Transitioning to Adult Social Care, or getting help from Adult Social Care for the first time.  

To go back to Children's Social Care click here

To go back to becoming an adult click here

To go back to the Local Offer homepage click here

If you have been using Children's Social Care Services, as you grow up, your needs and the local authority's responsibilities change. When you are between 16-17½ Children's Social Care may refer you to the Preparation for Adulthood Team.

This team is here to make sure your journey into adulthood is smooth and supportive. Children’s Social Care completes a transition checklist and assessment with the referral, telling them all about you and your needs. 

Why does it have to change?

The change from Children's Social Care to Adult Social Care usually happens around the age of 18 because, legally, you're considered an adult at that point. This means that after you turn 18 the Children Act 1989 no longer applies to you, but you are still protected by the Care Act.  It's the natural process of growing up and changes in legal frameworks, it's nothing to worry about. You'll still get the services you need. 

What is the Care Act?

The Care Act, is a law that focuses on the well-being of adults and how they receive social care support. If you've used Children's Social Care services when you were younger, The Preparation for Adulthood team will help with the next steps, like a Care Act assessment around ages 17½ to 18 if you qualify. 

More information on transitions between Children’s and Adult’s Social Care can be found here.

• Who is eligible for Adult Social Care Services 
• How to get an assessment 
• What happens at an assessment
• What help is available 
• What to do if you aren't eligible for Adult Social Care, but still need some support
• Help for carers and family members

To check if you are eligible, you can use a diagram to decide if you qualify for help. 

1. You must have care and support needs because of a physical, or mental condition, disability or illness. 
2. These needs must affect you, and stop you from achieving two or more outcomes from the list below. 
3. Not achieving these outcomes could have a significant impact on your well-being. 

The diagram:

The outcomes are:

Managing and maintaining nutrition. This means being able to buy, cook and feed yourself healthy food, looking after your weight and getting enough vitamins and minerals. 

Maintaining personal hygiene. Keeping yourself clean, looking after your teeth, and being able to use the bath or shower independently. 

Managing toilet needs. If you need help using the loo, changing your pads, or manging a stoma bag.

Being appropriately clothed. Choosing the right clothes for the weather, making sure you have clean clothes to wear, and choosing suitable clothes for different places such as work, school or a party.  

Being able to make use of your home safely. Getting around ok, using the stairs or a stairlift, can you reach everything and do you know about fire safety? 

Maintaining a habitable home environment. Cleaning up after yourself, doing the dishes, and laundry, keeping things safe and tidy so that you don't trip of fall and nothing can fall on you. 

Developing and maintaining family or other personal relationships. Having friends, keeping up to date with them, visiting your family, choosing a partner. 

Accessing and engaging in work, training, education or volunteering. Getting a job, studying or learning new skills, helping in your community

Making use of facilities or services in the local community, including public transport, and recreational facilities or services. Do you need help getting out and about, using a bus, and doing the things you enjoy?

Carrying out any caring responsibilities you have for a child. If you are looking after your baby or child, or another young family member can you do this without support from social services?

If you want to look at more examples of these outcomes, you can look at the Social Care Institute of Excellence website here 

After looking through the eligibility section, you may feel you are eligible for support.

If so, the steps below will help you before making a request.

What to do first

• Ask your family about the type of help you might need and why it would make a difference to you
  
• Write down information about your disability and how it affects you if you can
• Think about what support you need and how this will help with your development
  
• Explain which outcomes on the diagram you will struggle to meet without help

Then you'll be ready to make the request.

You can request an assessment by ringing 01226 773300 or you can email adultsocialservices@barnsley.gov.uk.

Your parents, carer or a professional such as a GP can also make the request for you.

Remember to keep a note of the date and time of the request. It's normal for things to go quiet for a couple of weeks, whilst your request is looked at by adult social care, but you'll hear back from someone to arrange a time and place to meet you and do the assessment. 

• What you want to achieve
• About your health, home, and what you do on a typical day
• About any support you currently have in place
• What additional support do you feel you need to help you achieve your goals? This could be from your local community, family or friends, or other services
• Sometimes, they'll ask you about money to see if you qualify for financial help or funding for certain services.

Your thoughts, preferences, and goals are a big part of the plan. They will listen to you and find out what you want and how you'd like things to be.

• if you have a disability, health need or impairment
  
• if your disability, health need or impairment means that you're unable to do some important things in your life without support
  
• if your disability, health need or impairment is having a significant impact on your physical, mental, emotional or social wellbeing
  

• A Personal Assistant
  
• Homecare Support
  
• Day Care Provision
  
• Supported living or residential care