Adult Social Care - Moving Into Adulthood - WNC

This service is for young people with special educational needs or disabilities who are moving into adulthood and may require support from Adult Social Services.

If the young person has an allocated children’s worker from Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, that worker will make the referral to adult social services via an internal referral route. This will be discussed with the young person and parents and carers first. This usually occurs on or around the young person’s 16th birthday. You will be contacted by the relevant adult social care team shortly after they have accepted the referral to introduce themselves. If the young person does not have a children’s social worker, then an adult social care referral can be made online via the relevant local authority website. Don’t wait until the young person is almost 18 before referring, as it takes time to make sure everything in place for when they reach the age of 18. 

When a young person is referred for support, the team will have a series of conversations with them, using a strength-based approach. The young person will be at the heart of the conversation and it will focus on what is important to them. They will be asked what their hopes are for the future, what they like doing, what they are good at, as well as the things they find difficult to manage. The team will discuss ways to help the young person live as independent a life as possibe, and the conversations will identify what eligible needs the young person has under the Care Act 2014. 

Where it is identified that the young person needs a funded package of support, the support plan is developed in partnership with the young person, family and carers, and a personal budget is allocated. The support plan identifies how the young person’s needs will be met, and what the expected outcomes from the support will be. Once this has been authorised,  the brokerage services will help to source the agreed support package. The young person would also have the option of a direct payment to employ a personal assistant if it is decided that this is how best to meet their needs and meet the outcomes and goals identified. If the young person doesn’t have the capacityto make specific decisions about their care and support needs, they will consider what assessments may be required under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to enable decisions to be made for and on the young person’s behalf. 

Financial Contributions

All people over the age of 18 who are in receipt of a funded package of support will need to complete a financial assessment. This enables the team to work out what their personal contribution towards the cost of the care package should be. The Finance Team can help to provide a benefits check to make sure the young person is receiving all the benefits they are entitled to receive. Further information can be provided by the allocated adult social care worker.