The ‘wellbeing conversation’ is the council’s approach to assessing people's needs and embedding community-led support.
The conversation focuses on what the young person wants to achieve, their strengths, what may be available in their local community they can access and, if required, what services may support them to achieve their aims.
This conversation will take a strength-based, person-centred approach. This will be embedded throughout the young person’s contact with adult social care. 'Strength-based’ means we will focus on the young person's abilities.
The process is designed to minimise handoffs between practitioners, so young people receive a joined-up service.
In addition to the wellbeing conversation, Child Disability Teams and Lifelong Services (Adults) use a document called 'My Plan'.
The plan is designed as a passport, so that important information about the young person can be smoothly transferred between services as they transition into adulthood.
Conversations about the young person’s future needs will be taking place prior to a transition care manager becoming involved.
A useful starting point is the accessible Preparing for Adulthood Wiki. This includes useful documents for supporting young people to prepare and plan for adulthood. For example:
- Pointers for parents/carers - A guide for parents/carers of children with a lifelong disability
- My Views - For young people to complete and share with their social worker and Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) worker
- My Path - For young people to complete and share with their social worker and EHCP worker
- What to do in an emergency social story - For young people to read and practice.
Transition care managers assess a young person’s needs under the national eligibility criteria, as set out in the Care Act 2014.
For a person to be considered eligible for support from Adults' Services, three conditions need to be met.
- Do the adult’s needs arise from a physical or mental impairment or illness?
- Do these needs mean that the adult is unable to achieve two or more specified outcomes (see list below)?
- As a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes, is there a significant impact on the adult's wellbeing?
Care Act 2014 specified outcomes
- Managing and maintaining nutrition
- Managing personal hygiene
- Managing toilet needs
- Being appropriately clothed
- Being able to make use of the adult’s home safely
- Maintaining a habitable home environment
- Developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships
- Accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
- Making use of necessary facilities or services in the local community, including public transport, and recreational facilities or services
- Carrying out any caring responsibilities the adult has for a child.