5.6.9 16 Plus Support Team and Adult Community Learning Disability Team Protocol |
Contents
1. Context
Many young people leaving care have been known to be assessed as having a mild to moderate learning disability. This often becomes magnified when the young person attempts to live independently without the support of foster carers, supported lodgings carers or supported housing providers.
Research has evidenced that this group of young people is a particularly vulnerable category of care leaver who is more susceptible to homelessness, mental ill health, criminality and poverty. This is particularly the case for young people who have an unidentified and/or unassessed learning disability.
Many of these young people may reach their mid-teens without a full assessment having been undertaken of the implications and impact these disabilities may have when they move from their care placement. Workers and carers may often under-estimate these disabilities to avoid negative labelling. This process may well disadvantage accessing support from appropriate adult services.
2. Aims
To ensure that Looked After Children and care leavers with Learning Disabilities have access to services that can assess their needs and meet their eligible needs, supporting the development of their independence through choice and inclusion and safety.
Looked After Children and care leavers with disabilities should, as with all Looked After Children and care leavers participate fully in planning their transition into adult services. The young person should take a lead and demonstrate their presence in all aspects of future care and accommodation planning. Where this requires the support of specialist services, such as Speech and Language Therapy, this should be provided in a timely way.
3. Procedure
The Adult Community Learning Disability Team is a specialist service resourced to work with adults aged 18 and over who have a diagnosed Learning Disability. The service also works with adults who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Adults with Aspergers Syndrome can be referred to the Community Learning Disability Team as well as Adult Mental Health Services.
In order to support the planning for young people moving into adult services the Service Manager for the Post 16 Team will attend Transition Planning Meetings with the Community Learning Disability Team that are held every 6 months. These meetings are used to identify at the earliest opportunity young people likely to be referred to the Community Learning Disability Team, their current needs, services and costs to the authority.
The Leaving Care Needs Assessment & Pathway Plan is a vital tool for identifying the young person's needs as they move into adult life. It will also be necessary to refer to any 14+ Transition Plan, any Statement of Educational Needs and any current psychological or psychometric assessment. It will also be important to involve any specialist services and partner agencies to ensure that a comprehensive understanding of the young person's needs is developed. The Assessment must also clearly identify current needs in relation to the young person's move-on strategy (to independent living). Independent living can be achieved through various level of community based support. If it is possible to identify potential timeframes regarding independent living these should be included with the rationale for this detailed.
Where it is assessed and evidenced that a young person has Learning Disabilities (diagnosed via psychometric assessment or other clinical diagnosis) a referral should be made to the Community Learning Disability Team, 86 Denmark Villas 01273 295550. The referral will include a thorough assessment taking into account information drawn from services highlighted above. This will include the Leaving Care Needs Assessment, Pathway Plan and Risk Assessment and will identify any post-18 funding issues. It will be completed and forwarded to the Community Learning Disability Team at least by the young person's 17th birthday. The consent of the young person to share this information will be obtained beforehand.
Case transfers from the 16 Plus Support Team to Adult Services take place on after the young person's 18th birthday. There is no legislative provision in Adult Services to work with young people under 18 unless via an agreed informal arrangement specific to a persons needs. The young person will still retain their Leaving Care Personal Adviser from the 16 Plus Support Team. Their role will be to assist in ensuring that the young person's rights and entitlements under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 are met and that Pathway Plans are compatible with Community Learning Disability Team case planning. In the majority of cases the primary need is to effect a smooth transition to Adult Services and the 16 Plus Support Team will provide support to the young person and planning through this role and proportionate to it.
This Protocol is designed to provide support and practice guidance to enable young people who are eligible for on-going specialist Leaning Disability Services to access a smooth and supportive transition. It is accepted that there will be exceptions and Service Managers will need to remain flexible to ensure that eligible needs are met.
4. Agreement
This protocol was formally agreed between Gerrard Martin, Service Improvement Manager, Community Learning Disability Team and Dermot Anketell, Service Manager, 16 Plus Support Team January 2009.
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