Transitioning to Adult Social Care
Adult social services are provided under the Care Act 2014. The Act places a legal duty on the local authority to carry out an assessment when a child is likely to have a need for care and support when they are 18.
In West Northamptonshire, adult social services will usually start this process in year 11, but there is no set age when young people reach the point of needing an assessment. Every young person and their family are different, and assessment should take place when it is the most appropriate time for them.
If the child is already supported by Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, their allocated worker will make the referral through an internal referral process.
Transition Workers
There are adult Transition Workers who link in with SEND post 16 education provisions, who provide advice and guidance to parents, young people and teachers about how to make a referral if they are not already known to children’s services.
They also attend EHC reviews for young people where it has been identified as a potential benefit for them and their families, from year 11 upwards to provide advice and guidance.
Children's services and Adult Social Care
Children’s services must continue to be provided until adult provision has started, or a decision is made that the young person’s needs do not meet the eligibility criteria for adult care and support.
Where young people aged 18 or over continue to have EHC plans under the Children and Families Act 2014, and they make the move to adult care and support, the care and support aspects of the EHC plan will be provided under the Care Act. The statutory care and support plan must form the basis of the ‘care’ element of the EHC plan.
Under the Care Act 2014, all young people going through the transition process are entitled to independent advocacy.
Social Care Service support for people over the age of 18 is arranged by Adult Social Care and comes under The Care Act 2014.
The criteria for support is as follows:
- the person’s needs arise from, or are related to, a physical or mental impairment or illness
- as a result of the person’s needs, they are unable to achieve two or more of the specified outcomes below
- as a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes there is, or there is likely to be, a significant impact on the adult’s wellbeing
Specified Outcomes can include:
- managing and maintaining nutrition
- maintaining personal hygiene
- managing toilet needs
- being appropriately clothed
- being able to make use of the home safely
- maintaining a habitable home environment
- developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
- accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
- making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community including public transport and recreational facilities or services
- carrying out any caring responsibilities the adult has for a child
What Adult Social Care does
When your young person is referred for support, Adult Social Care will have a series of conversations with them and with you. This will form the assessment to establish what needs your young person has.
Adult Social Care will use a strengths-based approach. This means that your young person is placed at the heart of the conversations with a focus on what they can do, as well as what they need help with.
The approach focuses on what is important to the young person. The adult social care worker will want to find out what their hopes are for the future, what they like doing, what they are good at, as well as the things they are finding difficult to manage.
The adult social care worker will discuss ways to help your young person stay as independent as possible, and the conversations they have with your young person and with yourself will identify what eligible needs your young person has under the Care Act 2014.
How support is agreed
The starting point is always to look at what your young person wants to achieve, what they need help with, and whether there is anything in the local community that they could be connected to. Equipment such as assistive technology could help.
If it is identified that your young person needs a funded package of support to meet their identified social care needs, a support plan will be developed. It will be developed in partnership with the young person, yourself and relevant others. A personal budget will also be allocated.
The support plan identifies how your young person’s needs will be met, and what the expected outcomes from the support will be. In other words, what targets or goals will the support help them to achieve.
Once the support plan has been authorised, the adult social care brokerage service will help to find the agreed support package. Your 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 your young person doesn’t have the capacity to make specific decisions about their care and support needs, the local authority 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.
Personal Budgets and Direct Payments – Adult Social Care
A personal budget is an amount of Council funds that is judged to be sufficient to meet the assessed unmet needs of a person who is eligible for care and support. Personal budgets can be paid in the form of a “Direct Payment” which enable people to have some degree of choice, control and flexibility over the services they receive.
Direct Payments
If your young person is eligible for support from Adult Social Care, following their Care Act Assessment, they may choose to have a “Direct Payment”. This which puts them, or someone they trust, in control of the care and support they receive.
This means they can:
- consider what personal goals they have
- find care and support services that will help them meet those goals
- spend their Direct Payment on the care and support services that they feel will best meet their needs
- enjoy the flexibility of being able to access the care and support services whenever and wherever is best for them
Personal Contributions
All people over the age of 18 years, who are in receipt of a funded package of support from Adult Social Care, will need to complete a financial assessment. This enables the Council to calculate their personal contribution (if any) towards the cost of the care and support package.
The Financial Assessment Team undertake a welfare benefit check on each financial assessment that is completed. This ensures that your young person is receiving all the benefits they are entitled to. Further information can be provided by the allocated Adult Social Care worker.
Support for you as a Carer
Carers often care for loved ones whilst trying to maintain an education or full-time job. Northamptonshire Carers support unpaid carers of all ages – from young children, through to teenagers, adults and the elderly.
West Northamptonshire Council has a statutory responsibility for all carers, set out in the Care Act 2014.
Every person who considers themselves to be a carer has the right to a Carer Assessment. West Northamptonshire Council commission Northamptonshire Carers to deliver carer services on their behalf.
A referral can be made through Northamptonshire Carers website for a Young Carer 5 – 17 years old, and an Adult Carer ages 18 years and over.
Wellbeing Service
This service is tailored to support anyone eligible over the age of 18 who may be showing signs of reduced independence. It aims to prevent decline, and to support and manage health and wellbeing needs.
With up to 12 weeks of one-to-one support, the team of dedicated Wellbeing Advisors are committed to providing you with the knowledge and resources needed to make your wellbeing a priority.
Last updated 15 October 2026