Moving from children’s to adult care

If you are likely to have care and support needs after you are 18, you will transition from children's to adult's social care.

We will assess your care and support needs to find out what you will need as an adult. Most people have their assessment when they are 17 years old, but you can begin your transition to adult care at any time from 14 to 17.

About the assessment

The assessment will help us decide:

• how you will be supported to achieve your goals 
• whether you are likely to receive any funding from us

We will carry out a financial assessment to work out what you can afford to pay for care and support as an adult, and what we can pay towards it. The assessment looks at income including benefits and savings. It does not consider your parents’ income.

We will help you make your own decisions where possible. If you cannot, we will talk to you and your family about a Mental Capacity Act assessment.

You may also find it helpful to have an advocate if it is hard to make decisions or understand what is happening. This could be a friend, family member or a professional like a teacher or support worker. We can arrange an independent advocate for you if needed.

If the assessment does not result in funded support, we will provide advice and information to help you, including support available from other organisations and the voluntary sector.

Getting an assessment

If you are already receiving care services your assessment will be arranged through the Children’s Disability Service. If you have any questions contact them on 0114 273 5368.

If you do not receive care services from us but you believe you will have support needs when you are over 18, for example if you currently have an EHC plan, you or someone acting on your behalf can ask for an assessment. Call the First Contact Team on 0114 273 4908 and ask for a conversation about future support.