  0300 303 0623

Carer’s assessment 

Carers can request a carer’s assessment. This will be provided by the council. Either a social worker or carer’s support worker will complete an assessment of a carer’s needs. This will include talking about how caring responsibilities are having an impact of wellbeing.

If a carer is eligible for support an offer of a direct payment will be made. Examples of services that be purchased using a direct payment include:

  • Therapeutic
  • Cleaning
  • Laundry
  • Gardening
  • Sitting services.

To make a referral ring the council - 01925 443322 option 1 then option 2.

Carer’s strategy  -https://warringtongovuk.sharepoint.com/sites/AdultSocialCare_int/_layouts/15/viewer.aspx?sourcedoc={af875fc6-a7d2-4824-84c7-48092aa8447f}

Financial Matters

Citizens Advice (CA)

Based at 89 Sankey St, Cheshire, Warrington WA1 1SR

Open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am-5.30pm

Contact via email [email protected].

Web: https://www.warrington-advice.co.uk/warringtoncab

CAB national advice and information service: 0300 3309 091; calls charged at local rate. Open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm

Benefits/ Entitlements

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Check if you're eligible for PIP - Apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (dwp.gov.uk)

  • Ages 16 onwards up to pension age. DLA ends at 16 years.
  • Includes children that have an ‘indefinite’ DLA award.
  • 2 components; daily living and mobility. Each component has two rates: Standard or Enhanced.
  • PIP is a points-based system; 8 points to qualify; 12 for the enhanced rate.

Around a young person’s 16th birthday they will receive a letter from DWP advising that DLA is ending that PIP should be claimed. Ring 0800-917-2222 requesting a PIP claim form. Return form within 4 weeks or ask for an extension.  Strong supporting evidence has to be included in the PIP claim form. This can include:

  • EHC Plan
  • Letters from Consultants, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language. The form may also ask for a professional`s contact details such as a Social Worker.

The next step is to attend a medical assessment.

Universal Credit

https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get

This is a single benefit. It can include a personal allowance, housing costs, the disability element and the severe disability element.

  • Adults between 18 and pension age.
  • Young adult in full time education once child benefit ends.
  • Live in the UK - not subject to immigration control
  • No income or low income
  • Too ill to work.
  • Unemployed or a jobseeker
  • Employed but on a low wage.

To be claimed online at www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit. Universal credit applications have an online journal where applicants can manage their application, inform of changes and upload any required documents.

Paid monthly in arrears; initial 6-8 week wait for payment. It is possible to apply for an advance/hardship payment during the initial waiting period. This will be treated as a loan and paid back from benefits. Help with cost of housing is paid directly to the claimant, not to the landlord.

Carer’s allowance

  • Full-time carer who cares for someone for over 35 hours per week and earns less than £132 per week (after deductions).
  • Living in England, Wales or Scotland
  • Not in education more than 21 hours per week.

How to claim

Ring The Carers Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm. https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim

Carer`s allowance can be included in a young adult`s Universal Credit payment so check this before applying.  Care includes:

  • physically looking after a person.
  • Any tasks you complete a person.
  • Any supervision of a person.

If the person doesn’t live with you and they visit, it can also include any time you spend preparing for their visit, cleaning up after they leave, and taking them back home.

Council Tax Disabled Band reduction scheme

  • Discounted council tax if a person with disability is living in the property.
  • The reduction amount of discount is dependent on the young adult`s disability.

How Council Tax works: Discounts for disabled people - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Motability Vehicle

Eligibility:

  • To be receiving either Enhanced Rate allowances or Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance and:
  • must have Mt least 12 months’ award length remaining.

If you choose to use your entitlement to have a Motability vehicle, then this value of this part of your DLA or PIP payment would be deducted from your payments and used to fund the vehicle instead.

How the motoability scheme  works

Blue Badge

  • A blue badge allows you to park in a disabled bay.
  • You automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you are aged 3 or over and you are receipt of certain benefits.

Priority services register

What is it?

A free support service to help people in vulnerable situations. Energy suppliers and network operators offer it. Each keeps their own register of people with a disability living in a particular area. If there are supply or breakdown issues, the people who are registered will be high priority.

How to get on the register

Contact your energy supplier or network operator and request to be included on the register.

Financial protection

A person may not be able to manage their money including making financial decisions. There money has to be protected.

Appointeeship

A young person may need an Appointee if they:

  • Do not have mental capacity to manage their finances.
  • Are vulnerable to exploitation – e.g., would give all their money to other people.

The parent/carer/council can apply to become an appointee. They will be responsible for managing the benefits of that young person. It does not have to be 'for life'. Another trusted person can take on the role. The young person may regain the mental capacity to manage their own finances.

Citizen’s Card

This is the identification needed for opening bank accounts and claiming benefits.

Apply for a UK ID card Online - CitizenCard.

28 March 2024