The Transitions team sit under Adult Social Care in Leeds City Council and support the transition for young people from Children’s Services into Adult Social Care.
The Transitions Team are a dedicated group of social workers, learning disabilities nurses and wellbeing workers.
14 to 18 year olds
The young person must have an open and active case to a social worker with services in place before their 18th birthday. The team will be secondary worker to the children’s social worker until the young person is 18.
Transitions Team involvement ideally will start by attending the Year 9 Review.
The young person will then be allocated a Transitions Social Worker on or around their 16th birthday; A Transitions Worker may attend any relevant meetings before they are allocated if there are any major concerns that would impact on their transitions into adulthood.
Once the young person is allocated a Transitions Social Worker, the focus of the work age 16 to 18 will be preparation for adulthood, this will involve working with the young person, their families, carers and professionals to explore existing support, the young person’s aspirations and shape the support moving forward. This will involve, wherever possible, attending all statutory meetings relating to the young’s persons development.
The young’s persons wishes and feelings will also be taken into consideration to inform their decision making post 18 [mental capacity Act 2005] and maximise their human potential through relevant, support and intervention post 18.
The young person must have a diagnosed disability
- Learning Disability (IQ below 70)
- Physical Disability
- Complex Health Needs
- Sensory Impairment
- Autism / Asperger’s
- Note not Primary Mental Health alone
The young person must also be eligible for services under the Care Act 2014. Those young people who are not, will be signposted to universal mainstream services.
17 year olds
Early Help Plans
We may become involved with young people at 17 years old with no social worker who have an Early Help Plan and have Direct Payments / Services that will need to continue into adulthood (services must be in place before their 18th birthday). A referral should be made through the Adult Contact Centre 0113 222 44 01.
Complex Health (continuing health care only)
We will also work with young people who do not have a service from children’s social care but receive children’s Continuing Health Care under 18.
It is important that this health care is transitioned to adult’s health post 18.
We will not become involved with young people under or over 18 who have not had any services from Children’s Social Care. A referral through to the Adult Contact Centre will need to be made and they will send the referral through the relevant team.
All clients must be Care Act Eligible, and work can involve the following: -
- Conversation Record (Adults)
- Support Plan
- Mental Capacity
- Best Interest
- RAMT
- Safeguarding
We also offer advice, guidance and posting
18 to 25 year olds
We will become primary worker if already involved prior to 18 until their support plan is in place and their Review is undertaken within 3 months of their 18th birthday, if everything is settled the case will be transferred to the relevant Care Management Team which will be decided by the Transitions Panel.
We will Case Hold until complex transitions issues are resolved and Support Plan settled; the case will then be transferred to the relevant Care Management Team.
Mental health transitions
Young people who do not have a disability but an enduring and primary mental health issue will Transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult Community Mental Health Teams.
This is an established pathway and the CAMHs team has a dedicated mental health transitions worker to facilitate this process.
Vulnerable young peole transitions
Young people without a disability who may be at risk of homelessness, substance misuse, exploitation or abuse should be referred to the adult contact Centre at 17.5 years 0113 2224401. If screened as Care Act Eligible a referral will be taken and passed to the relevant Adult Area Team.
Some of these young people may not be care act eligible, in that they do not have a physical or mental impairment.
However they are vulnerable and at risk.
Some may have Looked After Children status, many will have experienced significant childhood trauma but are not willing to engage with support.
Contacts:
To make a referral to the Transitions Team, call the Adult’s Contact Centre on 0113 222 4401. For those under an Early help plan a referral should be made in advance of the young person’s 17th birthday. For young people with a social worker, a referral can be made by the social worker through ‘Mosaic’ (their case recording system).
If the young person is not eligible for the Transitions Team, the referral will be passed to the relevant adult social care team.
If the young person is under 18 years and has current care needs but no package of care, a referral can be made to the Children's Contact Centre on 0113 222 4403, who will assess and offer support / guidance.
You can also contact the transitions team at transitions.team@leeds.gov.uk
Click here to download the transitions team leaflet.
