Transition - Introduction

Welcome to Leicester's Transition to Adulthood information guide. This guide is to help young people with additional needs and their parents/carers think about the future and make plans for when the young person becomes an adult.

By young people with additional needs we mean young people who have received additional support as a child. This may include young people with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with an Education, Health and Care Plan or those who received SEN Support in schools.

‘Transition’ refers to the period when you approach adulthood and start to think about your plans for the future – with the support of your parents/carers and professionals who work with you. Generally, this is from Year 9 (age 13 or 14), but planning earlier is also a good idea. The move from being a child to becoming an adult is a significant change in the lives of all young people.

The systems in place to support children are different when they become an adult. This may mean the support or professionals who work with you changes. This guide gives an overview of the key topics related to transition. We hope it will help you and your parents and carers prepare for the move into adulthood.

The guide has been divided into subsections on:

You can pick and choose the topics that are relevant to you and your circumstances.

We have included links to further sources of information where appropriate. And if you have specific questions about any of the topics in this guide, you can discuss them with a professional working with you and your family.