Transition Planning

What Transition Planning Means

Transition planning is the gradual process of preparing for adult life. It brings together the young person's hopes, strengths, interests and support needs so that choices about learning, work, home, health and community life are not left until the last minute.

• It is not one meeting or a decision made at 18. Good planning starts early, develops over time and changes as the young person learns more about what matters to them.
• A useful plan begins with strengths and aspirations: what the young person enjoys, wants to try, is good at and hopes adult life could include.
• Practical preparation can happen in small steps — visiting a college, trying a bus route, learning one meal, joining a group or completing work experience.
• Families do not need every answer at the beginning. The aim is to explore options early enough to make informed choices without unnecessary pressure.

When Does Transition Planning Begin?

For a young person with an EHCP, preparing for adulthood should be discussed at every Annual Review from Year 9, usually around age 13 or 14. Young people without an EHCP also benefit from early conversations through school, college, careers and support services.

• Year 9 Annual Reviews should look beyond the next school year and begin planning for employment, independent living, community participation and good health.
• The young person's views should be central. They may communicate those views through conversation, pictures, videos, observations, communication tools or someone they trust.
• The review should identify actions, who is responsible and when they will happen — for example arranging careers advice, a college visit or a social care assessment.
• Plans should be revisited each year. Aspirations can grow or change as experiences, confidence and circumstances change.

Understanding Preparing for Adulthood

Preparing for Adulthood is organised around four connected outcomes. They are not a checklist of things everyone must achieve; they are prompts for thinking about a full adult life and the support that could make it possible.

• Employment: paid work, supported employment, self-employment, apprenticeships, volunteering or purposeful work experience that builds skills and confidence.
• Independent living: having choice and control over daily life — from making decisions and managing money to cooking, travelling or exploring future housing.
• Community inclusion: friendships, relationships, clubs, faith groups, sport, volunteering and being known and valued in the local community.
• Health: understanding health needs, moving to adult health services, attending appointments and having support to make healthy choices.
• Example: an interest in animals could lead to volunteering at a rescue centre, travel training for the journey, money skills for lunch, and new social connections.

School To College Transition

The right college is the one that can support the young person's course goals, wellbeing, communication and growing independence. Start visits early enough to compare choices rather than accepting the only option left.

• Visit both mainstream and specialist settings where appropriate. Ask to see learning spaces, social areas, travel arrangements and the support available during unstructured time.
• Ask how the college supports communication, sensory needs, personal care, anxiety, behaviour, medication, assistive technology and preparation for employment.
• If an EHCP is needed, the local authority must review and amend it for the move. The named setting and provision should be clear before the placement starts.
• Share a one-page profile and arrange transition visits, introductions, photographs or a visual timetable where these would reduce uncertainty.
• Think about the whole week. A course may be three days, so families may also need community activities, work experience, support or meaningful day opportunities.

College, Training And Employment

There is more than one route into adult working life. The best next step should reflect the person's interests, pace, support needs and longer-term goals — not simply what is most familiar or available first.

• Further Education can include academic, vocational, life-skills and employment-focused courses in mainstream or specialist colleges.
• Supported internships are mainly workplace-based programmes for 16 to 24-year-olds with an EHCP, with a job coach and the aim of moving into paid work.
• Apprenticeships combine paid work with training. Reasonable adjustments and some flexibility around English and maths requirements may be available.
• Supported employment services can help with job matching, applications, interviews, learning a role and communicating with an employer.
• Volunteering and work experience can build skills, references and confidence, but should have a clear purpose and not become an indefinite substitute for paid work where paid work is the goal.

Adult Services Explained

Children's support does not automatically transfer into adult services, but adulthood is not the end of support. Different laws, teams and eligibility rules apply, so assessments and conversations should begin early enough to avoid a gap.

• Adult social care can assess anyone who appears to need care and support. A Care Act assessment looks at daily life, wellbeing and the outcomes the person wants to achieve.
• Where needs are eligible, a care and support plan explains what support will be provided. A Personal Budget is the amount identified to meet those needs.
• A Direct Payment is one way of receiving some or all of that budget so support can be arranged directly — for example, employing a Personal Assistant.
• Community support, day opportunities, adult provision and independence-building services may help with skills, routines, relationships, activities and access to the local area.
• Parents and unpaid carers can ask for their own carer's assessment. Ask for decisions, eligibility reasons and next steps in writing.

Finding Meaningful Day Opportunities

A meaningful week is about more than being occupied. Good day opportunities help a person develop skills, take part in community life, build relationships, contribute and grow in confidence.

• Look for activities linked to real interests — arts, gardening, sport, cooking, animals, technology, volunteering or enterprise.
• Ask how the service builds independence rather than doing everything for the person, and how progress is reviewed with them.
• Adult provision services may offer structured support, but community groups, libraries, leisure centres, volunteering and Personal Assistants can also form part of a varied week.
• Consider transport, personal care, communication, sensory needs, staffing, costs and what happens during college holidays.
• Quality matters more than filling every day. A balanced week can include work, learning, social time, rest and ordinary community life.

Housing And Independent Living

Independent living means having choice and control, not doing everything without help. Someone may live with family, in supported living, through Shared Lives or in residential care — and each option can include increasing independence.

