Leaving school and choosing what to do afterwards can be difficult for any young person. When a child has special needs, this can be even more complicated. To try to help and support young people and their families through this process, the government introduced what is called Transition Planning in schools. This is just for young people with a statement of special educational needs.

Transition planning begins from about age 14 or when your child is in Yr 9. The length of time it takes will depend on each young person. Good Transition Planning should ensure:

• Your son/daughter is involved in planning for their future and the decisions made about them
• You as their parent are involved and get the information you need to help your son/daughter make choices
• You know the key people who can help you, for example Connexions Personal Advisers
• Your son/daughter can successfully go onto college, training, work or day services resource after school
• Your son/daughter continues to receive the support they need as an adult

Amaze produces a fact sheet with advice about 'Involving young people'.

• The first Transition Planning meeting
• Connexions Personal Advisers (PA)
• The Transition Plan
• When your son or daughter is 15 – 16 years old
• What happens when your son or daughter reaches the age of 18?

The first Transition Planning meeting

If your child has a statement of special educational needs, when they are around 14 years old or in Year 9, Transition Planning in schools begins. You will be invited to a Transition Planning meeting at their school. This usually happens as part of the annual review of their statement.

It is helpful if you and your child are prepared for the meeting. You and your son/daughter might find the national Trans-Active website, and The Transition Information Network's website, helpful to look at as you think about what you want to discuss at the meeting:

• Transition Planning is usually discussed as part of the annual review meeting of your child's statement in Year 9
• As well as reviewing your child's statement, the purpose of the meeting is to start to discuss the various options for your child's future choices
• The head teacher is responsible for organising the meeting. Sometimes they will delegate this responsibility to the Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
• The school must invite you, the Connexions Personal Adviser, someone from social care, a relevant teacher, a representative from the local authority (LA) and anyone that the LA has said should attend. Other people involved in helping your child, for example health professionals, may also be invited.
• All of the services involved will be asked to send a report to the meeting if they cannot attend.
• The Connexions Personal Adviser must attend the review meeting in Year 9.

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Connexions Personal Advisers (PA)

Connexions Personal Advisers or PAs work for a government agency called Connexions which is part of the integrated youth support service.

PAs support all young people in England aged between 13 and 19 years old in their transition to adulthood. They can support young people with special needs up until they are 25.

Some PAs are what used to be called career advisers. Others are employed by the youth service and may be based in your child's school and work with just a few young people. They are sometimes called Intensive Personal Advisers or IPAs. There are also some PAs who work for voluntary sector agencies who are based in places including YAC and the Young People's Centre

Connexions PAs are based in integrated teams with other youth agencies throughout Brighton and Hove.

What Personal Advisers do

The Connexions PAs come into schools to work with young people throughout the transition period (13-19). They help with planning for your child's future:

• They provide information about your child's future learning options.
• They liaise with you and other people involved in planning like social care, health, leisure and advocacy services.

You can contact your child's PA out of school, on the following contact numbers:

East

01273 294662
Kemp Town, Queens Park & Craven Vale, Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb, Bevendean, Coldean, Woodingdean, Ovingdean, Rottingdean, Saltdean.

Central

01273 294247
City Centre, Hanover, Hollingbury, Hollingdean, Fiveways, Preston Park, Patcham

West

01273 295105
Hove, Hangleton & Knoll, Portslade, Mile Oak

 

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The Transition Plan

At the first Transition Review Meeting a Transition Plan will be discussed and then written up afterwards:

• It is the responsibility of the head teacher to make sure that this happens 
• It should be done in consultation with the Connexions Service 
• You must be sent a copy of the Transition Plan after the meeting. It should have an Action Plan attached, of what will happen next and who is responsible for doing it
• Every year while your child is still at school, the Transition Plan will be discussed and updated at Transition Review Meetings
• The Review Meetings are guided by the SEN Code of Practice. This sets out the procedure the school should follow and explains the role you and your child can play. For more information about the Code of Practice visit the Government's Department for Children, Schools and Families

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When your son or daughter is 15 – 16 years old

• You will have a meeting to review the transition plan at least once in this year. 
• You and your son/daughter should continue to look at possible options for the future in and out of school. 
• The school and PA will work together with your child on the action points agreed in the Transition Plan. 
• Any other agencies involved (health, social services) should be in contact with you and you may be allocated a key person to contact. 
• The PA will continue working with your son/daughter. 
• You should receive any information you requested from the transition planning meeting and be able to directly contact your PA. Your son/daughter's ongoing health needs should continue to be reviewed as part of the transition plan. 
• The review should consider whether your son/daughter will leave school at 16 or continue to 19: 
• Some schools continue up to when your child is 19 years old. Other schools only go up to the age of 16 years old. 
• If you are considering a residential college, you should be planning for this early as funding and securing a place can take some time.

If your son or daughter is leaving school at age 16

• If your son/daughter is leaving school you should begin to look at the options available to them, get information and visit these places together. 
• The PA will arrange assessments of your son/daughter's future needs. 
• The transition plan should be passed on to the service your son/daughter will be attending in the next year and you should know who their PA or key worker will be. 
• If your child is leaving school and going to a college that isn't connected to a school, their statement will come to an end. 
• If your child is going to a sixth form college which is connected to a school, their statement will be maintained.

If your son or daughter would like to work

• If your child is leaving school at 16 they should have a work experience opportunity. Ask the school about this. 
• The PA should also be able to tell you about:
  - local employment training schemes 
  - what courses local colleges provide with work placed training built in. 
• Access to employment is improving and you will receive support within school and Connexions to look at a pathway into employment for your son/daughter if this is appropriate for them. 
• You can also contact Jobcentre Plus. The Disability Employment Advisers can help you and your son/daughter look at the type of jobs available locally and what skills are needed to access them. Brighton Jobcentre Plus is based at Windsor House, 30-35 Edward Street and Hove Jobcentre Plus is at Boundary House on Boundary Road, Hove. You can call both offices on 0845 608 8715.

How working affects your son or daughter's benefits

It is important to look at whether your son/daughter's benefit monies will change if they earn money from work. We have included a separate section, Changes to benefits at 16, which outlines the types of benefits your son/daughter can apply for as an adult and what benefits you may be entitled to. Other sources of advice are your PA, Jobcentre Plus and the Department for Work and Pensions' Benefits Enquiry Line on 0800 882200.

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What happens when your son or daughter reaches the age of 18?

At 18, your son / daughter has adult status; they are regarded as an adult legally. They will be transferred from children's services to adult services in health and social care even if they remain at school until 19. 

Your son/daughter should be offered assessments by each of the new adult services they will use and you should have a key worker (named person) who can help you understand the changes. You and your son/daughter should be given information on changes to financial benefits, and any charges for adult services. Read more about benefits for over-16s.

What happens if your son or daughter doesn't want to live at home

Transition reviews should discuss future living options, and social services will look at this when they assess your son/daughter's needs at 18.

Your son/daughter is entitled to a Community Care Assessment. If she or he wants to move away from home, they may be entitled to support to do this. Some options include:

• Supported living - where support is provided in your home 
• Residential care - where you live in a residential home with other people.

It can take time to sort out funding arrangements and find a suitable home so it is important to think about this during transition planning. Ask Brighton and Hove city council's housing department and social services about what is available in the area.

• The housing department can give you information about the housing register which your son/daughter can join at 17 years old. 
• They will also have a list of housing associations that may help.