All children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans in Derbyshire, and those without EHC plans who have a learning disability and/or significant health needs, should have a health transition plan to help them prepare for adult life.
Where an EHC plan is in place, transition planning will happen through the annual review process, and all relevant health professionals working with the young person will be invited to attend. Where there is not an EHC plan in place, it is the responsibility of the specific health service working with a young person to ensure that transition planning takes place into the appropriate adult service or back to the care of the GP, and to identify a key worker to coordinate transition planning where necessary.
Health transition planning should include planning to ensure that the young person will be able to access health services which are not directly linked to their condition or disability, for example GP, dentist, sexual health services, advice about healthy eating.
It should also include planning for the transition to specialist adult health services, where there will be a need to access specialist services in adulthood. Adult health services are organised differently from children's services, and in some cases, there may not be a directly equivalent service. The transition from children's to adult health services can also take place between age 16 and 25 depending on the service, and transition planning for complex children may start as young as 14 to ensure sufficient time to plan. This makes good transition planning all the more important.
All young people aged 14 to 17 with a learning disability will have an annual health check with their GP. This will help GPs to get to know young people who may normally see a paediatrician up to their 18th birthday, and make sure that appropriate arrangements are being made for them to access the support and health services they need in adult life. Young people with a learning disability are encouraged to watch this annual health check video.
You can find more information about health services for children and young adults through the Local Offer, as well as information about transition planning in Derbyshire.
Building the right support in Derbyshire – The Learning Disability and Forensic Support Team provide enhanced community support to people with learning disabilities and / or autism, to help them avoid hospital stays. The team mainly (but not exclusively) work with people who have committed offences in the past or may display risky behaviours.
Bright Opportunities (Buxton based) - A day centre supporting people with learning difficulties and / or autism using person-centred approached and activities. Also provide home based care.
Zink Project - Zink empowers people and families to build a better future no matter what they’ve been through. When a crisis happens, they can provide emergency food and supplies, advice and support to sort out the cause and a place to plan. Our work coaches offer help into work, education or training and our community provides a range of exciting activities and interests that enable to people to grow, learn and mix.
What if I'm not getting the support I need to plan for mine or my child's adult health needs?
The first step is to talk to the health professionals working with you. If you still feel you're not getting the support you need, you can contact the Derbyshire Information, Advice and Support Service for SEND (formerly Parent Partnership Service) or Healthwatch Derbyshire who can advise you or raise your concerns with the appropriate NHS bodies.