• Living at home can remain the right choice, with support from family, Personal Assistants, adult social care and community services.
• Supported living usually means the person has their own tenancy and care is arranged separately. Residential care combines accommodation and care within one service.
• Shared Lives matches an adult with an approved carer who shares their home and community life, either full-time or for regular visits or breaks.
• Start skills gradually: making choices, cooking one meal, managing a small budget, taking medication safely or learning a familiar journey.
• Visit options, ask about overnight support, staffing, activities, rights, costs and how much genuine choice people have in daily life.

Benefits And Financial Support

Financial support can change during transition, so check what applies before key birthdays, leaving education or starting work. Rules change, and individual circumstances matter, so use this as a starting point and seek current benefits advice.

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with the extra costs of disability or a health condition from age 16. It is based on how daily living and mobility are affected.
• Universal Credit may help with living and housing costs. A Work Capability Assessment can identify extra support where health or disability affects work.
• Access to Work can fund practical workplace support such as equipment, job coaching, travel or communication help.
• Personal Budgets and Direct Payments relate to assessed education, health or social care support; they are not the same as welfare benefits.
• A free benefits check can help families understand how education, work, savings and caring responsibilities interact.

Friendships, Relationships And Community

A good adult life includes people, places and a sense of belonging. Friendships and relationships need the same attention in transition planning as education, care and employment.

• Build from genuine interests. Regular clubs, sports, volunteering, faith groups, creative activities and community projects make repeated contact more likely.
• Talk openly and accessibly about friendships, consent, relationships, online safety and staying safe without removing every opportunity to take ordinary risks.
• Personal Assistants, travel training and community support can make activities possible while helping confidence and independence grow.
• Keep existing friendships where they matter, while making space for new networks beyond school or college.
• Community inclusion means being known, welcomed and able to contribute — not simply attending a building labelled as a service.

Supporting Parents And Carers Through Transition

Transition can bring pride, hope, worry, grief and relief at the same time. Letting someone take new steps does not mean stepping away; it often means changing how support is offered and building a wider circle of trusted people.

• Make room for mixed emotions without treating worry as a reason to stop planning. Small trials can feel safer than one sudden change.
• Shift from deciding for the young person towards supporting them to understand choices, communicate preferences and take manageable risks.
• Build trusted networks before a crisis: relatives, friends, advocates, Personal Assistants, community groups and professionals who know the person well.
• Ask for a carer's assessment if caring affects your health, work, sleep or family life. Your needs matter alongside the young person's plan.
• Celebrate progress that may look small from the outside. Confidence, communication and independence often grow through repetition over years.

Common Transition Planning Mistakes

Most gaps happen because planning starts late or everyone assumes another service is handling it. These common mistakes are prompts for earlier questions, not reasons to blame yourself or anyone else.

• Waiting until 17 or 18: begin from Year 9 where possible, even if the first conversations are broad.
• Focusing only on the next course: include work, health, home, money, friendships, travel and the shape of an ordinary week.
• Not exploring community opportunities: familiar local places can create lasting networks beyond time-limited services.
• Assuming support automatically continues: ask which assessments, referrals or applications are needed, who will make them and by when.
• Not involving the young person: use communication methods that work for them and show how their views changed the plan.
• Accepting vague actions: record specific next steps, named responsibility and dates, then review progress regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should transition planning start?

Start as early as practical. For young people with an EHCP, preparing for adulthood should be included in Annual Reviews from Year 9. Early planning creates time to explore, try options and change direction without rushing.

Does an EHCP continue after 16?

It can. An EHCP does not end automatically at 16 or 18. It may continue up to age 25 while the young person remains in education or training and still needs the plan's special educational provision.

What happens when a young person turns 18?

They become an adult in law and are assumed able to make their own decisions, with support where needed. Children's and adult services have different rules, but education, social care, health, employment and community support can continue in new forms.

Does children's social care automatically become adult social care?

No. Adult social care uses Care Act eligibility and usually requires its own assessment. Where adult needs are likely, the local authority should assess early enough to plan a smooth move rather than allowing support to stop suddenly.

Can social care support continue after 18?

Yes, where the adult has eligible needs. Support may look different and could include help at home, community access, Personal Assistants, supported living, day opportunities or short breaks.

What are day opportunities?

They are activities or services that help adults build skills, relationships, confidence and community participation. They may include adult provision, volunteering, creative or practical projects, social groups and support to use ordinary community facilities.

What is a supported internship?

It is a mainly workplace-based study programme for young people aged 16 to 24 who have an EHCP and need extra support to move into employment. A job coach supports the intern and employer, with paid work as the intended outcome.

Can someone work and still receive support or benefits?

Often, yes. PIP is not means-tested and can continue in work; Universal Credit changes with earnings; Access to Work can fund employment support. Get individual benefits advice before making decisions because circumstances differ.

What if the young person cannot explain what they want?

Their views still matter. Use communication tools, pictures, choices, observations and input from people who know them well. Decision-making law requires support to help a person participate as fully as possible.

What housing options are available?

Options include living with family, supported living, Shared Lives, residential care and living independently with visiting support. The right choice depends on wishes, needs, local availability and funding, and it can change over time.

Who coordinates transition planning?

There is not always one coordinator. Schools or colleges usually lead EHCP reviews, while the local authority coordinates statutory planning. Ask for a named contact, clear actions and joint meetings where education, health and social care all need to contribute.

Where can families get independent help?

SENDIASS, advocacy services, carers' organisations and specialist charities can help families understand rights, prepare for meetings and explore options. Discover Unique can also help you find local transition, employment and independent living support.