Preparing for Adulthood: The Transition Team
Moving from being a child to being an adult is a big moment, especially for young people who need care and support. Our Transition Team is here to make that journey smoother, more informed, and aimed at helping you succeed.
About Us
To make things better, we have joined the Transition service and the Preparation for Adulthood- Adults (PfA- Adults) service together. Now, there is just one service supporting young people with adult social care needs, called the Transition Team.
This means families and professionals now have a single point of contact for planning and support. By bringing both teams together, we can work more closely, avoid repeating work, and make sure young people get the help they need when they need it.
Our work is based on the outcomes set out in the Care Act 2014 and is our legal responsibility. We make sure that young people who will probably need adult social care get the right support.
What Does Transition Mean?
Transition isn’t just about changing services – it’s about getting ready for a happy and independent adult life. Studies show that starting to plan early with clear goals can really help, making things happen more smoothly and helping young people avoid relying on support they don’t need.
Who We Support
We work with young people aged 14–25 who:
- Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Are likely to meet the Care Act eligibility for adult social care
- Have a diagnosis of learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and/or autism, or a young person who has complex needs relating to these conditions
Our Approach
From Year 9 (age 14), we begin early planning for young people who are likely to meet the eligibility criteria under the Care Act 2014 by being involved in and/or attending the annual EHCP review. This is a really important part of our work because the Care Act sets out the legal responsibilities for adult social care, and early planning can make things happen more smoothly when a young person turns 18.
At age 17, we start gathering detailed information to complete a Care Act assessment, so that support is in place when needed at the age of 18 years. Each young person is given a named worker who will:
- Work closely with the young person and their family to help them aim high and get ready for adult life.
- Carry out an assessment that covers all parts of the young person’s life and support needs (holistic assessment), including checks around mental capacity and if funding from health (Continuing Health Care) should be applied for
- Provide information, advice and support to understand information, express their needs and wishes and help them obtain the care and support they need. This includes linking to the Local Offer and other support services.
- Ensure the move to adult social care services happens at the right time – up to the young person’s 25th birthday.
What We Do
Our responsibilities include:
- Participating in education, health, and care planning from age 14 years
- Establishing eligibility for adult social care services
- Completing Care Act assessments
- Securing funding for care and support needs identified by assessments
- Supporting the move from children’s services to adult services
- Managing cases until they are settled and ready for handover to regular adult social care services
The team also support young people within our services if they need assessments for safeguarding, mental capacity assessments, or applications to the Court of Protection.
Working Together
We collaborate with schools, SENAR, children’s services, health teams, and voluntary organisations to ensure a joined-up approach.
Contact and Referral
Referrals into the Transition Team can be made through:
- Children’s Services, Birmingham Children’s Trust (BCT) and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) via the Multi-Agency Planning Meeting for young people likely to meet Care Act eligibility.
- Corporate Contact Centre, where requests can be submitted and will be directed to the Transition Team or another appropriate service.
Contact us
Phone: 0121 303 1234
Email: CSAdultSocialCare@birmingham.gov.uk
Form: Online referral form