Preparing for Adulthood and Employment (aged 14 years and above)

Preparing for Adulthood can be an exciting time for many young people.  There may be new

  • opportunities
  • choices and
  • increased independence

Things you might be thinking about and planning for could include:

Children and young people with EHC Plans : Preparing for Adulthood Reviews

At Year 9, and every review thereafter , annual reviews must include a focus on preparing for adulthood (PFA)

PFA reviews will be centred around the individual and explore children and young people’s aspirations and abilities , what they want to be able to do when they leave education or training after 16 and the support they need to achieve their ambitions.

EHCP PFA reviews should include outcomes and planning about :

  • Education & Employment
  • Independent Living
  • Community & Inclusion
  • Health

The Council for Disabled Children booklet EHC Exemplar yr 9 and beyond has more information

Further and Higher Education

When you have decided on a career path, you need to look at education and training courses that will support you in achieving this.

All young people need to stay in education or training until they are 18. Schools must help young people to identify what they are interested in learning about, from year 9 which provides opportunities for the future. This could be through:

  • a full-time education, for example, school or college or sixth form
  • an apprenticeship, traineeship or supported internship
  • part-time education or training combined with either employment (or self-employment) for 20 hours or more a week or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week
  • higher education

More information can be found on our Further and Higher Education page.

Employment and Training

Employment is a very important part of life. When people have a job, they feel part of society, they have a purpose, make new friends plus have money in their pockets to buy the things they want.

There are a number of ways that young people with special educational needs and disabilities can access the world of work.  These include:

  • Supported Internships
  • Apprenticeships
  • Work Experience
  • Volunteering

More information can be found on our Employment and Training page.

Independent Living

Lots of young people start thinking about living independently as they get older. The skills needed to live independently include cooking, housekeeping, travelling and handling money. There are a lot of things that can be done to help prepare for the future and for adult life.

The national Preparing for Adulthood website has an independent living page with case studies on how independent housing has given young people with SEND invaluable life skills.

More information can be found on the Independent Life Skills page, which includes information on:

Personal budgets and personal assistants

personal budget is funding which is allocated to an individual for the help and support they need.

Individuals can choose to take their personal budget, or part of it, as a direct cash payment, which they can spend on services, or if they wish they can choose to let the council arrange the services they require.

Personal assistant

If you or your suitable person is intending to use the direct payment to employ a personal assistant to meet your care and support needs, you will assume all responsibilities of an employer, which include the following:

  • recruitment process, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
  • issuing and retaining contracts of employment, timesheets, payroll records and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) correspondence for 6 years
  • compliance with all HMRC employer requirements including payment of all taxes such as Income Tax and National Insurance and pension contributions (where relevant)
  • putting in place adequate Employers Liability and Public Liability Insurance
  • meeting the cost of any redundancy

The direct payment amount will be calculated so that it enables you to cover all the additional costs associated with acting as a responsible employer.

Financial support for young adults

Managing your money will be an important part of becoming a young adult and living more independently. Our Financial support for young adults has some useful advice and support to help you with this.

Accommodation for Adults in Need of Care and Support

In Central Bedfordshire, there is a range of accommodation-based care and support for people with disabilities.

More information can be found on our Accommodation for Adults in Need of Care and Support page

Transitioning to Adult Health Services

There are a range of health services available for young people with special educational needs and disabilities such as: GPs, hospitals, dentists, pharmacists, and opticians. In some cases, you may need to access specialised services which may be different depending on your need.

Find out more on our Transitioning to Adult Health Services webpage.

Transitioning to Adult Social Care

Adult Social Care services respond to the needs of adults who have

  • Learning Disabilities
  • Autism
  • Physical Disabilities

The people we support do have or are likely to have eligible needs under the Care Act 2014. This includes young people in transition (14 - 25) as well as adults aged over 18.

More information about Adult Social Care services.

Community Inclusion - Friends and relationships

Friendships, relationships and being a part of the community, are important to a young person's quality of life. There are many ways to get involved other than being in education or employment.

Clubs / Groups

There’s a wide range of clubs and groups young people can access to gain friendships and receive support.

To find out what’s available, search our Leisure and Things to do section.

Volunteering

Volunteering can provide alternative opportunities to gain skills, achieve your goals, and develop valuable experience which could help you into paid employment.  You will find lots of useful information about volunteering, on our Find Your Future Careers Portal.

Staying Safe Online

Computers, mobile phones and tablets are a great way to keep in touch with your friends, finding and making new friends and to share things at the touch of a button. You can also use them to find information and to help with homework.  But they can also make it easier for bullies and other people who might want to hurt you to get close to you.  So it is really important that you know how to stay safe on your computer, phone and websites.

ChildLine and the NSPCC websites both have lots of really useful information to help protect yourself from cyberbullying, sexting, inappropriate content and how to protect your online reputation. 

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family however, it is important to make sure you are safe online. Foundation for people with learning disabilities have a downloadable easy read guide with information about social media and the internet.

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