Preparing for adulthood describes a series of stages that all young people go through when they move on from being a teenager to becoming an adult. It can be an exciting time of new opportunities, choices and increased independence. But it can also be an uncertain time for some young people especially if you have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and may need more help to plan through each stage.
We want all young people with SEND to reach their potential by achieving the best possible outcomes in life. This is why it is especially important that you and your families are fully involved when making plans and decisions for this next stage in life.
Whether you have an Education Health and Care plan (EHC plan, often referred to as EHCP) or you are receiving additional SEN support in school or college, all reviews and plans from Year 9 onwards should be centred around your needs, hopes and aspirations for the future. We call this ‘transition planning’.
If you have an EHC plan your Year 9 annual review will be the first of several transition/planning meetings that will focus on the four ‘pathways’ that will prepare you for your adult life.
What does preparing for adulthood mean?
- Further education and/or employment: This includes exploring different education and employment options to plan for the future, knowing what skills and qualifications are needed for different roles, and making informed decisions about career options
- Developing Independence: This means young people having choice, control and freedom over their lives and the support they have. This could include living arrangements and options like supported living, independent living skills like cooking and cleaning, independent travel skills, and money management skills
- Community Inclusion: This includes understanding friendships and relationships, having and participating in hobbies and interests, understanding safety when out and about as well as online, and contributing to the local community
- Health and Wellbeing: This enables young people to progress and develop so that they can achieve their outcomes and make a positive transition into adulthood. Including looking after their physical and mental wellbeing, understanding nutrition, and encouraging happy and healthy lifestyle choices.
When should we be thinking about the future?
Preparation for adulthood should start at the earliest point, and everything we do should support young people and their families make decisions about their futures.
If you have an EHC plan or are receiving additional SEN support, from year 9 onwards, all reviews, plans and outcomes should be reflecting the assessed needs of the young person with a specific focus on the 4 key areas of preparation for adulthood.
This may include:
- Whether you want to continue to learn
- What sort of training you might what to do or what job you may be interested in
- Where you might live and how you will manage your money
- Managing your own health and wellbeing
- Taking part in community activities.
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