Guide to preparing for adulthood

Education, training and employment

Planning for the future

You should continue to look at:

• what you are good at and what you enjoy doing
• what is going well
• what you want to do in the future.

Moving school / setting (transition)

All planning must be centered around you. Your views are important.

Hopefully, you will have decided what kind of education / training you would like to do when you turn 16.

If you are moving school / setting, you can speak to them about the support that is available.

Careers advice

You can speak with the career's advisor in your school / setting, or in another service, about your future ambitions. See careers advice.

Education / training and employment plan

You should develop an education / training and employment plan, which looks at your aims, goals and outcomes for the future.

This may include:

• post-16 education, training and employment
• visits to other schools / settings
• increasing your independence skills
• your ongoing care and support needs

You can get support to help you access work experience and apprenticeships and traineeships.

Friendship, relationships and community

Friendships and relationships

Think about the important relationships in your life, and how you will continue these in the future.

Activities

Think about whether you are going out as often as you would like to, and if you need support so you can try different activities. You can talk through this with someone you trust.

You should think about time that you spend away from your home, for example, through a short break. This will help you to build and keep friendships.

You should also find out about extra-curricular activities in your school / setting.

Support for parents / carers

Your parents / carers may have questions or concerns as you move into adulthood. They can access information, advice and support.

Developing independence

If you are thinking about moving school / setting to carry on your education or training, you will need to think about where this might be.

It is important to develop your independent travel, especially if your new school / setting is going to be further away from home.

Speak to SEND Services about transport options and training to help you travel independently.

Time management will be more important when you move into post 16 education / training and employment. You should discuss how you can be supported with this, with both your current and new school / setting.

Good health

Moving into adult health services

As you get closer to adulthood, you will become more involved in decisions about your health and wellbeing.

All health services that are involved with your health and wellbeing should be sharing information with each other.

The Ready Steady Go programme supports young people to move into adult health services.

You can look at the 'Steady' part of the Ready Steady Go programme to help prepare you for making decisions about your health.

A transition plan should be made. See the Ready Steady Go transition plan template.

Your parent / carer can also complete the Ready Steady Go transition plan questionnaire to find out about any support they will need as you move into adult health services.

Personal Health Budget

If you have a Personal Health Budget, you will become responsible for it when you turn 18.

You should start having conversations now about how you will manage this.

Your carers

You may have people close to you who regularly give you a lot of care and support.

It is important that these people are known to the Council and to the other services that support you.

They may need a carer's assessment to make sure they are getting the right support.

If you have an Education, Health and Care Plan

If you have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a preference for your school / setting will be discussed. 

If you are planning to move, the school / setting will need to be involved so they can plan how to support you.