Agenda item

This item provides a summary of the progress made across Children’s Services and Adult Social Care in supporting children and young people as they reach adulthood.

Peter Haylock (Operational Director of Education and SEND) presented the item which provided a summary of the progress made across Children’s Services and Adult Social Care in supporting children and young people as they reach adulthood.

Councillor Amanda Lloyd-Harris welcomed the report and said it was a good template for future reports. She felt hearing from people in their own words gave a better understanding of the issues. She then asked if the committee would receive updates on the remainder of Monique’s journey. Peter Haylock said he could provide updates to members.

ACTION: Peter Haylock

Lucia Boddington asked for more information on the transitions team including the size of the team, the work they did and how they support the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) team. Peter Haylock said there were 12-13 people in the team and their central task was to take referrals and work with the young person to develop a transition plan and social care plan. They did not input into the EHCP process which was focused on education. Transitions took place for the upper end of cohort, those aged around 22-23 years old.

Jacqui McShannon (Executive Director – People) added that the Council was investing in transitions to avoid the ‘cliff edge’ where children’s services ended and handed over to adult social care. The team started planning ahead for adulthood from as young as 14 years old, though more commonly at 16 years old. They worked with the young person and their family to understand their needs so the right support could be commissioned in advance.

Lucia Boddington asked how cases were allocated, noting that there were many young people with EHCPs but only 38 supported in transitions. Peter Haylock clarified that while there were around 1800 young people with EHCPs in total, many of them were years away from transition. The team was still relatively new, launching in 2023, and had looked first at the cohort that was nearing transition. Some young people did not need transition support if they were going on to higher education for example.Jacqui McShannon noted that eligibility for adult social care was also a factor.

Jim Grealy thanked officers for the report. He said the work in the report was very positive and seemed to have genuine co-design and co-production. He asked if equalities data was available on the young people transitioning, for example their socio-economic background and ethnicity. He also asked what work the team were doing with disabled communities and if co-production was a continuing process. Peter Haylock said there was a thorough data set covering all EHCPs and co-production was an ongoing process. Jacqui McShannon added that Parentsactive were instrumental in driving the case for the new transitions team. Officers met regularly with Parentsactive as part of a dynamic co-production process. Sarah Bright (Director, Commissioning Transformation and Health Partnerships) said officers were taking the same approach in Adult Social Care – looking at provision for young adults at an earlier stage to understand the gaps and what could be done differently.

Jim Grealy noted there must be huge need and asked if finances were a constraint. Peter Haylock said the key issue for the team was working with the right people at the right time.

Victoria Brignell asked about the co-production methods used and how the Council saw it developing in future. Peter Haylock said they held focus groups with young people and families. The team worked with schools and colleges to develop vocational profiles. They had also run a pilot with care experienced young people. He said it was an evolving process, but the key was the young people themselves, and their feedback shaped what the team did.

Victoria Brignell asked if the team recorded feedback from people about how they found the co-production process. Peter Haylock said they did not require it, but they would try to in future.

ACTION: Peter Haylock

The Chair asked how often the priority workstreams (Workforce, Pathways, and Provision) were reviewed. Peter Haylock said they were reviewed annually but it was a new team with new processes, and they were still learning. He felt there were a lot of opportunities still to explore including engaging with local businesses and getting more out of social value contracts.

Lucia Boddington asked how parents could contact the Council about being supported through the transition process. Peter Haylock said the initial referral would come through the annual review process from an EHCP coordinator.

The Chair asked what systems were in place to support young people that left the borough and if there was any coordination between different local authorities. Peter Haylock said it was a challenge, but the EHCP moved with them so support would be provided by their new home borough. He noted this was different for Virtual School children who would remain supported by H&F even if they moved.

Councillor Alex Sanderson said transitions was an area of focus and the Council was working hard to provide holistic transition support for those young people who needed it. She also highlighted that the Council had recently been recognised for the ‘Best Local Offer’ award by the National Association of Family Information Services (NAFIS) which acknowledged the strength of the Council’s co-production work with families in developing and promoting its online resources about services and support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

RESOLVED

1. That the Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Accountability Committee noted the report.